Otley Chevin

Chevin Forest Park Local Nature Reserve
 
The Chevin Forest Park is a wooded escarpment overlooking the market town of Otley, with magnificent views of the Wharfe Valley.  Massive rock outcrops dominate the park which rises steeply to a height of 280m above sea level at its highest point.  The whole park was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 1989 in recognition of its fantastic wealth of wildlife.  Parts of the Chevin have been classified as access land.

White House Cafe and Visitor Information Centre
Open April to November for light refreshments 4 days a week from Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm.  Winter opening (December to March) is Wednesdays only, 10am to 2pm. 

Access on foot from East Chevin Quarry and Surprise View car parks, or from Otley Town via Station Road.  Toilets, leaflets and other information available during opening hours.  Limited parking available for those with mobility problems by prior arrangement on 01943 465 023.

Accessibility
The park is well served by footpaths and bridleways, some of which form parts of the Dales Way Link and the Ebor Way.  All the routes are steep in places and can be muddy in wet conditions.  If you have mobility problems, mobility scooters are available (including one that can accommodate a wheelchair) from April to October for use on a route from The White House, and can be booked in advance by telephoning 01943 465 023 during weekdays between 8am and 4pm.

Things to do on the Chevin

• Orienteering Course

There are two orienteering courses available (a starter course and a larger course) that have been mapped by The Airienteers  Maps of these routes, along with a guide explaining how to use them, can be downloaded from this page.

• Geocaching

Geocaching is a fun way to learn how to find your way around, using maps and following clues.  There are 6 geocache sites for you to discover, each has a surprise gift awaiting those that find them so it is a fun activity to do with children - go to www.geocaching.com to find out more. 

• Walking

In 2008 Otley became a Walkers Are Welcome town in recognition of it being a great area to walk.  There are two walks from Otley to the Chevin and you can download these on the pdf walking map. You can also download a pdf guide to four walks in Otley. There are many other routes to explore such as the downloadable walk route featured on this page, that includes Surprise View. 

• Friends of Chevin Forest Park

Volunteers are always needed to get involved with the Friends of Chevin Forest Park who carry out a practical task once per month and also help research the history of the park.

• Chevin Wildlife WATCH Group

Join this fun environmental group for children aged 8-13 and their families which meets twice per month on weekends.  You can have a look at what they're up to by downloading their events programme from this page.

• Eventsand guided walks

Throughout the year there are a number of guided walks and events - see the guide to the right of this page if you'd like to come along! 

Finding out more
To keep you up to date with what is happening on the Chevin, we produce a twice-yearly newsletter, the Chevin News.  If you're interested in finding out about the ongoing management of the site you can download the Chevin FP management plan - a full version of this is available at Otley library. 

Please note that the Parks and Countryside's Head Office main reception telephone number 0113 395 7400 is staffed from 8.00am - 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.00am - 4.00pm on a Friday. Outside of these hours you can leave a message on the answerphone .

Leeds City Council