Roundhay Park Walks

Roundhay Park has lots more to offer than many visitors realise! Make sure that you do more than the standard Roundhay park walk round the Lake. Explore the Secret Gorge, adventure into the Woodlands and follow the FORP Adventure Trails!

A Walk around Roundhay Park’s Waterloo Lake

A walk around Waterloo Lake from the carpark at Lakeside cafe is 2.7km, and is flat and surfaced, so suitable for buggies, small bikes and scooters. This is the most common walk for visitors to the park.

The Secret Gorge Walk

The secret Gorge walk is a wonderful discovery if you haven’t tried it before. Find the start of the walk at the top of Waterloo Lake (map here). The flat path winds over little bridges towards the ring road, but the return path is on a steep and muddy incline, so if you have little ones (or wheels) you may wish to return on the path you came in on. Read more about this walk here.

FORP Adventure Trails

To add excitement to walks with children, download the Adventure Trails from FORP. There are two routes to follow, each one with a map and activities to follow to keep them entertaining for children. Read more about these trails here.

A walk of the Mumbler Favourites of Roundhay Park

If you want to enjoy a few of the delights of Roundhay Park, this 4km walk takes in a bit of everything! Walk around Waterloo Lake, and then cut behind the path through the woodland behinf Roundhay’s folly towards the Upper Lake. Enjoy a stroll down to Lakeside cafe through the parkland to return. A buggy is possible in summer (if you dont mind an uphill push!), but in wet weather and winter might too be muddy through the woodland.

Specialist Gardens and Canal Gardens

Because these gardens are away from the main parkland area that homes the play areas and lakes, they’re often forgotten. But there’s loads to explore and keep little legs entertained, so great for young family walks!

Find the Canal Gardens next to Tropical World (so you can use the cafe and toilets), and the entrance to the Specialist Gardens off Mansion Lane (opposite the Roundhay Fox).

The Abandoned Summer House (often described as Roundhay Park’s Hidden Bandstand)

One of the hidden gems of Roundhay Park, this abandoned summer house is located within the woodland. Park at the carpark off Wetherby Road, and take the path that leads into the woodland on the right of the carpark (if you are facing the lake). Make sure you take to path to the right rather than the path up to the dam!