The new 62-mile Steel Cotton Rail Trail is being described as “almost perfect” for an autumn adventure. The route, which runs between Manchester and Sheffield, is split into 14 day-friendly walks, each offering a “magical” seasonal experience.
The trail’s 14 sections, all linked by rail stations, allow walkers to “choose your challenge and altitude.” You can decide “whether you want trees or moors, towns or fields,” and find a walk to match your mood.
This autumn is a “mast year,” and the trail is covered in the season’s bounty. Walkers will enjoy the “loud crunch of dry acorns and beech nuts” on woodland paths, and the “golds, reds and ochres of leaf litter” are everywhere.
The “classic northern autumn day” of “low clouds, mizzle and mist” only adds to the charm. The trail provides an “eye-calming” escape, “grey-filtered but for the glow of dead leaves all around.”
This new, well-marked trail is a fantastic way to enjoy the “magical moods” of the season. It’s an accessible, car-free way to explore the “post-industrial” beauty of the Peak District.