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CLIFTON BACKIES

19 ha

📷 DS Pugh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome19 ha

Getting here

53.98102, -1.09058

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

  • 🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
  • 🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
  • 🅿️Parking on site — 16 car parks within reach

Good to know

  • £Free to visit — no entry charge
  • 🐕Dogs welcome
Bike parkingParking

Best for

10 activities

Bird watching

Nature reserve; Birds — Blue Tit, Great Tit, Mallard +25 more · last seen 2026

Free

Wildlife

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds

Free

Seasonal nature

Plants — Rough-stalked Feather-moss, Grey-cushioned Grimmia, Springy Turf-moss +62 more · last seen 2026; Plants — Rough-stalked Feather-moss, Grey-cushioned Grimmia, Springy Turf-moss +62 more · last seen 2026

Free

Dog walks

Dogs allowed — nature reserve

Free

Foraging

Plants — Common Nettle, Raspberry, Red Dead-nettle +8 more foraging species

Varies

Forest walks

Nature reserve

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km
🚶

Walking

11 signed routes nearby · 11 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Centenary WayWalking route134 km
Named routeLength 134 kmRegional walking route
Ebor WayWalking route
Named routeRegional walking route
Foss WalkWalking route
Named routeRegional walking route
Millennium WayWalking route
Named routeLocal walking route
Jorvic WayWalking route104 km
Named routeLength 104 kmRegional walking route
🚴

Cycling

99 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby
Route 66Cycling route
Named routeRef 66National Cycle Network
The White Rose Cycle RouteCycling route
Named routeRef 65National Cycle Network
Way of the Roses Cycle RouteCycling route
Named routeRef WoRNational Cycle Network
NCN National Route 658Cycling route
Named routeRef 658National Cycle Network
Orbital RouteCycling route
Named routeRef OrbitalRound tripLocal cycle route
Main RouteCycling route7.4 km
Named routeRef 65Length 7.4 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

About this nature reserve

Clifton Backies is a 19-hectare Local Nature Reserve located in York, Yorkshire and the Humber, England. The site consists of meadows and scrubland, which provide habitat for butterflies and small mammals, with pathways for walking and observing nature.

Wildlife to spot

Photos

Paths on Clifton Backies

📷 DS Pugh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Paths on Clifton Backies

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Weather for this location

Next 14 days

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Leeman ParkUrban park2 km→🌱Rawcliffe Bar Country ParkUrban park2 km→🌱Rowntree ParkUrban park3.7 km→✦University of York Campus West designed landscapeHistoric site4.6 km→🌱Clarence GardensUrban park1.5 km→🌱Homestead ParkUrban park1.5 km→

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