Places to visit in North West
Explore nature reserves, woodlands, and parks across 35 counties in North West.
From the Lake District's fells to Manchester's city parks and Liverpool's waterfront — England's most varied outdoor landscape.
Blackburn with Darwen
A hillside district at the foot of the West Pennine Moors, with Darwen Tower moorland, Witton Country Park, and Jumbles Reservoir Country Park.
Blackpool
A seaside resort district on the Lancashire coast, with the Fylde flatlands, Stanley Park, and access to the Ribble Estuary marshes to the south.
Bolton
A district on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, with Rivington Pike's moorland, Jumbles Country Park reservoir, and the Yarrow valley walking routes.
Burnley
A post-industrial district in east Lancashire's Pennine valleys, with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Towneley Park, and moorland rising to Boulsworth Hill.
Bury
A Greater Manchester district on the Irwell and Roch rivers, with Burrs Country Park, Holcombe Hill moor, and the Irwell Sculpture Trail.
Cheshire East
A district spanning the Cheshire Plain and the Pennine foothills, with Macclesfield Forest, the Macclesfield Canal, and Lyme Park's estate parkland.
Cheshire West and Chester
A district stretching from the Dee estuary salt marshes to Delamere Forest, with the Shropshire Union Canal and the city of Chester's riverside.
Chorley
A district between the coastal plain and the West Pennine Moors, with Rivington and Anglezarke reservoirs, Yarrow valley woodland, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
Cumberland
A large unitary authority bordering the Lake District, with the Solway Firth coast, the River Eden valley, Talkin Tarn Country Park, and Hadrian's Wall corridor.
Fylde
A flat peninsula district between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, with the Lytham saltmarshes, the Ribble National Nature Reserve, and open coastal farmland.
Halton
A compact Mersey valley district spanning Runcorn and Widnes, with the Mersey Estuary National Nature Reserve, the Sankey Valley Park, and the Bridgewater Canal.
Hyndburn
A post-industrial east Lancashire district with the Calder and Hyndburn rivers, Baxenden countryside, and moorland rising to the Forest of Bowland AONB.
Knowsley
A largely urban Merseyside district with Knowsley Safari Park and Country Park, the River Alt, and the eastern reaches of the Sefton Coast dune system.
Lancaster
A district reaching from Morecambe Bay's tidal flats to the Arnside and Silverdale AONB limestone pavements, with the Lune river valley cutting inland.
Liverpool
A city district on the Mersey Estuary, with Sefton Park, Croxteth Country Park, and the Mersey waterfront walk extending north towards the Sefton dunes.
Manchester
A compact city district with Heaton Park — one of England's largest municipal parks — the Irwell riverside, and the Bridgewater Canal towpath.
Oldham
A Pennine-fringe district with Saddleworth Moor, the Tame and Medlock river valleys, and the Dark Peak plateau accessible to the east.
Pendle
A district dominated by the distinctive form of Pendle Hill, with the Ribble valley, the Forest of Bowland AONB on its western edge, and upland moorland reservoirs.
Preston
A city district in the Ribble valley, with Avenham and Miller Parks on the riverside, the Ribble Estuary to the west, and Beacon Fell Country Park to the north.
Ribble Valley
A large rural district stretching through the Ribble and Hodder valleys, with the Forest of Bowland AONB, limestone caves at Clitheroe, and moorland fells.
Rochdale
A district on the eastern Pennine fringe, with Hollingworth Lake Country Park, the Rochdale Canal, and the moorland plateau of the South Pennines AONB.
Rossendale
A post-industrial east Lancashire district carved by Pennine valleys, with the Irwell Sculpture Trail, Cowpe Moss moorland, and the Rossendale Way long-distance path.
Salford
A city district on the Irwell and Manchester Ship Canal, with Salford Quays waterfront, Worsley Woods, and the Bridgewater Canal connecting to Cheshire.
Sefton
A coastal district stretching from Liverpool to Southport, with the Sefton Coast's extensive sand dunes, red squirrel habitat at Formby, and Ribble Estuary salt marsh.
South Ribble
A district south of Preston on the Ribble Estuary, with Cuerden Valley Park, the canal towpath, and Worden Park's grounds on the Lancashire plain.
St. Helens
A largely urban Merseyside district with the Sankey Valley Park following a historic canal, Sutton Manor Woodland on a former colliery site, and Sherdley Park.
Stockport
A district on the Peak District's western edge, with the Goyt and Mersey river valleys, Lyme Park's Pennine moorland, and the Etherow Country Park reservoir.
Tameside
A district on the Pennine fringe east of Manchester, with the Tame river valley, Daisy Nook Country Park, and Hartshead Pike's moorland summit.
Trafford
A district south of Manchester with Sale Water Park's lakes, the Mersey valley corridor, the Bridgewater Canal towpath, and the Dunham Massey deer park.
Warrington
A town district in the Mersey valley between Manchester and Liverpool, with the Sankey Valley linear park, Risley Moss nature reserve, and the Mersey tidal flats.
West Lancashire
A flat agricultural district between Liverpool and Preston, with the WWT Martin Mere wetland reserve, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and Rufford Old Hall estate.
Westmorland and Furness
A large district encompassing the southern Lake District fells, the Furness peninsula, Morecambe Bay's tidal sands, and the limestone pavements of the Arnside AONB.
Wigan
A district on the Lancashire plain, with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Pennington Flash Country Park's bird-rich lake, and the Douglas river valley walking trail.
Wirral
A peninsula district between the Dee and Mersey estuaries, with the Wirral Way coastal path, Thurstaston's red sandstone shore, and Hilbre Island nature reserve.
Wyre
A coastal district between Morecambe Bay and the Ribble, with the Wyre Estuary Country Park, Skippool Creek, and the Forest of Bowland AONB to the east.