Community Forest Path

The Community Forest Path is 74.61 km long, and HiiKER lists it as a multi-day route with an estimated duration of about 4 days. With 1,165 m of total ascent and an easy overall rating, many walkers break it into shorter day stages rather than treating it as a fast through-hike.

The Community Forest Path is part of a 45-mile walking route that circles outer Bristol through Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset. That makes it better described as a circuit with multiple joining points rather than a simple one-way trail between two trailheads.

The route mixes urban-edge paths with open countryside and woodland. Notable places named on the wider Community Forest Path include Brandy Bottom Colliery near Pucklechurch and the village of Pensford, known for its imposing 19th-century viaduct, along with long stretches of views across the Forest of Avon landscape.

The Community Forest Path is rated easy, which makes it more approachable than many long-distance trails of similar length. Even so, 74.61 km and 1,165 m of climbing still make it a substantial outing, so it is usually more suitable for beginners when split into shorter sections rather than attempted all at once.

Dogs can generally be taken on public rights of way in Bath and North East Somerset, but control matters on mixed farmland and access land. In this area, dogs must be kept on a lead of no more than 2 meters on open access land between March 1 and July 31, and at all times around livestock.

Yes. The wider Community Forest Path was designed with access points across the Bristol area, and published route notes mention bus-linked sections and rail access at places such as Bristol Parkway and Sea Mills. In and around Bath and North East Somerset, the route can be joined in shorter stages rather than only as a full end-to-end walk.