Visitor information
Opening hours
How to find us
Parking & prices
Facilities & access
Contact details

Opening hours

Car park, trails, and Woods Cafe open every day (please check the cafe website for opening hours).

The Ranger's Hut is open 9.30am-3.30pm weekends and bank holidays, and 9.30am-11.30am on weekdays.

Weekdays

Monday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk
Tuesday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk
Wednesday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk
Thursday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk
Friday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk

Weekends

Saturday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk
Sunday
Opening hours Dawn to dusk

How to find us

How to find us
Cardinham Woods, Bodmin
Sat Nav Postcode: PL30 4AL
By Car

From Bodmin take the A38 towards Liskeard. 400 metres beyond the Carminnow Cross roundabout follow the brown tourist signs left and then left again into Cardinham Woods.

 

Our access road is singletrack with passing places. Please be prepared to give way to other drivers and give walkers and horse riders plenty of space.

OS Grid Ref
SX100667

50.46968368628, -4.6786792605743

Parking and prices

Pay for your parking with debit/credit card or use the RingGo app. We recommend downloading the app to your phone before you visit.

You can also use RingGo by pre-booking online or calling 0203 046 0063 with location code 31017 (cars) or 31018 (minibuses).

There is a small convenience charge for using this service.  See RingGo online for full terms and conditions and VAT receipts.

Cardinham Woods members park for free. Buy your membership now for £35 and simply display your pass in your vehicle without queuing for a ticket. Parking charges and memberships help us to look after Cardinham Woods for everyone.

Our access road is narrow in places. Please be considerate of other drivers and give walkers and horse riders plenty of space. Please do not park on the access road as it causes a dangerous obstruction to other road users and emergency vehicles. 

Parking Charges

The money you pay for parking helps us to look after the forests. Read how
Charges at peak times (weekends, school holidays, bank holidays)
Up to 2 hours £3.00
Up to 4 hours £4.00
All day £6.00
Charges at off-peak times (weekdays in term time only)
Up to 2 hours £2.00
Up to 4 hours £3.00
All day £5.00

Coaches/Minibuses charges

Minibuses/coaches - £9 peak / £8 off-peak

Additional information

Regular visitors can save money by becoming a Member - Find out more about our membership offer
Number of accessible parking spaces: 4
Card payments accepted
Coaches/Minibuses welcomed
Pay by phone available
Pay on foot system

Facilities and access

Woods Cafe is open daily for takeaway and outdoor seating. Please check the cafe website for opening hours.

The self-service dog wash is open every day and accepts payment by card.

If you have limited mobility (short or long term, for any reason), why not hire our Tramper through the Countryside Mobility Scheme? You do not have to be registered disabled to hire a Tramper and we have introduced a COVID secure hire process to keep you safe.

For a quieter forest experience, we recommend planning your visit for early morning (before 10.00am) or in the evening (after 4.00pm). The forest is usually less busy on week days.

For more information about Cardinham Woods to help you plan your visit, take a look at our accessibility information:

Accessible toilet
Assistant dogs welcome
Baby changing facilities
Cafe
Dogs allowed
Easy access trail
Picnic area
Play Area
Ranger's Office
Toilets
Tramper/Mobility Scooter hire

Contact details

From adventure and exercise to peaceful strolls and stunning scenery, share moments of relaxation and exertion alike at Cardinham Woods

The perfect location to recharge and relax, Cardinham Woods is found in central Cornwall and has everything you could want from an outdoor woodland adventure. The diverse woodland is full of secret glades, allowing you to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life into a haven of natural beauty.

Stream-side paths, fresh air and stunning viewpoints make Cardinham Woods a wonderful spot for all. If you’re a thrill seeker searching for your next adrenaline rush, our cycling trails are not to be missed.

Tramper user and walker on a forest road

Explore Cardinham Woods with an off-road mobility vehicle

Visitors with limited mobility (short or long-term, for any reason) can hire our Tramper through the Countryside Mobility Scheme. You do not have to be registered disabled to hire a Tramper. The Tramper is an off-road mobility scooter, which is easy to use and able to tackle a range of surfaces and gradients come rain or shine.

Food and drink

Mountain bike riders site at a picnic bench in front of a stone cottage

Woods Cafe

Refuel at beautiful Woods Cafe, serving a range of freshly prepared light bites and drinks every day.

Cardinham is famed for its walking trails, from easy routes to longer walks that include steep valley climbs and fantastic views. With four way-marked routes and miles of tracks to explore, Cardinham Woods offers a great day out.

For visitors with reduced mobility (short or long-term, for any reason), we have a Tramper off-road scooter for hire that can access the Lady Vale Walk, Callywith Wood Walk, and Lidcutt Loop.

Get ready to join Zog on his latest forest adventure with a brand-new family activity trail and free app!

How does it work?

1. Download the new ‘Zog: A Forest Adventure’ app before you visit

Point the brand new app at special markers along the trail and access all sorts of exciting challenges as you go.

Thanks to amazing augmented reality technology, you’ll be able to collect golden stars, just like Zog and have the chance to take a photo with everyone’s favourite dragon at the end of the trail!

Capture the fun by saving videos and photos as you complete the bonus activities!

Get it on Google Play     Get it on the App Store

2. Get your claws on a Zog trail activity pack 

Grab the Zog trail activity pack for £4 from the Ranger's Hut.

Inside you’ll find: 

kraft bag to colour in. 

dragon wings to decorate and wear. 

Zog glasses. 

stickers. 

trail leaflet. 

pencil and crayon. 

3. Follow the trail

Collect golden stars as your little dragons learn how they can help care for the forest, and how the forests can care for them.  

Share your Zog fun using the #ZogTrail hashtag.

Zog © 2010 & TM Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

Badger Forest School run a range of informal sessions at Cardinham Woods, designed to generate curiosity, build independence and develop a love for nature.

Come along to Cardinham Woods for:

Badger Cubs, designed for parents and children up to five. Little Explorers, for families to attend together. Woodland Skills, a drop-off session for home-educated children. Badger babes for parents and babies under two. Dangerous Dads, a monthly session for dads and male carers and their children. Badger Holiday Club, during the school holidays.

More information and booking

Visit the Badger Forest School website via the button below for detailed information about these sessions and instructions on how to book. 

Cardinham Woods offers a fantastic opportunity for off-road cycling for anyone with basic off-road cycling skills.

Nearby forests

Rough tor

Roughtor (sometimes known as Rough Tor) boasts a wealth of natural beauty. Its peaks provide a manageable and enjoyable 3-4 mile walk complete with stunning views.

The keen eye will spot not only stunning views, but also Iron Age remains, Bronze Age hut circles and even a Neolithic tor enclosure. Perfect for explorers who like to stumble across remnants of history!

Davidstow Woods

Located by Davidstow airfield and north of Bodmin Moor, Davidstow Woods is a coniferous forest perfectly placed for a walk to Crowdy reservoir or Showery Tor.

Pack a lunch and take in the historic views across the moors.

Generic woodland

Located approximately two miles north of Truro, Idless Woods is a stunning woodland with a diverse range of wildlife. 

Shaded walking trail in Stoke Woods, Exeter

Once part of the area’s industrial past, this diverse woodland now supports a wide variety of plant and animal life including some of the UK’s rarest butterfly species. Come and see what you can spot! 

 

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