There is a particular kind of dog walk that asks nothing of you. No map-reading, no scrambling, no second-guessing the tide. You point yourself along it, the dog settles into a rhythm, and an hour later you have earned a pint without ever really trying. In Cornwall, that walk is the Camel Trail.
The Camel Trail follows the bed of a long-closed railway line for eighteen-odd miles, running from the harbour town of Padstow, up the estuary of the River Camel, through Wadebridge and on to Bodmin and Wenford Bridge beyond. Because it was built for trains rather than walkers, it is almost perfectly flat — the gradient barely registers — and its surface is smooth and firm the whole way. That combination makes it one of the most genuinely dog-friendly walks in the county, and one of very few that suits an older or shorter-legged dog as happily as a young one with energy to burn.
It is also, for the same reasons, popular. Cornwall Council reckons something like 400,000 people use the trail each year, and on a warm summer afternoon the Padstow end in particular hums with hire bikes. None of that need spoil it — but it does shape how, and when, you should walk it with a dog.
The three sections, and which to choose
You do not walk the Camel Trail so much as choose a piece of it. The full eighteen miles is really the preserve of cyclists and long-distance runners; on foot, with a dog, you pick one of three natural sections and walk it out and back, or arrange to be collected at the far end.
Padstow to Wadebridge — the famous stretch
Roughly five and a half miles each way, this is the section everyone means when they talk about the Camel Trail. It hugs the widening estuary almost the whole way, with water on one side and woodland on the other, crossing the listed Victorian iron bridge near Little Petherick that frames the standard postcard view back toward Padstow and Rock. It is the most scenic stretch and, inevitably, the busiest — the one to walk early in the day or out of season if your dog finds bikes unsettling.
Wadebridge to Bodmin — the quiet middle
About five and three-quarter miles, this section leaves the estuary behind and follows the river inland through wooded valley, and it is markedly quieter than the Padstow end. If what you are after is a calm walk where the dog can settle into a steady pace without a bike every thirty seconds, this is the stretch to choose. The Camel Valley vineyard and a couple of tea gardens sit along or just off it.
Bodmin to Wenford Bridge — the wooded top
The final six and a quarter miles run up through the steep, shaded woods of the upper Camel valley — the prettiest in high summer, when the canopy keeps things cool, and the least visited of the three. A good choice on a hot day, when shade matters more than a sea view.
Where to start, park and turn around
There are sensible access points with parking at each of the main towns: multiple car parks in Padstow, a large one in Wadebridge, and the Borough Arms at Dunmere just outside Bodmin. Old Town Cove, signed from St Issey, gives a quieter way onto the Padstow–Wadebridge stretch if the town car parks are full, as they often are in season.
Because the trail is point-to-point rather than a loop, the easy approach is to walk out as far as feels right and simply turn back — there is no rule that says you must reach the next town. If you would rather walk one way only, there is a seasonal bus between Padstow and Wadebridge, and bike hire at all four towns if you fancy covering more ground (licensed hirers only — it is worth checking yours is one). There are toilets at Padstow, Wadebridge and Wenford Bridge, and an accessible bird hide near Wadebridge worth pausing at for the little egrets and, if you are lucky, an otter.
A few things worth knowing
Keep the dog on a lead. This is the single most important thing. The trail is shared with cyclists and the occasional horse rider, and at the Padstow end the bikes come past steadily and often at speed. A lead is not about your dog’s manners so much as everyone else’s safety, and it keeps the trail welcoming for the next dog along.
The trail also runs through a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, with ground-nesting birds and sensitive habitat either side of the path, so it is worth keeping to the trail itself rather than letting a dog range into the reedbeds and verges.
Bring water, especially on the inland sections, where you are away from the estuary and there is less shade than you might expect on the open stretches. And time your walk around the crowds rather than fighting them: early morning and late afternoon are quietest, and the months either side of high summer give you the trail at its calmest.
The pub at the end
Half the point of a flat, easy walk is the reward waiting at the end of it, and Padstow obliges. The Old Custom House sits right on the quayside, welcomes dogs with West Country ales and decent pub food, and is about as natural a finish to the Padstow–Wadebridge stretch as exists. Several of the town’s cafes and pubs put water bowls out in summer and welcome a well-behaved dog at an outside table.
If you have the ferry in you, the short hop across the estuary from Padstow to Rock (dogs welcome aboard) lands you near The Mariners, a notable dog-friendly gastropub with estuary views — a fine excuse to extend the day. And at the Bodmin end, the Borough Arms at Dunmere sits right beside the trail with dog blankets and treats behind the bar, ideal if you have walked the quieter middle section.
Where to stay nearby
If the Camel Trail is on your list, it makes sense to base yourself within reach of its Padstow end. The Padstow House sits a short walk from where the trail begins, sleeps twelve, and takes up to three dogs — an easy base for a group who want the walk, the harbour and the beaches all on the doorstep. A little further along the north coast, The Mawgan Porth House and The Bude House put you within an easy drive.
For the rest of our north-coast and south-coast cottages — and a short guide to Cornwall’s two coasts, its beaches and its walks — see our dog-friendly Cornwall collection.