The Camel Trail
About 5 to 5.5 miles (8 to 9km) one way to Wadebridge · Virtually level elevation
About
The Camel Trail is the old railway line, the last stretch of the route the Atlantic Coast Express ran from London Waterloo; Padstow station closed to passengers on 30 January 1967 and the trail follows the track bed beside the Camel estuary to Wadebridge and on to Bodmin and Wenfordbridge. The tourist office calls it largely traffic free, smooth surfaced and virtually level, and says it takes about 350,000 users a year. From Padstow to Wadebridge it is roughly 5 to 5.5 miles (the two hire shops say 5; measured along the mapped route it is about 8.6km), and Padstow Cycle Hire gives 45 minutes to an hour each way by bike. Both hire shops are at the start of the trail beside the Railway car park. The only public toilets are in Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin.
Highlights
- ✓The Camel estuary at high and low water
- ✓Little egrets and other estuary birds
- ✓A mobile refreshment trailer roughly midway in season
- ✓Hire shops at the start with trailers and dog trailers
- ✓Continues to Bodmin (6.1 miles on from Wadebridge) and Wenfordbridge
Tips
- →Padstow Cycle Hire (01841 533533) and Trail Bike Hire both take online bookings; ask about leaving a bike in Wadebridge if you only want to ride one way.
- →Dogs are allowed on the trail on a lead.
- →To join the Bodmin section from Wadebridge you ride or walk about five minutes on the road; the hire firm suggests walking.
- →Parking at the Railway car park is by RingGo (location 2849); Padstow Cycle Hire says the machine takes coins only.
