Two national park authorities publish how their Tramper schemes work; both describe a Tramper as an all-terrain mobility scooter. This article reports the North York Moors National Park Authority’s Tramper page (shown as last updated 7 April 2026) and the Eryri National Park Authority’s Tramper hire page (undated), both read on 4 November 2026. The first covers England and the second Wales. Arrangements can differ between sites and change over time, so the park’s own booking pages are the place to confirm them.
The two schemes at a glance
| North York Moors (England) | Eryri (Wales) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it says a Tramper is | An electric all-terrain mobility scooter | A specially designed all-terrain mobility scooter for rough ground, mud and grass |
| Cost | First-time users pay £3 for a single use, £5 for a Taster Membership or £15 for Annual Membership; hire is free for members | Free of charge; voluntary donations welcome |
| Booking | All bookings must be made in advance; five sites say book online, Dalby Forest says booking is advised by phone | At least 4 weeks in advance, by a hire request on the route page |
| Training | First-time users must undertake a short training session | An induction with a safety briefing and a test drive with a member of staff |
North York Moors: six sites and set time slots
The North York Moors page lists six locations, each with its own slots:
- Cropton Forest: daily at 9am and 12pm
- Dalby Forest: daily for half a day or a full day, with booking advised by calling 01751 460295
- Danby Lodge: Wednesday to Friday at 11am and 2pm
- Keldy Forest: daily from 11am to 2pm
- Scarborough Castle: daily at 10.30am and 1.30pm
- Sutton Bank National Park Centre: two Trampers daily, at 11am and 12pm
The page says the scooter is designed to cover rough ground including mud, grass, cambers and steeper inclines, and can tackle gradients of up to 1 in 4 (25%). It states a speed limit of 4mph, an age restriction of 14 and above, and a maximum user weight of 25 stone (158 kilos).
Membership that reaches beyond the park
According to the North York Moors page, Annual Membership lasts 12 months. It says members can also use Trampers at sites in the Lake District, the North Pennines National Landscape and all 47 Countryside Mobility sites in South West England and Wales. The Dalby Forest Tramper is described as not part of this scheme but available for anyone to hire. Members are asked to show their membership card at the centres to show they have had training.
Never alone: the accompaniment rule and the Buddy scheme
The page says that, for safety reasons, all Tramper users must be accompanied by someone who can get help in an emergency. At Sutton Bank National Park Centre, it describes a team of volunteer “Tramper Buddies” for visitors without someone to travel with. Buddies are subject to availability, so the page advises requesting one before booking, through Outdoor Mobility or the centre on 01845 597426. The Eryri pages read for this article do not mention an accompaniment rule, a Buddy scheme or similar.
Eryri: choose a route, then request a Tramper
Eryri’s page sets out three steps: filter its Walks and Routes page to Tramper friendly trails, choose a route and find the hire information on that route’s page, then follow the hire request link to submit a request. It says hire is open to anyone who has difficulty walking because of a mobility impairment, and that the Authority has developed a series of Tramper friendly routes.
The Mawddach Trail page is one example. It describes a trail between Dolgellau and Barmouth with a wide, even surface that it calls a perfect choice for wheelchair or off-road mobility scooter users, classes it as Access for All, and offers a request link for a Tramper. The page gives the length as a 9-mile trail in its text and 15km in its route summary, which are compatible figures.
What each page does and does not state
- Speed, age and weight: the North York Moors page states 4mph, 14 and above and 25 stone (158 kilos). The Eryri pages read for this article state none of the three.
- Money: the North York Moors scheme charges first-time users; Eryri says hire is free.
- Lead time: advance booking in both cases, but only Eryri gives a minimum, 4 weeks.
- Own scooters: neither page read says anything about bringing a personal scooter onto the Tramper routes.
The bottom line
The North York Moors National Park Authority describes six Tramper sites in England with fixed slots, advance booking, a short training session for first-time users, charges of £3, £5 or £15 and limits of 4mph, age 14 and above and 25 stone. Eryri National Park Authority describes free hire in Wales by a request made at least 4 weeks ahead, with an induction and test drive, and states none of those limits on the pages read. The two pages differ in what they say, not necessarily in how the schemes work in practice, and both should be checked directly before travelling.
Sources
- Hire a tramper, North York Moors National Park Authority, last updated 7 April 2026, read 4 November 2026 (northyorkmoors.org.uk)
- Tramper Hire, Eryri National Park Authority, page undated, read 4 November 2026 (eryri.gov.wales)
- Mawddach Trail, Walks and Routes, Eryri National Park Authority, page undated, read 4 November 2026 (eryri.gov.wales)