Rivers trail route, map and stops
The York rivers trail follows the River Ouse through a series of green spaces and riverside locations, linking countryside and city.
Plan your visit
The York rivers trail is not a 'defined route' in the traditional sense. It is closer to a cultural trail or art trail, bringing together different places, stories and experiences along the river.
You can explore it in ways that work for you - visiting individual rivers trail locations, following sections of the river, or engaging with the stories and digital elements as you go.
Find out about rivers trail accessibility whilst planning your visit, including our route notes which provide step-by-step guidance to support people who prefer more detailed directions.
Be aware that the York rivers trail is:
- mostly flat, using existing paths
- suitable for walking, wheeling and family visits
- designed to be explored in sections or shorter visits
York rivers trail map and route
Click the picture to view a map of the York rivers trail (opens in new window)
A map of the York rivers trail shows key locations, access points and different ways to explore the river.
Because the trail is modular rather than 1 continuous route, the map can be used to plan a visit that suits you.
Use our map to see the River Ouse alongside the parts of the trail:
Download a map
Download the York rivers trail map, allowing you to zoom-in for more detail.
Key stops along York rivers trail
Each key stop on the York rivers trail offers a different perspective on how York lives with water.
- Homestead Park, YO30
- Leeman Park, YO26
- Museum Gardens, YO1
- North Street Garden, YO1
- Tower Gardens, YO1
- Rowntree Park, YO23
1. Homestead Park, YO30
Trees, planting, and wildlife, carefully managed along the river, connecting upstream.
- Gateway to Clifton Ings - flood meadow, rare Tansy beetle
- Trees for the future - chosen for changing conditions
Find out more about Homestead Park and Clifton Ings.
2. Leeman Park, YO26
Flood defences, Marygate Landing and York Minster framed along the river.
- Upstream - trees and the river winding through the landscape
- Once a busy route - boats carried wool and stone into York
Find out more about Leeman Park.
3. Museum Gardens, YO1
A flood bank, a riverside path, and 2,000 years of history.
- A raised flood bank - helping protect nearby streets and homes
- Nature and history together - trees and planting shaped with care
Find out more about Museum Gardens.
4. North Street Gardens, YO1
A floating ecosystem and a garden that floods by design.
- Shaped by local people - for people and nature
- Flood gates close when the river rises - protecting nearby streets
Find out more about North Street Gardens.
5. Tower Gardens, YO1
Clifford’s Tower, the river, and a city built on trade.
- King’s and Queen’s Staith - historic landing places for trade
- Nearby, rivers meet - shaping the city past and present
Find out more about Tower Gardens.
6. Rowntree Park, YO23
Nature, memorials, and a climate-ready future unfolding.
- A park shaped by water - helping slow the river while supporting wildlife
- A shared space - for reflection, rest and living with the river
Find out more about Rowntree Park, Rowntree Park car park, Rowntree Park play area, Rowntree Park public toilets, Rowntree Park Reading Café and Rowntree Park war memorial.
Viewing frames along the York rivers trail
Along parts of the trail, a series of viewing frames are positioned at Leeman Park and Tower Gardens.
Developed in response to the project’s themes - including rivers, flooding, community, biodiversity and storytelling - these sculptural frames have been designed as moments to pause, reflect and look more closely at the surrounding landscape.
Each frame draws attention to a particular view, encouraging visitors to notice how the river connects places, people and histories. By framing these moments, they offer simple opportunities to see the river differently and explore the stories connected to each location.
The text within the frames has been shaped from community contributions gathered through engagement activities across York. Phrases, imagery and ideas have been carefully combined to reflect local voices and experiences, creating a shared narrative within the wider trail.
Share your view of the river and the trail using #Yorkriverstrail - and see how others are experiencing it.
Exhibitions along the York rivers trail
A series of exhibitions will take place across the city this summer, including installations at Homestead Park, Rowntree Park and NHS sites such as York Hospital and Foss Park Hospital from mid‑July.
Part of the York rivers trail: the rivers and us, these exhibitions bring together artworks exploring themes of upstream and downstream through movement, reflection and connection.
Through photography, painting, print, textiles and mixed media, the work celebrates creativity as a way of supporting wellbeing, conversation and shared experience. It also invites reflection on how rivers connect people and places - and how working with nature can support the future of our rivers.
Developed with communities across York, the exhibitions reflect a wide range of voices and experiences. For some, the work is rooted in local landscapes and everyday encounters with the river. For others, it explores memory, emotion, imagination and environmental change.
At their heart, the exhibitions are about shared experience - bringing together different people, places and perspectives through creativity. They invite visitors to pause, reflect and see the river, and their relationship to it, in new ways.
While a selection of portraits is shown in the exhibitions at Homestead and Rowntree Parks, you can also view a montage of everyone who took part in the video montage, of photography by James Drury.
Please note, there are no captions or transcript with this video; the only sound is background music.
Get a York rivers trail leaflet
You can use a printed leaflet to guide you on the York rivers trail, collect one from:
Visit York
Visitor Information Centre and Gift Shop
21 Parliament Street
York
YO1 8SG
Alternatively, you can download and print your own leaflet:
- Download the York river trails leaflet (12 pages, A6 size, full colour)
- Download the York river trails large print leaflet (12pages, A4 size, full colour)
Please note, these portable document format (PDF) files are intended for printing; they do not contain 'tagging' suitable for users of assistive technology.
