Choose your trail
Take the complete tree trail or choose the shorter children’s route for younger explorers.
Separate app · Free family nature trail in York
Rowntree Park Tree Trail.
Turn an ordinary park walk into a nature discovery. Follow the map to 20 remarkable trees, scratch to reveal their flowers, leaves and bark, and learn what makes each one worth a closer look.
Free to use · No booking required · Full and children’s trails
20 treesNative and ornamental species
30–60 minsExplore at your own pace
Two routesFull and children’s trails
Completely freeNo booking required
A free thing to do in York with kids
Slow down. Look up. Meet the park properly.
Rowntree Park is home to an extraordinary mix of trees, but it is easy to pass beneath them without knowing their names or noticing how they change. This self-guided tree trail gives families a reason to pause, compare and discover.
Meet familiar species including oak, alder, sycamore, lime, elm and silver birch, alongside ornamental favourites such as bird cherry and the Japanese cherry trees that fill the park with blossom in spring.
It is a family nature walk, a simple outdoor learning activity and a new way to explore one of York’s best-loved green spaces—all from a free app on your phone.
How the Rowntree Park app works
The next discovery is already nearby.
There is no timetable and no guide to keep up with. Open the map when you arrive and follow the trail at the pace that suits your family.
Find the next tree
Use the location-based map to move between tree waypoints around Rowntree Park.
Look before you reveal
Inspect the real tree, try the activity and scratch to reveal clues about its leaves, bark, flowers, fruit or seeds.
Return with the seasons
Come back to see blossom, catkins, summer canopies, autumn colour and the shapes revealed in winter.
A tree identification walk for every season
The same trees never look quite the same.
The trail is designed to reward repeat visits. What helps identify a tree changes through the year, turning one family walk in York into four different discoveries.
Blossom, buds and catkins
Look for new growth and the flowers that appear before some trees are fully in leaf.
Leaves and shady canopies
Compare leaf shapes, edges and arrangements while the park is at its greenest.
Seeds, fruit and colour
Discover how trees reproduce and which clues begin falling onto the paths below.
Bark, buds and silhouettes
Notice the textures and branching patterns that remain after the leaves have gone.
A family nature trail in York
Made for curious children—and curious grown-ups.
The shorter children’s trail keeps the walking manageable while preserving the satisfying part: finding a real tree, noticing its features and uncovering something new. Grown-ups do not need to know anything about trees before starting.
CostFree
BookingNot required
PaceCompletely self-guided
Younger walkersShorter route available
Plan your Rowntree Park family walk
Close to York. A world away from rushing.
Rowntree Park sits beside the River Ouse on the south side of York city centre. It can be reached on foot or by bike along the riverside and is around a 15-minute walk from the centre.
The park has play areas, toilets and the Rowntree Park Reading Café, making it easy to combine the tree trail with a relaxed family visit. Opening times and conditions can change, particularly when river levels are high, so check the latest park information before travelling.
Rowntree Park Tree Trail questions
Everything you need before you explore.
Is the Rowntree Park Tree Trail free?
Yes. The app and trail are completely free to use, and you do not need to book a time.
How long does the tree trail take?
Allow around 30 minutes to one hour. Your visit can be shorter or longer depending on the route and how much time you spend examining each tree.
Is the Rowntree Park nature trail suitable for children?
Yes. The app includes a shorter children’s version created for little legs and curious young explorers. Children should explore with an appropriate supervising adult.
What will we learn on the trail?
The activities help you notice features used in tree identification, including leaves, flowers, bark, buds, fruit and seeds. The exact clues available naturally change with the season.
Do we need mobile data throughout the park?
The app is designed to remain useful with limited connectivity. Download it before setting out and check your device’s store listing for compatibility.
Is this an Uncommon Place trail?
No. Rowntree Park Tree Trail is a separate app created by the Friends of Rowntree Park with Boon & Moil, the York studio behind Uncommon Place.
Your free York nature trail
Twenty trees are waiting.
Download the Rowntree Park app, choose your route and discover a family-friendly outdoor activity just beyond York city centre.
Interested in the story behind it? Read how Boon & Moil created the Rowntree Park Tree Trail app.