Only two main roads cross the moor - one having a regular bus service. Numerous by-roads, mainly single track, connect the picture post card villages with their granite buildings and thatched roofs. It is most famous for its prison, its ponies and for the folksong Widecombe Fair, but there is so much more to Dartmoor than these. The highest areas are open moorland, acres of heather, bog and wind-bent grasses where you can walk for miles without seeing a road or a building. The hilltops are dominated by rocky outcrops known as tors - Hound Tor and Hay Tor are among the best known.
Many rivers tumble off the high moor.
Dartmoor is a paradise for the stroller, serious rambler and horse rider - well supplied with paths and bridleways. But ramblers should nevertheless be well equipped and proficient with map and compass. It is an area rich in history. There are stone circles and stone rows, field systems, and at Grimpound a remarkable prehistoric village. More recent archaeological sites include Iron Age hill forts and medieval castles on the borders of the moor, and out on the open hills the remains of countless tin mines.