Yes Tor (Okehampton)
Yes Tor is one of the most prominent and celebrated high points on Dartmoor, rising to approximately 619 metres (2,031 feet) above sea level in the northern reaches of the moor in Devon, England. It stands as the second highest point on Dartmoor after High Willhays, which sits just to its south and reaches 621 metres, making the two summits part of the same commanding ridge that dominates the skyline above the market town of Okehampton. Yes Tor is a designated Open Access land, lying within the Dartmoor National Park, and it holds enormous appeal for walkers, wild landscape enthusiasts, and those seeking sweeping panoramic views across the moorland and beyond. On clear days the views from the summit extend to both coastlines — Exmoor to the north and the English Channel to the south — making it one of the most rewarding vantage points in the entire southwest of England.
The tor itself is the product of millions of years of geological history. The granite that forms Yes Tor was intruded into the earth's crust during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods, roughly 280 to 300 million years ago, as part of the great Cornubian batholith that underlies much of southwest England. Over immense timescales, overlying rock was eroded away, leaving the harder granite exposed. The characteristic weathered rock formations — known as tors — were shaped by freeze-thaw processes during the Pleistocene ice ages, when repeated cycles of frost shattering and periglacial weathering created the stacked, jointed blocks of granite that crown the summit today. Yes Tor does not carry the dramatic stacked profile of some other Dartmoor tors, but its position on an open, windswept ridge gives it an austere grandeur.
Human use and significance of this high ground stretches back thousands of years. Dartmoor's northern moor was inhabited and managed by Bronze Age and Neolithic peoples, and while Yes Tor itself may not carry the density of prehistoric monuments found on the lower moors, the wider area is rich in ancient remains — stone rows, cairns, hut circles, and enclosures are scattered across the surrounding landscape. In more recent centuries, Yes Tor became significant as a military landmark. The Okehampton Military Training Area, one of the Ministry of Defence's principal live-firing ranges in England, occupies a substantial portion of the northern moor, and Yes Tor sits within or on the margin of this range. Red and white flagpoles near the summit are used to signal when firing is taking place, and red flags fly when the range is active. Walkers must check range activity schedules before ascending, as access is restricted on firing days.
Physically, the approach to Yes Tor is a bracing moorland experience. The terrain is open and largely trackless across much of the ascent, with tussock grasses, blanket bog, heather, and bilberry forming the characteristic moorland carpet. The wind is rarely absent at this elevation, and the summit can feel genuinely exposed and wild even in summer. The granite outcrops at the top are modest in height but sit atop the ridge with a satisfying sense of arrival. A trig point confirms the summit, and the stones underfoot take on an orange-grey hue in the shifting moorland light. The soundscape is dominated by wind, the calls of meadow pipits and skylarks in warmer months, and occasionally the distant rumble of military helicopters or artillery from the range.
The immediate surroundings are some of the most dramatic on Dartmoor. High Willhays lies only a short walk to the south-southeast and is routinely combined with Yes Tor on the same excursion, making the pairing the most popular high-level walk on the moor. The West Okement River rises in the boggy terrain nearby, and the deep valley of the Meldon Reservoir lies a few kilometres to the northeast, its impounded waters visible on clear days. The army's Okehampton Camp sits at the foot of the moor, and the town of Okehampton itself — with its ruined castle, one of the largest medieval castle ruins in Devon — provides an excellent base for visiting. The Granite Way cycling and walking trail passes nearby, following the course of an old railway line.
For practical visiting, the most straightforward route begins from the Okehampton Camp car park or from the roadside near Meldon, following well-trodden paths across the moor and up onto the ridge. The walk from the camp is roughly 4 to 5 kilometres each way with a significant elevation gain. Crucially, visitors must check the Dartmoor live firing range schedules, which are published online by the Ministry of Defence and also available by telephone and at local tourist information centres; weekends and public holidays are generally free of firing, and there are designated access periods throughout the year. The walk is suitable for reasonably fit adults with appropriate footwear, waterproofs, and navigational ability, as paths are not always marked and the weather can change rapidly. Winter visits require particular care given the short daylight hours, low visibility, and the potential for ice on the higher ground.
Yes Tor carries a name whose etymology is genuinely debated. One tradition holds that it derives from the Old English "ears tor" or possibly from a Brythonic Celtic root, while another suggests a corruption of "East Tor." The folklore of Dartmoor as a whole is rich with tales of phantom dogs, pixies, and supernatural mists, and the northern moor has its share of such stories, lending an atmospheric dimension to a walk that already feels remote and elemental. The coexistence of ancient landscape, military use, and wild nature gives Yes Tor a layered character unusual even by Dartmoor's remarkable standards, and the sense of standing on one of England's true wild summits — however modest the elevation by Alpine standards — is undeniable.