It was a cold autumn day when we decided to visit Tehidy Country Park, located just 10 minutes from Camborne and 5 minutes from Portreath on the north coast of Cornwall. We didn’t know fully what to expect but I’m happy to say it turned into the most amazing day out for us and our two children. The most exciting part of the day was experiencing the friendly nature of the local squirrel population. Sadly there weren’t any red squirrels but there was a vast range of other wildlife to enjoy as we walked around the country park.

Where is Tehidy Country Park

Tehidy Country Park can be easily accessed by most vehicles. From the A30, take the A3047 north towards Tolvaddon, and head towards Portreath. Take a left at the first roundabout and then the second right onto South Drive. Tehidy Country Park is located just down this road on the left.

You can use this pin to navigate on your Apple iPhone Dropped Pin

Use this pin to navigate on Google Maps Dropped Pin

There are two other car parks located to the east and north of the park. All are free to use which I think is excellent. Thank you Cornwall Council!

You can view (and download) the Tehidy Country Park map here for more information.

What is there to do at Tehidy Country Park?

Exploring the 250 acres of woods, rivers and lakes is the best part of Tehidy. There’s so much natural wildlife here it’s better than going to the zoo for the day. There’s also an onsite cafe which is open throughout most of the year except between November and February.

We’d read that the squirrels were super friendly and wanted to find out how friendly. As you can see from the below pictures, we had squirrels coming right up to us and eating seeds from our hands. They happily hopped around us going about their business. I’ve never experienced this kind of tame behaviour from squirrels before. It was great. But don’t worry, they won’t jump on you or climb up your legs.

Be sure to take a bag of bird seeds with you as they seem to love them. They particularly like sunflower seeds and peanuts.

It’s not only the squirrels that were super friendly. I’ve never been this close to a swan before without being hissed at!

This swan just wasn’t bothered by my presence. Happy going about his cleaning routine whilst we took a picture. I must admit I was a little apprehensive of this swan. I wasn’t sure if it was about to turn around and bite me. Thankfully it didn’t and seemed quite happy with us being so close.

The lakes and rivers are also beautiful to observe with so many different birds darting around and we just loved the big run of small waterfalls crafted into the landscape. So peaceful and tranquil.

Carry on round the trails and you will come across so amazing trees and foliage. This twisted beech tree is about 230 years old and stands tall above the other tree. It’s just beautiful.

Overall there are about 9 miles of paths around the grounds. So much to explore. If you manage to cover all this then you can head to the North Cliffs circular walk and enjoy the ocean views.

It’s quite easy to spend many hours here and it’s all completely free. Next time you’re in Cornwall, visit and take in this amazing countryside.

Plan your visit

Don’t forget your wellies as the ground can be quite muddy, especially during rainfall. There is a cafe on site but there is plenty of picnic benches should you decide to bring a packed lunch.

There are toilets on site near the cafe but these aren’t open all year round so bear this in mind if you’re planning to visit for the day. We always take our Porta Potti for days like this.

For the cyclists out there, bring your bikes as you can access the 4km cycle track which takes you through the park, although this is separate from the smaller walking trails.

As with any walk, it’s important to think about staying hydrated. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle or a warm drink if that’s what you prefer.

This is a dog-friendly place but you should ensure your dog is kept on a lead.

Tehidy Country Park – A free day out in Cornwall for the whole family

Tehidy Country Park is a great place to visit in Cornwall whether you’re on a budget or not. It provides excitement for the whole family and brings something unique to the experience. If you love country walks, wildlife and exploring then this is a place that needs to be visited, whatever time of year.