Campaigners say it must be made easier for people to visit England's National Parks – including families without cars.

Everyone should be able to access National Parks, including the one in four households who do not own a private car, said the Campaign for National Parks (CNP).

The importance of importance of everyone being able to access and benefit from the National Parks.

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It has published a report called National Parks for all: making car-free travel easier, which makes the case for improving sustainable travel options to bring in more visitors.

It says doing so will open up the Parks while reducing the ongoing environmental damage and considering what alternative solutions could be made available.

Some 93% of visitors to National Parks travel by ca, said campaign policy manager and report author Ruth Bradshaw.

“In some places, high volumes of traffic can have a negative impact on the landscapes and wildlife, the very things that attract people to the Parks in the first place.

    Hard to reach

“But unfortunately the severe cuts to rural bus services in recent years have made it increasingly difficult to reach many parts of the Parks without a car.”

One challenge people without cars face travelling to some National Parks, is the limited options for bus or coach journeys between visitor centres and major towns.

In Exmoor National Park, for example, a return journey between Exeter and Dulverton, a distance of 29 miles, would involve a cost of £22 and two changes of bus each way.

Unsurprisingly 96% of visitors to Exmoor arrive by car, says Ms Bradshaw.

In the North York Moors National Park, there is a direct bus to the visitor centre at Ravenscar from Scarborough but it costs £7.80 for a journey of 10.8 miles.

These journeys can also be impractical.

    Infrequent services

A journey from Leeds to the Hawes National Park in the Yorkshire Dales can be expected to take around four or five hours by bus.

Often, bus and rail services do not run frequently enough, if at all, on Sundays and bank holidays – despite these days being popular for day trips.

The report calls for a ‘smarter travel National Park’ pilot should to set up to explore the potential for technological solutions to bring more people to parks without cars.

It says solutions could include integrated ticketing, e-bikes and app-based services as well as measures to reduce the levels of car use.

“At a time when there is increasing recognition of the health and well-being benefits the Parks offer, there is an urgent need to improve car-free access,” said Ms Bradshaw.

“We want to make sure everyone can enjoy National Parks but in a way that does not undermine the special qualities of these beautiful areas.”