Formby Beach

Formby is a beach with lots of fun activities to try out like horse riding, spotting red squirrels, playing hide and seek behind enormous sand dunes and so much more!

Walks at Formby Beach

Don't just sunbathe on the beach, explore! On this Coastal Walk you'll discover all kinds of fascinating fossils, dating back to over 5 millenniums ago... This gorgeous beach is famous for having 5000 year old footprints of both humans and animals preserved in silt beds on the beach. At low tide you could see prehistoric human and animal footprints, dating back to 3,500 to 7,000 years ago. How cool is that? The coastal walk is dog-friendly, lasts 1 hour 45 mins and is 3 miles (4.8 km) long. 

The Woodland Walk is a great adventure for families no matter the weather or season! This dog-friendly walk is 1.4 miles (2.2 km) long, takes 30 mins and is a fairly easy walk to complete. You'll set off at Broadleaf and Pine Woodlands before finishing at the dramatic and dunes.

Asparagus Trail

Pass the acres of asparagus fields and head into the forest. The walk is short and achievable for most people so get out and enjoy it! This dog-friendly walk takes 1 hour 15 mins to complete and is 2.8 miles (4.4 km) long. 

Formby Red Squirrel Walk

For the last hiking trail on the list, taking a walk on the wild side of life is essential... The National Trust trail including a squirrel reserve takes 1 hour to complete and is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) long. This trail is also dog-friendly!

Travel Info

This small coastal town only has small roads and limited car park spaces around the town centre. Formby advises people to consider other forms of transport to this popular tourist attraction. Especially in peak times like the Summer school Holidays. 

Trains are a great form of transportation to get directly too Formby Beach. Here are the two train stations you'll want to get to:

Freshfield station is located 1 mile from Victoria Road. 

Formby station is located 1.2 miles from Lifeboat Road. 

Parking

You'll be happy to know there is beach car park for beach visitors. Head to Lifeboat Road (L37 2EB) for beach access and more space. If you download the PayByPhone app from paybyphone.co.uk, you can make a simple, contactless payment when paying for your parking ticket. Coins are the only form of payment accepted in the parking metres. The car park is open from 09:00 17:00 but you can exit anytime.

There are also portaloo toilets available here which you can access all year round from 10:00 - 16:00. If you are a National Trust member, parking is free – just remember to bring your membership card to scan at the machine or speak to one of our team if you've left it at home. For non-members, a daily rate of £7.50 applies.

Food & Drink 

You're welcome to bring a picnic but BBQs and fires are not permitted at Formby's nature haven. Please bring a bag for your litter. Bins are located in the car parks only.

While there isn't any food or drink options on the beach, there are a wide variety of great restaurants and tea rooms nearby.  Sample the local fish & chips shop, The Good Catch. Have a quintessential cream tea in Kitty's Tea Rooms. Or finish up your day in the cosy restaurant Pinewoods - it's just 0.4 miles away from Formby Point!

Why we recommend Formby Beach

*Authentic rural atmosphere

*Chance to spot rare wildlife

*Pre-historic footprints visible at low tide