After 16 years of hard work, the King Charles III England Coastal Path is scheduled to be completed over the course of 2026. Stretching over 2,689 miles (4,345 kilometers), it will be the longest managed coastal walking route in the world and a challenge for avid hikers.
The plan to turn England’s coastline into one large walking route took off in 2009 and was led by Natural England, the government body responsible for the natural environment in England. Over the years, it has taken a lot of work and even a new legislation (the Marine and Coastal Access Act) to turn that vision into a reality. In 2024, as a way to commemorate the coronation, the project was renamed as The King Charles III England Coast Path.
Although a big part of England’s coastline was already equipped with its own walking route, hikers still had to leave the sea behind quite often if they wished to walk the entire way. Some 1,000 miles worth of new paths have been created for the project, while a big part of the rest of the walking ways were given a makeover.
The project also caused a couple of novelties to be born. The so-called coastal margin, aka the land between the path and the sea, will almost entirely be accessible to those walking the route, giving the public access to some unseen beaches, dunes, and other remarkable landscapes. Although the area will allow people to walk, use mobility aids, climb, and picnic, camping, cycling, and horse riding are not permitted.
Moreover, a ‘roll back’ rule was introduced, meaning that the course of the path can be easily altered when affected by natural disasters such as erosion or slips. An important notion given the current climate change, and one that was already put to good use in February 2026, when part of the path on the cliffs outside Charmouth in Dorset was lost due to a landslip.
2,700 miles. The longest managed coastal path in the world. 🌊
— Natural England (@NaturalEngland) March 20, 2026
The King Charles III England Coast Path has officially launched, connecting people to England's entire coastline for the first time in history.
Read more: https://t.co/dC1v9xSTe2#KCIIIECP pic.twitter.com/Botc6tpnrB
Walk all the way
Overall, the King Charles III England Coastal Path is divided into eight sections: North East & East Coast, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, South East, King Charles III England Coast Path South, King Charles III England Coast Path South West – Channel Coast, King Charles III England Coast Path South West – Atlantic Coast, and North West. The hike can be walked in small sections or in its entirety. Those who wish to make a walking loop while never leaving the coast behind will need to include the Wales Coast Path in their journey, a walking route following the Welsh coastline for 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) completed in 2012.
Since February 2026, more than 2,000 miles of the King Charles III England Coastal Path have been completed and are thus open to public use. 556 miles are still being worked on at the time of writing, while the completion of the path will only be possible once the government decides on the last 78 miles.
