LOVERS of the great outdoors will soon be able to sample the spectacular joys of one of the country’s leading long-distance trails – from the comfort of their own home.

Panoramic views of the entire 109-mile Cleveland Way are currently being captured in 360-degree detail by the North York Moors National Park.

And ultimately everyone with a computer will be able will be able to take virtual hikes by viewing the images online via Google’s Street View.

Members of a team led by Jonathan Steele, creator of the Hardmoors Ultrarunning Series, are using a special camera mounted on a backpack.

The equipment - from the Google Trekker Loan Program – weighs in at around 40lbs and has 15 cameras arranged in a sphere on the top.

Mr Steele’s team are taking it in in turns to don the backpack and will spend the next month walking the complete route.

The Cleveland Way begins at Helmsley and goes around the North York Moors to Saltburn-by-the-Sea before re-entering the National Park and then following the coastline down to Filey.

Along the way, images will capture picturesque villages in the park, such as Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay, and sights such as the archaeological remains of the former alum works at Ravenscar.

The rolling moorland of the Cleveland Hills in their full glory with carpets of purple heather will be included in the project.

People will also be introduced to lesser-known and remote beauty spots such as Hayburn Wyke just south of Robin Hood’s Bay where a path through woodland leads down to a secluded cove and a waterfall tumbles straight onto the beach.

National trails officer Malcolm Hodgson said: “There are numerous spectacular and beautiful locations along the Cleveland Way and the Trekker allows us to showcase them to the world in the same way that people use Google Street View.

“It will mean that the Cleveland Way joins other landscape greats such as the Grand Canyon and the Yosemite National Park in the virtual world and will whet people’s appetite to come and visit, as well as try out sections of the trail.”