Ten of the best Yorkshire Dales walks

Blow the cobwebs away with these stunning walks around the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There’s such a variety of landscapes to admire you’ll be spoilt for choice; in every direction there’s another picture-perfect scene.

Expect to see lots of lush foliage, sparking streams and rushing waterfalls as you descend down from the hilltops and fells to explore what lies below. Discover wonderful wildflowers on a circular Swaledale walk around Muker, head to Wensleydale for a stunning waterfall walk around Aysgarth Falls or tackle three of the highest three peaks in Ribblesdale.

Whether you’re a Sunday stroller or a hardened hiker, there’s something for everyone in this guide to the best Yorkshire Dales walks. Browse our range of Yorkshire cottages to find the best places to stay while tackling these scenic walking trails.

Skip to:

• Wensleydale – Aysgarth Falls
• Wharfedale – Ilkley Moor
• Swaledale – Muker circular
• Malhamdale- Janet’s Foss
• Ribblesdale – Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge
• Dendale – Low Braithwaite’s Wood
• Nidderdale – Pateley Bridge circular
• Arkengarthdale – Tan Hill circular
• Airedale – Aire Valley walk
• Birkdale – Birkdale Tarn and Ranvenseat circular

Wensleydale – Aysgarth Falls

Wensleydale isn’t just about the cheese – although that’s delicious too. It’s also home to stunning scenery and gushing waterfalls, including Hardraw Force, one of the highest single-drop waterfalls in England. For a gentler cascade that’s perfect for families try the circular stroll around Aysgarth Falls , a series of three stepped waterfalls. It’s ideal for little legs at only 2 miles. You start with a ramble through Freeholder’s Wood, which is a botanical treat as the ground is carpeted with flowers in spring and summer.

When you emerge from the woods there are stunning views of Bolton Castle in the distance. From here you’ll soon arrive at the Lower Force waterfall, where access down to the water’s edge is easy and there’s plenty of spots for dabbling or picnicking. Continue on to Middle Force that can only be viewed from a distance and retrace your steps back through the woods to make your way to Higher Force. Aysgarth Falls was made famous by Kevin Costner in Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves. Reenact his battle with Little John on the bridge before enjoying a well-earned pot of tea and a cake at the cafe.

Wharfedale – Ilkley Moor

The 50-mile stretch of the Dales that makes up Wharfedale takes in the cities of Leeds and Bradford and provides excellent starting off points for some superb walks around Grassington and Wetherby.

For a walk that comes with a famous song, take this 6.5-mile circular Yorkshire Dales walk around Ilkley Moor but make sure you wear a hat to keep warm. On Ilkla Moor Baht’at is about a young woman scolding her sweetheart for not wearing a hat on the chilly Ilkley Moor. The verses predict him dying, then being eaten by worms, that are eaten by ducks, that are eaten by her, so he gets his comeuppance.  

Starting at the Victorian spa town of Ilkley, which also marks the beginning of the Dales Way, you head up to Ilkley Moor (humming the famous song) where you’ll pass The Twelve Apostles – the remains of an ancient stone circle, the Tarn – a lake surrounded by lush greenery, and the Cow and Calf, stunning rock formations that punctuate the horizon.

Swaledale – Muker circular

If you’re looking for meadows with wildflowers gently rippling in the breeze, head to Swaledale. There are sublime walks around Reeth , and another choice spot is the village of Muker, as the derivation of this unusual name is the Norse for ‘narrow, newly cultivated field’. The Vikings picked this area to settle in due its superb combination of rivers and pastures perfect for farming, and over a 1000 years later there’s plenty of gorgeous walks around here – bring the dog too, they’ll love bounding through the daisies.

Follow in famous rambler Alfred Wainwright’s footsteps in this 7-mile circular walk starting at The Farmer’s Arms in Muker. Take the path out of the village, crossing the River Swale on Ramps Holme Footbridge, head up through Ivelet Wood to reach a glorious vantage point that offers up the whole of Swaledale. Head down to the former mining village of Gunnersdale and continue through fields of buttercups to Marble Scar, a small outcropping of limestone cliffs. From there you cross the picturesque Ivelet Bridge before heading home to Muker.   

Malhamdale – Janet’s Foss 

From sweeping vistas to craggy fells, the geology of the Yorkshire Dales is spectacular, and you can really see it in evidence in Malhamdale. More experienced hikers will enjoy the challenging walk up to Gordale Scar  and the stunning Malham Cove (it sounds like there’s a beach there, but no, it’s a limestone cliff). You’ll also come across one of the only two natural lakes in the Dales, Malham Tarn.

For a gentler adventure (but still uneven under foot) take the family on the 3-mile walk to Janet’s Foss Waterfall. Follow the path by the Malham Smithy (you may be lucky enough to get a glimpse of blacksmith Annabelle hard at work), cross the bridge over the beck (AKA a stream) and walk through the lush expanse of woodland. As you emerge out the other side you’ll find Janet’s Foss where this linear walk ends. The waterfall has a magical quality to it, and legend has it that Janet (or Jennett), queen of the fairies, lived behind it. The crystal-clear pool below the waterfall is perfect for a dip for the wild swimmers among you.

Ribblesdale – Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

Ribblesdale is home to the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge – where doughty souls attempt to summit Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside in under 12 hours. Happily, you can tackle them one at a time, making for a less strenuous day out.

Pen-y-ghent is the lowest of the three hills, but it’s a tricky scramble at the peak. It can be extremely windy so check the weather before you begin your ascent. This fell has Hull Pot and Hunt Pot – two enormous holes in the landscape that becks flow into. If you’re wondering why Pen-y-ghent sounds Welsh, it’s because it is an original Celtic name, meaning ‘hill on the border’, that’s stuck around despite the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons.

Ingleborough is in the middle height-wise at 723 metres high but there’s plenty to see on the way up – Gaping Gill is an enormous cavern where the stream crashes 111 metres into the cathedral-sized hole below. You can’t access it but you can peak in. Whernside just pips Ingleborough at 735 metres and although it’s the loftiest, the ascent is actually the easiest because of the gentle climb which is over 2 miles.

Dentdale – Low Braithwaites Wood

Is Dentdale strictly in Yorkshire? Well yes and no. It straddles the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. If you go by civil parishes it’s in Cumbria, but if you’re more concerned about the Dales (we are), then it is, as it’s within the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary.

A beautiful Dentdale walk that takes in woodland, streams and cairns is through Low Branthwaites Wood. The circular walk is short at only 3 miles but there are some boggy and rocky sections, so better for older children if it’s a family jaunt. You begin in Sedbergh (pronounced Sedber), which you may want to linger in as it’s packed full of interesting shops, including bookshops both new and second-hand.  

Head across the fields to Low Branthwaites and nearby wood. Check out the gorgeous view of the Howgills – a distinctive grassy range of hills before you descend past High and Low Hollins and Farfield Mill back to Sedbergh.

Nidderdale – Pateley Bridge circular

Nidderdale is quite special in that it has been designated a National Landscape. This means it’s actually outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park, but definitely still a contender as one of the best Dales.

The Pateley Bridge circular walk takes in Brimham Rocks and crosses the River Nidd and while it’s a chunky nine miles, it’s generally easy terrain with plenty of picnic spots. Pick up some lunch at Pateley Bridge, a beautiful, unspoilt Victorian town, then head uphill, past Nidderdale Llamas (yes, really!) and towards the incredible geological formations that make up Brimham Rocks. It’s maintained by the National Trust and free to enter – so go early to avoid the crowds. For the return journey you follow the banks of the River Nidd, teeming with birdlife including kingfishers and herons.

Arkengarthdale – Tan Hill Inn circular

Arken-what? Quite an obscure Dale, a subsidiary of Swaledale, but no less exceptional as Arkengarthdale contains Tan Hill, the highest point on the Pennine Way, and its Inn, which is the highest pub in the British Isles at 528 metres above sea level. You can expect spectacular windswept vistas in this most northerly of the Dales and long expanses of empty landscape, dotted with the stone remains of the mining industry.

At just under two miles each way, this gentle linear walk starts at the Tan Hill Inn and is ideal for all the family. Follow the Pennine Way signs until you come to a tarn – this small lake is golden brown due to the rich peat content of the ground beneath. Continue until you reach the remains of the horse gin, or structure used to raise coal using horses.

The views from the ruined Crackpot Hall farmhouse are superb, as is Kisdon Force, one of the more dramatic waterfalls in this section of the Dales. Retrace your steps and by the time you reach the ‘top pub’, you’ll have worked up enough of a thirst to reward yourself with a drink.

Airedale – Aire Valley walk

Perfect for plenty of dog walks – whether your pooch is an Airedale or not – Airedale is situated in a glorious spot above Malhamdale. The swiftly flowing River Aire creates wonderful scenic walks on its banks, flowing through Skipton, Keighley, Bingley, Shipley and into Leeds.

One such 4.5-mile circular walk takes you through the Aire Valley, swapping between river banks and canal towpaths on the way.  Start at the free Hirst Wood car park near Bingley, along the Liverpool & Leeds Canal towpath until you meet Hirst Lock. This canal is the longest manmade waterway in Britain and once provided an important transport link. A gap in the wall will take you to a footbridge crossing the River Aire. Follow the riverbank past the Bradford Amateur Rowing Club, through lush woodland until you meet the canal again. This will take you to Bingley, through Myrtle Park where you’ll follow the river again, under the viaduct and finally back through Hirst Wood to arrive at your starting point.

Birkdale – Birkdale Tarn and Ravenseat Circular

Nudging shoulders with Cumbria, Birkdale is at the far western end of Swaledale and is one of the smallest Dales in Yorkshire. The tiny hamlet of Birkdale with its beautiful stone farmhouses encrusted with lichen and crumbling dry stone walls nestled in the hillside make a great starting point to explore the nearby tarn. The River Swale flows close by, transforming into ochre-coloured becks as it tumbles over the stones. A 5.5-mile walk that takes in both the tarn and Ravenseat , an incredibly romantic and windswept spot that was once home to Channel 4’s the Yorkshire Shepherdess.

Another breathtaking spot to explore is nearby Keld, once a thriving lead-mining centre, now home to fewer than 100 people. There are four waterfalls to visit near Keld, including Wain Wath Falls, a top spot for wild swimming.

Plan a Yorkshire Dales getaway

Walking boots laced, thermos filled, it’s time to head off to a glorious adventure in the Yorkshire Dales. For some wonderful places to stay both off and on the beaten track check out our full range of Yorkshire Dales cottages and start planning your next getaway.  

For even more walking inspiration take a look at this guide to the best walks in Yorkshire.