Peak Bagging Walks
In and around the Yorkshire Dales
Are you looking to climb some Yorkshire Dales peaks with the kids?
Well say a big HELLO to our kid friendly Yorkshire peak bagging page!
We have been busy bees over the recent years and myself and the kids have in fact now conquered every single Yorkshire Dales mountain in the National Park! It was a mission for sure. But the result of that peak bagging mission, was that we have found some of the best Yorkshire Dales peaks to climb with the kids!
(With a big bag of Haribo in your back pocket!)
This page features all kinds of peaks. Big old mountains, little fells, some short and sweet trig points and all the rest in between, so you’ll be certain to find a peak to suit your family. We’ve also given advice as to the best kid friendly routes up them all (including the Yorkshire Three Peaks), so enjoy!
Take a scroll down. Each walk has it's own individual walk page so tap the buttons to find out more.
Please Note: Walk directions are to supplement map reading. Always take a map with you and know how to read it. You can find more helpful information and tips whilst walking with kids here.
The Star Guides
Each of our has been walked by our own 6 feet (in the sense of us being three actual humans, not in a kind of weird monster-like way!) Often, they have been walked several times and sometimes, they have been walked so often that they have been added to. This website has been growing alongside the OG Reluctant Explorers and now they can handle a little bit more - maybe yours can too.
I will say. As parents we know our kids better than anybody. I have done my best to include as much information as I can in each individual walk, so you can make your own judgement as a family. So the star ratings are just a guide to get you started.
⭐ Little Monkeys:
Walks suitable for younger children up to preschool (and beyond!) Shorter length walks with occasional pushchair access, no technical or tricky terrain. Perfect for those who are just getting out of the pushchair (and then back in again… and then back out…. and then… you know how it goes!)
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers:
Walks suitable for pre-schoolers and younger kids. Medium length/ difficulty walks. In these walks, there may be some more challenging terrain, but they are still fairly short.
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers:
Walks suitable for older children. Not necessary longer length, but they are more technically challenging in the terrain, and on occasion the distance as well.
The Walk Emojis
I’m renowned for a heavy used of emojis in my regular life, so why on EARTH should my website be any different?! Here is a guide as to what they all stand for.
Essentially, it’s a brief look at what you can expect from the walk, but in emoji form. (I’m campaigning for a pram emoji. It would make my pushchair friendly walk life MUCH easier.)
👶 Suitable for Pushchairs (see? no pram emoji)
🎒 Suitable for Carriers (that’s a rucksack, not a weird satchel. Closest thing to a kid carrier I could find!)
🚘 Car Park/ On Street Parking (plain sailing there - all of our walks have places to park, although if possible try….
🚌 Public Transport (PLEASE! To try and alleviate parking problems and to just in general be an excellent egg.)
🐶 Dog Friendly (plenty of those!)
🥾 Sturdy Footwear or Wellies (I’d say for most, walking shoes/ boots, for some, wellies)
🛝 A park or play area (I try my hardest to find one, or at least tell you where the nearest one is!)
🦆 Ducks to Feed (bring your duck food!)
🍦 Ice Cream! For Ice cream is truly a WONDERFUL addition to a family walk!
☕ As is coffee (for the adults obviously - I’m not going to subject you to a caffeine fuelled reluctant explorer THE HORROR!) This one means you can find coffee, tea or hot chocolate (ok - that one’s for the WHOLE family!)
🍻 Because I know how a family walk can go, you’ll be relieved to know that I’ll also tell you if there’s a pub at the end!
💦 Water play/ paddle/ swim (Check out our advice on Wild Swimming with Kids and the RLSS Water Safety info)
✨📚 Cool history, geology, something blummin’ awesome to talk about.
👻 Legendary Story. Ghosts, horrible history, witches and trolls!
🌳 Walking Games - they all have these!
Great Pinseat and the Old Gang Mill
📍 Near Reeth, Swaledale
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🥾🚘🎒✨💦🐶🍻
📏 6 miles
Otherwise known as that Wuthering Heights walk… Used as the filming location of the 2026 version of the film, this walk is epic Hollywood, or no Hollywood!
Think ruins, epic Swaledale views, an iconic bridge and paddling spots!
Winder, The Howgills
📍 Sedbergh, Westmorland Dales
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏7km - 4.5 miles.
💦🚘🌳🥾✨🚌🐶🎒🍧🛝
This walk is a fantastic introduction to the Howgills for kids who are budding explorers and even if Winder is a little one, she has SPECTACULAR views!
It’s reasonably short at 4.5 miles, features a trig point to bag, waterfalls, a view point, geocaches and ends at the park. Oh, and there’s ice cream too! Just about as family friendly a fell can get I say!
Great Whernside
📍 Kettlewell, The Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🥾🚘🎒🛝☕🍦🍻💦🌳🚌🐶
📏 5 - 8 miles circular (there are two routes, a longer and shorter version)
Not to be confused with THE Whernside, Great Whernside sits overlooking Kettlewell and is the 6th highest Yorkshire Peak. These two walks will take you past the highest chapel in England, the shorter route past the ruins of a Smelt Mill, the longer, past an ancient fort and it has perfect paddling spots, Ice Cream, a park and PUBS!
Packs it in right?
Oh, and it’ll have you bagging a proper mountain. A Nuttall, a trig and one of the Dales 30!
Beamsley Beacon
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
🚘🥾🎒🌳✨
📍 Langbar, near Addingham, Yorkshire Dales National Park.
📏 1-2 miles linear there and back
This is a gorgeous trig point walk for younger explorers. There’s not much in terms of length, but there are views to DIE for. So basically, maximum impact for very little effort!
There’s also some cool history and a tragic tale to go with this walk, so a lot to talk about for under 1.5miles.
Buckden Pike, Upper Wharfedale
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🚘🥾💦🎒🍻🌳🚌🐶
📏 7 miles
📍 Buckden, Upper Wharfedale, the Yorkshire Dales
Ok. I’ll level with you. At over 700m, Buckden Pike is the 7th highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales, so this one is NOT for the faint hearted!!
But, as far as the Yorkshire Dales mountains go, Buckden Pike is up there as being one of the most kid friendly. And it’s also one of our favourite (the kids have now climbed it five times!)
So you’re in it for the long haul, but what can you expect from the walk from Buckden? Lead mine ruins, a top ten peak in the bag and if you have the energy, waterfalls too!
Almscliffe Crag
⭐ Little Monkeys
🎒🚘🌳🥾🚌🐶
📍 North Rigton, Near Harrogate
📏 less than 2 miles linear
It’s a rock scrambler’s paradise on Almscliffe Crag, with a trig bolt to boot! Hours can be spent clambering on rocks here…. speaking from experience there….
Ilkley Moor
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
📏 6.5 miles
🎒🥾🚘💦✨🐶🚌🌳
This walk is the Ilkley Moor BIGGY. It takes in the historic White Wells Spa, the Ilkley Moor Trig Point, super cool natural rock formations, a stanza stone, a 12th Century cross, cup and ring marked rock and a hidden waterfall! BOOM!
Worth the whinges for 6.5 miles? I think so, but I’ll let you decide!
Whernside
📍 Ribblehead, Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏 Circular walk, 8.5 miles
🥾🎒🚘👻🍦🍻💦🌳🚌🐶
Whernside is the largest peak in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and it is a fantastic achievement for a budding peak bagger!
But this route, well it won’t take you the Yorkshire Three Peaks way. We think this route is better for kids, avoiding the steep and often slippery descent, oh and you might be lucky enough to get the ice cream van at the bottom of the climb too!
Embsay Crag
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Embsay, near Skipton, North Yorkshire
🚘🎒🥾🛝💦🌳🐶
📏 3 miles linear
This is a short little peak bagging walk, which overlooks Embsay Reservoir! Take a short wander off the path and you’ll find the remains of the old weir, that creates a pretty little waterfall!
You can either do this as an out and back or you can tag on the reservoir at the end dependant on how much of a challenge you fancy!
Simon’s Seat
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Wharfedale, The Yorkshire Dales National Park (SE)
📏 9 miles
🎒🥾🦆🚘🍦☕💦🚌🌳 (If there was an emoji for a brownie, then that would be there too!)
This walk is for the peak baggers out there, heading up to the top of Simon’s Seat which overlooks Bolton Abbey. With a trig thrown in for good measure it’s a great adventure for children who are happy to take on more of a challenge and at 9 miles, it is not a walk for the faint hearted! Although thankfully, somebody put ice cream and brownies at the half way mark!!
So stock up on the snacks and enjoy! Dogs are not allowed onto Barden Moor.
Ingleborough
📍 Ingleton or Clapham, Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏 Linear walk 7 miles - Alternative longer circular is 10 miles
🥾🎒🚘🌳☕🍦🍻🛝👻🐶 🚌✨
Ingleborough takes second place to Whernside in the highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales, but it is truly legendary (and I mean in a literal sense).
There is so much to learn about Ingleborough, so the conversations will never run dry!
And both options end up with the play park too (if you have the energy).
Pen y ghent and Hull Pot
📍 Horton in Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏 Circular walk 7.5 miles
🥾🎒🚘💦🌳🛝🐶 🚌✨
Pen y ghent may be the smallest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, but it is my favourite of the three!
This family friendly route up Pen y ghent tackles the small scramble on the ascent, which we think is much better than tackling it the other way round! You can also take a detour to Hull Pot too and after heavy rain, you might catch it in full flow too!
Something in mind? Search our full site!
(e.g. search: Gaping Gill Winch, Kettlewell etc.)
All our Family Friendly Walks on One Map!
What’s that I see? A MAP!?
Yes, that’s right, you guys asked, and here it is. The map of ALL the Reluctant Explorers family walks!
The one you can see is embedded so you can use it straight from the website, or if you’d prefer, you can view it straight in Google Maps, simple tap the link on the button below.
The benefit of using it directly from the website is that when you tap on each individual walk, you will find the page link to each walk, allowing you to jump straight to the walk information!
The map can be filtered as follows:
Family Walks (purple) | Pushchair Walks (pram) | Waterfall Walks (blue) | Walks Under Two Miles (yellow)
For more types of walks (pub walks, woodland walks etc. Head to the menus above where they are all categorised, depending on what you fancy!)
Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks
-
![Swimming in Janet's Foss Yorkshire Dales]()
Waterfall Walks
-
![Malham cove walk for kids]()
Pushchair Friendly
-
![Pinhaw Beacon trig point walk near Skipton]()
Peak Bagging Walks
-
![The Park at Greenhow Nidderdale]()
Walks with Play Parks
-
![Gordale Scar in Malham Yorkshire Dales]()
Organised by Location
-
![Walking in the woodland in Wensleydale]()
Woodland Walks
-
![Playing on the shore of Embsay Reservoir Yorkshire Dales]()
Reservoir Walks
-
![The ruins of Bolton Abbey]()
Bolton Abbey Estate Walks
-
![Leaping over the stile at Almscliffe Crag]()
Walks Under 2 Miles
-
![Child walking into a pub in Appletreewick]()
Walks with Pubs and Cafes
Follow us for up to date Outdoors Adventures!
We live and BREATHE the Yorkshire Dales outdoors life!
BEEN INSPIRED? Tag us @reluctantexplorers
Come follow our journey over on Instagram and Facebook where you’ll find up to date walk info, breaking news on Yorkshire Events, new Yorkshire Dales wild swim spots, climbing, caves and more!
Follow us on Social Media for all the up to date info: @thereluctantexplorers
Leave No Trace
The Yorkshire Dales is our home, and the home of so many others who care deeply about this beautiful space.
Should you visit, make sure to:
Take home anything you bring, leave no rubbish behind.
Make the world a better place by picking up any rubbish you see, even if it isn’t yours.
Leave everything else as you found it.