Walks with Play Parks

In and around the Yorkshire Dales

Are you looking for family friendly walks with play parks?

Well I can help you out! This page is our dedicated PARKS page.

You’ll find all kinds of kid friendly walks that either start and end with the play area, or they will feature a play area at some point. Now, as a parent I know that sometimes we need all the help we can get to get the kids off their screens and walking and that’s where the park walks come in!

A bit of park bribery will work wonders! That and the snacks… So pop that in your back pocket and WALK with it! BOOM! (That’s my ‘parent win’ noise….)

These play park walks feature waterfalls, woodland and more and you know what? I reckon you’ll be surprised as to how many play parks there are in and around the Yorkshire Dales!

SO MANY Play parks that we have had to categorise them into areas!

So scroll down, choose an area you want to know more about and tap the button! You’ll find all of the walk details on those area pages!

Child walking on an obstacle course with a slide and climbing frame behind at the play park

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.

Child leaning back on a swing with a large craggy fell behind

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!

Children sliding down a tunnel slide with blue summer skies and countryside views in the distance

Walks with Play Parks:

Yorkshire Dales National Park

Are you looking for walks that feature play parks inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park?

Well we have a whole page dedicated to them! But not just play parks, our Yorkshire Dales National Park walks feature waterfalls, ruins, woodland and more!

Want to find a walk with a play park that features the 6th highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales?

Our walk to Great Whernside delivers just that!

Or maybe a play park walk with a spectacular waterfall? Our Mill Gill and Whitfield Gill Force walk delivers that!

See? Proper walks, but with play park bribery!

Tap here to head to our Park walks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Child climbing on a tall pyramid shaped climbing frame under sunny skies

Walks with Play Parks:

Walks in Nidderdale National Landscape

Are you looking for walks with parks in the Nidderdale, Harrogate and Pateley Bridge area?

You’ll find them all right here! Our walks with parks also feature abandoned ruins, woodland, pushchair friendly walks and more!

Want to find a walk that features a super cool ice house?

Our walk from Pateley Bridge to Fishpond Woods does just that!

So tap the button to find them all!

Tap here to head to our Park Walks in Nidderdale and Harrogate
The park at Embsay

Walks with Parks: Surrounding Areas

Walks with parks in the outlying towns of the Yorkshire Dales

These play parks can be found in the outlying areas of the Yorkshire Dales, just outside of the National Park.

And you’ll find all the walks right here! Our walks with play parks don’t just feature play parks, oh no! You’ll find waterfalls, ruins, woodland walks, riverside walks, reservoir walks and more!

Want a walk that takes you on a legendary walk around ruins and past waterfalls?

Our walk to Easby Abbey in Richmond will deliver just that (oh and it has ice cream too!)

Tap the button below to check out all our playpark walks in the outlying areas of the national park!

Tap here to head to our Park Walks in the areas around the Yorkshire Dales National Park

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!)

TAP to head straight to the Reluctant Explorers Map!

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

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.

Help us to protect our wild spaces.