Waterfall Walks Yorkshire Dales West

Waterfall Walks in Settle, Ingleton, Sedbergh, Dent and more!

Are you looking for the BEST Yorkshire Dales waterfalls?

Then you are in the right place because this page is full of the BEST family friendly waterfall walks in the Western parts of the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll find waterfall walks in and around Settle, Ribblehead, Dentdale, Ingleton and Sedbergh and with some of the most spectacular falls in the Yorkshire Dales, you won’t be disappointed!

Did you know that the Yorkshire Dales is the home of SO MANY WATERFALLS that we couldn’t fit them all on one page? So if you are looking for waterfall walks in the Southern Dales and Nidderdale you’ll find them, or perhaps you are looking for waterfalls in the Northern Yorkshire Dales? Well you’ll find them too!

Looking for the Biggest subterranean waterfall in the UK?

Well you’ll find it right here as Gaping Gill waterfall is the largest single drop waterfall in England!

SO MANY WATERFALLS! And do you know what? We love waterfall hunting so much, you will HAVE to keep checking back for more because we are always on the hunt for more!

All of these walks are family friendly, suitable for kids and vary in difficulty, so check out the ratings below and have fun waterfall hunting!

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Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my website and for reading this now!

I set up the Reluctant Explorers and maintain the website and attached social media accounts in my spare time, around mum-life and two jobs. It was designed to provide access for parents to free resources to help get more families outside and exploring in nature. These walks have all been created by myself and the kids and we have walked each one ourselves (and re-walk them regularly to keep the information as up to date as we can).

If you would like to support us and can afford a few pennies, you can make a donation to our ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page. Simply tap the button below to head there!

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Child with arms outstretch in front of a waterfall with a cottage next door in surrounded by trees in spring

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!

Child standing on the bridge looking at Rutter Force waterfall

Rutter Force

📍 Hoff near Appleby in Westmorland, Westmorland Dales (Yorkshire Dales National Park)

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers.

📏 3-4 miles

💦🚘🌳🥾✨🐶🎒

Rutter Force is a stunning waterfall located on Hoff Beck right at the North-Western border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

This is a short and sweet circular walk which has epic views of the North Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales! There is nature to spot along the way and for the grown ups - it ends at the pub!

Tap here to head to Rutter Force Waterfall
Child walking towards Cautley Spout with moors in cloud

Cautley Spout

📍 Sedbergh, Westmorland Dales

⭐⭐/ ⭐⭐⭐ Little Adventurers and Superstar Hikers - Two Options, one avoids the very steep ascent of Cautley Spout.

📏 4.5 km (3 miles)

💦🚘🌳🥾✨🚌🐶🎒

Cautley Spout is England’s highest cascade waterfall. At 198m, it really is spectacular to see! So spectacular, you can literally see the waterfall from nearly a mile away, as you drive past on the road.

So of course you want to head to go and see it right?

This walk gives you options. The ascent up to the top of Cautley Spout is very steep and should not be attempted with children in either wet weather or high winds, as it is very exposed. In fair weather, it is brilliant for older explorers and the views from the top are MARVELLOUS! For younger explorers, you will find plenty of excitement at the base of the main falls, where there are picnic spots aplenty and lots of places to play and splash!

Tap here to head to Cautley Spout
Two children sat on a tree trunk surrounded by autumn foliage with a waterfall in the distance

Catrigg Force, Stainforth

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers

📍 Stainforth, Ribblesdale. Yorkshire Dales

🚘🎒🥾💦🌳🚌🐶

📏 Out and back - 1 mile Longer circular 2.5 miles

We love Catrigg Force! This walk started off as a super short linear when the kids were very young and has evolved into a mini circular for older explorers. Both are excellent bite-sized walks to the very lovely Catrigg Foss!

There are stepping stones, a nature reserve, waterfalls and the pub at the end for the grown ups!

Tap here to head to Catrigg Force
Looking into Gaping Gill

Gaping Gill, Clapham

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

💦🚘🥾🎒🌳✨☕🛝🍦🍻🐶🚌

📏 5-6 miles linear (there and back again) walk

📍 Clapham, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales National Park

A walk with a wow factor!

This spectacular walk will take you along the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, past Ingleborough Show Cave, through Trow Gill and to an epic paddle spot just underneath one of the Yorkshire 3 peaks, Ingleborough.

Gaping Gill is the point where the water of the beck disappears underground through a gigantic massive hole. It really is special to go and see particularly if there’s been a decent amount of rain!

Just make sure to stay well back from the edge - what lies beneath is a 100 foot drop into the gigantic cavern below. The cave is only accessible to the public on a winch day when the local caving clubs lower intrepid explorers down.

Tap here to head to Gaping Gill
Child standing next to a waterfall in a green lush wooded gorge

Flintergill, Dent

📍 Dent, Cumbria, Western Yorkshire Dales National Park

⭐⭐Little Adventurers / ⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Short Circular 1 mile - Longer circular walk 6 miles

🥾🎒🚘🚌🛝☕✨👻💦🌳🐶

This walk is PACKED full of cool stuff for the kids, it features a waterfall, a small farming museum, ruins, paddle spots, a park AND a vampire stone!

You’ll have to read more about that in the walk details! Let’s go to Dent!

Tap here to head to our Flintergill Walk
Scaleber Force waterfall

Scaleber Force

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📍 Settle, North Yorkshire

🎒🥾🚘💦🌳🐶

📏 1 mile (rating is 3 stars due to the slippery steep access)

This spectacular fall is located in a magical wooded gorge, owned by the Woodland Trust. The out and back walk is short and sweet, but you won’t be disappointed, nor will you want to leave!

A perfect wander for a late Summer’s Day (or on any day for that matter!)

Tap here to head to our Scaleber Force walk
Child crouched in front of a river running through a gorge

Stenkrith Poety Trail and Devils Mustard Mill

📍 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland Dales, Cumbria, Yorkshire Dales National Park

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers / ⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Short 1.5 miles Long 4 miles.

🚘🥾💦🛝🍦🍻☕🌳👻

This is THE quirkiest walk you will ever find.

A poetry trail, a crazy waterfall surrounded by myths and a gigantic viaduct, the Loki Stone and a haunted bridge. All on the edge of Kirkby Stephen where you’ll find pubs and cafe’s aplenty!

This walk can either be short or long, dependant on the age and ability of your explorers.

Tap here to head to Stenkrith Park Poetry trail!

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

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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.