Waterfall Walks Yorkshire Dales North
Waterfall walks in Wensleydale and Swaledale
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 Northern and Eastern parts of the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll find waterfall walks in Wensleydale and Swaledale and with some of the most spectacular falls in the Yorkshire Dales, you won’t be disappointed! There is a RIDICULOUS concentration of epic and off the beaten track waterfalls in this part of the Yorkshire Dales. So many that a waterfall hunter will be in their element!
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 Western Yorkshire Dales? Well you’ll find them too!
Looking for the tallest waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales?
Well you’ll find it right here as Hardraw Force is the largest single drop waterfall in England!
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!
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!
Hardraw Force and Shaw Gill Woods
📍 Hardraw, near Hawes, Wensleydale
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
🥾🚘🎒✨💦🚌🐶👻🍻
📏 3 miles
If you’re looking for all of the epic waterfall action (for Wensleydale has a LOT of that going on!) This walk is for you. It’s turns a trip to Hardraw Force into a bit more of an adventure with options to make it longer or shorter, dependant on how your explorers are feeling on the day!
So think waterfalls, friendly sheep, walking sticks, pooh stick bridges a cafe, pubs and more!
Gunnerside Gill, Swaledale
📍 Gunnerside, Swaledale North Eastern Yorkshire Dales
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🥾🚘🎒🍻✨💦🚌🐶
📏 6-8 miles circular
This epic circular walk around Gunnerside Gill was the kids’ official favourite walk of 2022. Yes. Even at 8 whole miles! We’ve been back since and can confirm…
Still awesome.
It takes in the abandoned ruins and scheduled monuments of the once thriving lead mines, fabulous waterfalls, and loads more. It’s very cool. And it has it’s very own mine cart (just use that in a Minecraft sense and the kids will be all over it!)
Easby Abbey and Richmond Foss
📍 Richmond, North Yorkshire
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🚘🥾🎒💦✨🍦🍻☕🛝🌳👻🐶🚌
📏 3-4 miles circular walk
This walk takes you from the centre of Richmond to Easby Abbey, passing the fabulous waterfalls of Richmond Foss. You’ll also head past the legendary Drummer Boy Stone and at the end (ok also at the beginning…) there’s a park!
Oh and ICE CREAM!
Hardraw Force
📍 Hardraw, Wensleydale. The Yorkshire Dales
🚘🥾🍻☕👶/🧒💦👻🌳🚌🐶
📏 1-2 miles circular trail
A fabulously accessible waterfall walk, Hardraw Force is ace and even better in the winter when it’s a true force to be reckoned with!
Located behind the Green Dragon Pub in Wensleydale this waterfall incurs a fee to go and see it, as it’s found on private land. There are high and low routes to explore, so you can adapt to the abilities of your explorers!
(Ooh and it was where they filmed THAT scene in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves)
Cotter Force, nr. Hawes
📍 Near Hawes, Wensleydale
⭐ Little Monkeys
👶💦✨🌳
📏 Less than 1 mile linear
This is a brilliantly accessible waterfall walk in Wensleydale. Both pushchair and wheelchair accessible, it’s also the perfect length for very little legs, just starting to explore!
And great for a paddle and a dip too!
Cauldron Falls
📍 West Burton, Wensleydale, The Yorkshire Dales
⭐ Little Monkeys / ⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
🚘🥾🎒/ 👶🍻🛝☕🍦💦🌳🐶🚌
📏 Circular walk, less than 2 miles
Cauldron Falls is the PERFECT name for this stunning waterfall in West Burton, because it perfectly describes it’s ferocity after heavy rain. The best news? You’ll find it at the top of another set of wonderful waterfalls in this beautifully wooded clearing in Wensleydale.
This walk offers a super short pushchair option (which is a really just a walk to the waterfalls and back) or a longer version. Plus, it has a play area (with a pub opposite!) WINNER!
The Keld Waterfalls
📍 Keld, Upper Swaledale, North Yorkshire Dales
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🥾🎒🚘💦🍦☕🌳🚌🐶
📏 6 miles circular (ish)
When is a walk not a walk?
When it’s a waterfall hunt! This one is EXCELLENT for a waterfall lover and there are not one, not two, but SEVEN waterfalls to hunt down. Some of them are a little trickier to spot, but don’t worry! You’ll find the kid friendly ratings for them all on the walk page!
Mill Gill and Whitfield Gill Force
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Askrigg, Wensleydale The Yorkshire Dales
🚘🥾🎒🍻👻🛝💦🌳🚌🐶
📏4.5 miles
Oh yes. This one is for the waterfall lovers out there! Not one, but TWO epic waterfalls, and you get a bonus waterfall in for good measure!
This walk starts and ends in the bustling village of Askrigg in Wensleydale and is awesome in winter and paddlesome in Summer! OH and make sure you grab your cake from the Bake-Well cafe AND head to the prettiest park in the Dales!
West Burton to Aysgarth Circular
📍 West Burton, Wensleydale Yorkshire Dales National Park Central
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏 Circular walk - 4 miles
🥾🎒🚘💦🍦☕🛝🍻🌳🚌🐶
This super circular wander starts and ends at the pub and play park, has two famous waterfalls and has the option for a pub, cafe and ice cream stop in the middle too.
So if you love a wander with waterfalls, play park and pubs and VIEWS! Then this is the one for you!
Aysgill Force, Hawes
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Gayle, near Hawes, Wensleydale, the Yorkshire Dales (OK, technically it’s Sleddale, but if I said that, would anybody ACTUALLY know what on earth I was talking about?!)
🚘🥾🎒🦆🍻🛝🍦☕🚜💦🚌🐶
📏 Circular walk, 4 miles
No, it’s NOT Aysgarth. Whilst Aysgill is very close in name to its famous Wensleydale cousin, this waterfall is one that has its very own character and is our favourite waterfall walk in the dale! It’s also nothing like Aysgarth! A little more of a challenge.
But it still has ice cream and the park at the end! (And cheese. And actually another park if you want it)
You’ll love it!
Swinner Gill and Crackpot Hall
📍 Keld, Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales National Park (North)
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers (some unguarded drops)
🥾🎒🚘💦🍦☕👻🌳🚌🐶
📏 4 miles linear - some testing terrain
Swinner Gill is lush. This dramatic limestone gorge doesn’t sound hugely family friendly, but if you have confident explorers it’s well worth a trip!
This route starts from Keld and takes you past Crackpot Hall, which is also worth a trip in its own right, purely because it is essentially a time capsule from when it was abandoned… Abandoned. Sounds dramatic right? Wait until you hear the full story…
Helpful Information!
⭐ We hope you enjoy our walks, but please exercise common sense as routes can change with the weather conditions and seasons! The routes have been walked by our own two feet, but you know your own limits. Always take a back-up map, don’t rely on GPS alone, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take adequate snacks and refreshments with you (although as a parent, I know you already know that bit!)
⭐ Leave no trace! Take nothing away and leave nothing behind, take all rubbish home with you.
⭐ If you choose to paddle, be aware of bio security. Always wear clean dry water shoes (if worn) to avoid cross contamination of species between watercourses, this is a particular issue in the Yorkshire Dales, to help protect the white clawed crayfish.
⭐ If you decide to paddle, be aware that wild water can be dangerous, and water levels will vary season to season. Always supervise children around water. Check out the safety information on the Royal Life Saving Society website.
Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks
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![Swimming in Janet's Foss Yorkshire Dales]()
Waterfall Walks
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![Malham cove walk for kids]()
Pushchair Friendly
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![Pinhaw Beacon trig point walk near Skipton]()
Peak Bagging Walks
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![The Park at Greenhow Nidderdale]()
Walks with Play Parks
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![Gordale Scar in Malham Yorkshire Dales]()
Organised by Location
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![Walking in the woodland in Wensleydale]()
Woodland Walks
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![Playing on the shore of Embsay Reservoir Yorkshire Dales]()
Reservoir Walks
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![The ruins of Bolton Abbey]()
Bolton Abbey Estate Walks
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![Leaping over the stile at Almscliffe Crag]()
Walks Under 2 Miles
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![Child walking into a pub in Appletreewick]()
Walks with Pubs and Cafes
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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.