Waterfalls Walks Yorkshire Dales South
Waterfall Walks in Malham, Wharfedale and Nidderdale National Landscape
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 southern part of the Yorkshire Dales, including Nidderdale National Landscape. You’ll find waterfall walks in Malham, Upper Wharfedale, Bolton Abbey and Upper Nidderdale 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 home to SO MANY WATERFALLS that we couldn’t fit them all on one page? So if you are looking for waterfall walks in the Norther Yorkshire Dales you’ll find them, or perhaps you are looking for waterfalls in the Western Yorkshire Dales? Well you’ll find them too! If you’re on Instagram, why not check out this reel about the highest Yorkshire Dales waterfalls?
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!
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!
Linton Circular
📍 Linton, Wharfedale Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
📏 Circular walk, 3.5 miles
🥾🎒🚘👻💦🌳🚌🐶🍻
This is a super circular that takes you to Linton village, the Fountaine Inn and then back to the iconic Linton Falls. The perfect all year round kind of walk (although if you do go in the late Autumn, take some time to see if you can spot the trout leaping upstream at the falls!)
The BEST Malham Circular for the Kids
📍 Malham, Yorkshire Dales
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🚘🥾🎒🍦🍻☕✨🌳👻🚌🐶
📏 just over 5 miles
I’m just going to put it out there…. this is the BEST family friendly walk around Malham, taking in most of the ‘local celebrities’ Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Cove.
Whilst below, you’ll find bite-sized chunks suitable for younger explorers who might not manage the full route, this one is for those kids who can handle for whole 5 miles! And with LOADS of interesting stuff going on, there’s plenty to keep the kids occupied too!
Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar
📍 Malham, Yorkshire Dales
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
🚘🥾🎒🍦🍻☕✨🌳👻🚌🐶
📏 1, 2 or 5 miles dependant on the route you opt to take.
This walk takes in the epic waterfalls of Malham; Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar.
The stuff of legends! Literally.
Did you know that Janet’s Foss is the home of Janet the Queen of the Fairies?! True story….. or is it?
Cow Close Waterfalls, Cray Gill
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
🎒🚘🥾💦🍻🌳🚌🐶
📍 Cray, Upper Wharfedale. The Yorkshire Dales.
📏 4.5 miles linear walk OR less than a mile.
A waterfall for a true explorer!
This little gem of a find is located in plain sight in Upper Cray. We would recommend walking this from Buckden. There is a small amount of layby parking nearby if you can get there, but do not block roads or access!
River Nidd Waterfalls, Lofthouse
⭐ Little Monkeys
🎒🚘🥾💦🌳🚌🐶
📍 Lofthouse, Upper Nidderdale
📏 less than 1 mile linear walk there and back.
This walk is a very short walk to the waterfalls on the River Nidd at Lofthouse. It’s a perfect out and back for explorers who are just finding their feet.
And look at those waterfalls!
Scale Haw Force, Hebden
📍 Hebden near Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
🥾🚘🛝🍦🍻☕💦✨🌳🚌🐶
📏 Less than 2 miles.
This mini circular has stepping stones, a pretty waterfall in a secluded woody basin and it ends at the park and tearooms for ice cream or tasty treats! Or if the grown ups win, the pub.
The perfect bite-sized adventure for younger explorers.
Buckden Beck Waterfalls
⭐ Little Monkeys
🎒🚘🥾💦🍻🌳🚌🐶
📍 Buckden, Upper Wharfedale
📏 less than 1 mile linear walk there and back.
This walk is a very short walk to the Buckden Beck Waterfalls, but for less than 1 mile, you will get LOADS of waterfall action! We love this walk and it is one of our go to wanders for an end of the day paddle if we are in the area!
The Bolton Abbey Waterfalls
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
📍 Wharfedale, The Yorkshire Dales National Park (SE)
📏 2-3 miles
🎒🥾🦆🚘💦✨🚌🌳
The Bolton Abbey Estate is always full of surprises and this walk is no exception! If you love waterfalls, then this is the one for you! The walk heads along the Valley of Desolation to the waterfall on Posforth Gill.
Just be aware, there are no dogs allowed on this walk.
Cray Gill Waterfalls, Upper Wharfedale
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📍 Buckden/Cray, Upper Wharfedale
💦🎒🥾🚘🌳🚌🐶
📏 5 miles circular
There are 11ty billion waterfalls on this walk. Fact.
Ok, I got the kids to count, but there are so many wonderful waterfalls to spot that 11ty billion isn’t a bad shout and for only 5 miles, that’s a lot of waterfalls per mile!
It’s also got 3 pubs…. that’s a pretty decent ratio too in my opinion….
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.