Western Yorkshire Dales Walks
Westmorland Dales walks around the Eden Valley, Howgills and Dent
Looking for a walk in Sedbergh, Dent, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen or Mallerstang?
Then you are in the right place! Here, you’ll find all of our walks that are located in and around the Eden Valley and Westmorland Dales areas of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Yes, we are firmly placing one foot in Cumbria and the other in North Yorkshire, but it’s all Yorkshire Dales National Park so it’s good for us!
The Westmorland Dales and the Eden Valley is well known for its dramatic scenery. It has some of the highest fells and if you visit, you will be exploring some of the most remote places in the national park. This part of the Dales is packed with fascinating history, Arthurian legend and some pretty bloomin’ lush places!
Our walks in the Westmorland Dales take you to the family friendly peaks in the Howgills, the tallest waterfalls and the prettiest places to wander with the kids!
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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!
Sedbergh Riverside
📍 Sedbergh, Westmorland Dales
⭐⭐ Little Adventurers
📏 Less than 2 miles
💦🚘🌳🥾🚌🛝🍻🍦☕🐶🎒
This is a walk that will DEFINITELY be a hit with the kids. Why? Because it’s short, it has ice cream, a picnic area, access to the river side and it ends with the play park!
See? Told you!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Smardale Gill Viaduct
📍 Ravenstonedale, Yorkshire Dales National Park
⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers
📏 Circular walk 5 miles
🥾🎒🚘💦🌳🐶 🛝🍻
This walk is for the history buffs out there! Before you even leave Ravenstonedale you will be hunting down the toilet in the ruins of an ancient monastery, then you will follow the old route of the railway passing abandoned railway buildings, some gargantuan lime kilns and obviously, the epic 90ft high Smardale Gill Viaduct, which has recently been restored.
If you fancy continuing a little further into the nature reserve, you may be lucky enough to spot some red squirrels too and if that’s not enough, the walk finishes at the park and there are two fantastically family friendly pubs to choose from too!
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.
Staying in the Westmorland Dales?
We have a Visit with Kids guide to provide you with all the family friendly inspiration you need! Think family friendly walks, local attractions and importantly, where to find the ice cream (and the play park!)
So check out
Visit Sedbergh, Dentdale and the Westmorland Dales with the Kids Guide
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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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.