Walks in North Yorkshire
Roseberry Topping is one of North Yorkshire's most popular hills
Roseberry Topping is one of North Yorkshire's most popular hills
As a compliment to my Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors pages, this North Yorkshire section includes walks outside the boundaries of the National Parks — some of them being in the belt of land between the Yorkshire Dales to the west and the North York Moors in the east, and some of them being on the northern and southern fringes of what some may claim is the greatest region for walking in Great Britain. It certainly has the diversity of the two National Park fringes to lay claim to, as well as a wonderful coastline. Then there are also many interesting walks near to the county's wonderful towns and its central city. I am sure you will find lots of walks to enjoy in North Yorkshire in this section.
North Yorkshire Walking Routes Index
| Walk Route | Miles | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | A short woodland walk to a wonderful waterfall and to a remarkable carved-out boulder. | |
| 1.9 | A wonderful walk to superb sandstone outcrops in a National Trust-managed area. | |
|
Skipton Castle Woods
Easy
|
2.0 | A short walk in the prettiest of woodlands which is inspiring all year round and simply stunning in springtime. |
| 3.0 | A chapel built into rock, wood sculptures, an abbey, a hermit's cave, woodland, Blind Jack, and the castle. | |
|
Swinsty Reservoir
Easy
|
3.1 | I love this particular reservoir walk in autumn. However, it has variety and is a great walk all year round. |
| 3.6 | A wonderful walk in the woods and parks of Harrogate including fabulous Valley Gardens. | |
|
Fewston Reservoir
Easy
|
3.7 | In my humble opinion this is the best reservoir perimeter walk in all of the Leeds and Harrogate area. |
| 3.8 | An ideal family walk with an option to travel the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. | |
| 4.3 | A diverse walk of beautiful Yorkshire coast, countryside, woodland, and pretty villages. | |
| 4.4 | A quiet countryside walk in the beauty of Lower Wensleydale with an intriguing folly being the central objective. | |
| 4.7 | A delightful easy stroll in the heart of North Yorkshire with two lovely riversides to follow along the way. | |
| 4.7 | A walk in Upper Washburn from the village of Timble to Swinsty Reservoir makes for a perfect half-day stroll. | |
| 5.0 | Hawnby Hill is a small and distinctly shaped ridged hill which is surrounded by giants. | |
| 5.1 | A five-mile walk from South Stainley to Burton Leonard which includes a visit to a spectacular Yorkshire Wildlife Trust site. | |
| 5.3 | A short walk around the popular Osmotherley area on the edge of the North York Moors. | |
| 5.4 | A varied terrain walk of town, countryside, riverside, old buildings, and prehistoric monoliths. | |
|
Goathland Moors & Waterfalls
Moderate
|
6.0 | This walk is a jewel with lots of absolutely brilliant moments including Mallyan Spout. |
|
Helmsley and Rievaulx Abbey
Moderate
|
6.2 | This walk links two of the North York Moors' most visited places — one inhabited and one deserted. |
|
Hole of Horcum from Levisham
Moderate
|
6.5 | There is a monumental hole to visit on this popular circular walk on the North York Moors. |
| 6.7 | A spectacular section of the River Ure is followed on this great route near Masham. | |
| 6.8 | A walk in the North York Moors, featuring the best of Ryedale. | |
|
Robin Hood's Bay & Ravenscar
Moderate
|
7.0 | A brilliant walk, part at sea level and part above the magnificent North Yorkshire sea cliffs. |
| 7.0 | Walk along a wonderful sandy beach to start this coastal adventure which includes a railway line. | |
|
Roseberry Topping
Hard
|
7.0 | A walk up Teesside's classic hill; the walk includes a trip to Captain Cook's Monument. |
|
Crackpots Mosaic Trail
Moderate
|
7.0 | A walk to find 22 mosaic tiles in the countryside east of Kirkby Malzeard Moor and Dallowgill Moor. |
| 7.0 | A high-level walk on the moorlands west of Harrogate on the Wharfedale and Washburn Valley watershed. | |
| 7.1 | A walk starting from Ripon Cathedral which explores the beautiful countryside on the west side of the city. | |
| 7.1 | This fabulous dale is a draw in springtime for its famous daffodils. Enjoy them here. | |
| 7.2 | A scenic walk in the Derwent Valley and the countryside on the southeast edge of the Howardian Hills. | |
| 7.4 | A scenic walk from Swainby to the Cleveland Hills and then down to Whorlton Castle. | |
| 7.6 | A refreshing coast and woodland walk from this attractive coastal town loved by artists. | |
| 7.8 | A wonderful walk in the beautiful heritage area of Rosedale with a visit to a fantastic tea shop. | |
| 8.0 | A lovely moor walk from Nether Silton to the iconic hill of Black Hambleton. | |
| 8.1 | Walk the wonderful countryside around Spofforth, Kirkby Overblow, and Sicklinghall. | |
| 8.3 | Gisborough Moor, Captain Cook's Monument, and Roseberry Topping all feature here. | |
| 8.8 | A stunning circular around the edge of one of the great moors of North Yorkshire. Superb views throughout. | |
| 8.9 | One of my best walks on the North Yorkshire coast is just one highlight of this spectacular countryside walk. | |
| 9.4 | A walk in a very pretty area of the eastern North York Moors in the midst of full heather blossom. | |
| 10.0 | A lovely walk across moorland with an exploration of the Wainstones on top of Hasty Bank. | |
| 10.2 | One of North Yorkshire's wonderful moorland walks close to Ripon and Pateley Bridge. | |
| 10.5 | A walk in Upper Nidderdale, featuring moorland edges and Scar House Reservoir and with a walk along How Stean Beck. | |
| 10.6 | Walk to the ruins of Byland Abbey and then to the awesome views from Sutton Bank. | |
|
Sanctuary Way, Ripon
Moderate
|
10.9 | My brother Dave and I walk the Sanctuary Way, a walk which circumnavigates the City of Ripon. |
| 11.0 | A walk in the North York Moors, featuring the moorlands and reservoirs near Osmotherley. | |
| 11.2 | A spectacular walk on and below the North York Moors' fabulous escarpment — a geological marvel. | |
| 11.6 | A Howardian Hills walk with landscaping, buildings, and follies of Castle Howard to be enjoyed on the way. | |
| 11.6 | A walk of ups and downs along the spectacular erosive coastline. Don't get too close to the edge! | |
| 11.8 | Walk along the ancient Waingate road and then into Bransdale with a beautiful secluded hamlet. | |
| 12.2 | One of the most popular eastern North York Moors walks with two geological features and wonderful moors. | |
| 12.2 | A super 12-mile walk with excellent views and visits to geological marvels of the Jurassic Era and last ice age. |
Feedback and Suggestions
I am always pleased to receive feedback on the structure and content of the website. I also welcome suggestions on how I can improve the website which may include new areas to cover, new walks or route alterations to existing walks. To get in touch with feedback and/or suggestions please contact me on one of my social media links. Thank you.
(Note: Walking without proper preparation can be dangerous. Information and downloads on this website are provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check the material and use accordingly. Postscript: My walk reports are not route guides and should not be treated as such. They are written with personal reflections of my walks.)
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