The Yorkshire Dales are a landscape of walls: drystone field walls climbing to impossible angles, and the great natural walls of white limestone that give the country its bones — cliffs, gorges, pavements and the amphitheatre of Malham Cove. Between them run some of England's loveliest valleys, each with its own character, its own waterfalls, and its own small grey towns full of tea and cheese. This is a three-day drive through the best of it, from the limestone drama of the south to the deep quiet of Swaledale in the north.
This is walking country and some of the finest sights need a stretch of the legs over uneven ground; others are a short step from the car park. We say which is which where we can, and "not yet checked" where we haven't confirmed it — always worth ringing ahead if the going matters to you.
The Dales weather makes the waterfalls. After rain, Hardraw Force and Aysgarth are thunderous and worth reordering a day for; in a dry spell they soften to a trickle. Let the forecast shape the route.
Day one — Malhamdale, waterfalls and limestone
The limestone showpiece of the national park. A vast curved cliff, a dripping ravine, a fairy-tale waterfall in the woods, and a handsome market town to end on — all within a few miles of each other.
Malham Cove
A curving 80m limestone amphitheatre with a rare limestone pavement on top.
Malham Cove is the sight that sells the Dales, a great pale sweep of limestone curving 80m high and 300m wide, left dry when its waterfall retreated thousands of years ago. From the village it is a level ten-minute stroll to the base, then a steep flight of steps up the side to the famous limestone pavement on top, all clints and grikes, which stood in for a Harry Potter scene. The view down the dale from up there is worth the puff. Peregrine falcons nest on the face in spring, watched by RSPB volunteers with scopes. The catch is popularity: it is genuinely busy on any decent weekend, and the steps are uneven and unfenced, so mind your footing near the edge.
Our tip Walk up to the cove top for the pavement, then continue to Malham Tarn to escape the crowds.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A vast curved limestone cliff reached by a firm path, but the famous limestone-pavement top is uneven, deeply fissured and dangerous with sheer unfenced drops — a guide essential above.
Sensory A dramatic, popular natural amphitheatre with jackdaws and wind; busy at the base on fine days, exposed and airy on top.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Accessible Britain — Yorkshire The Outdoor Guide (Julia Bradbury)
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Gordale Scar
A deep limestone gorge with waterfalls tumbling between towering walls.
A short walk from Malham brings you into Gordale Scar, a collapsed cavern where the rock walls close in and two waterfalls spill down a tumble of tufa. It feels genuinely wild and enclosed, a real contrast to the open sweep of the cove nearby. Most people walk in, gawp and walk back out the same way, which is the sensible option. There is a route up beside the lower fall, but it is a proper scramble on wet, slippery rock and not for the nervous, young children or dogs. Pair it with Janet's Foss and Malham Cove for the classic circular. After heavy rain the falls are thunderous and the scramble is best avoided entirely.
Our tip Do the full Malham circular anticlockwise, taking in Janet's Foss, Gordale Scar and the cove in one go.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A dramatic limestone ravine reached over uneven, rocky ground, with a waterfall and a scramble deeper in — hazardous underfoot, keep to the lower approach.
Sensory A powerful, enclosed, echoing gorge of falling water and jackdaws — elemental and immersive, calmer than nearby Malham.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Accessible walk to Gordale Scar, Malham TGA Mobility
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Janet's Foss
A pretty waterfall in a mossy dell with a wild-swimming plunge pool.
Janet's Foss is the soft one of the Malham trio, a modest waterfall dropping into a green plunge pool at the end of a shady wooded walk along Gordale Beck. The name comes from Janet, said to be a fairy queen who lived in a cave behind the fall. It is an easy, mostly flat path from the village, good for younger legs, and the pool is a popular wild-swimming spot in summer, though the water is bracingly cold whatever the forecast says. It links naturally to Gordale Scar just up the lane, so most walkers take the two together. Herriot swims here in the recent All Creatures Great and Small.
Our tip Go early if you want the pool to yourself, it gets busy with swimmers by lunchtime in summer.
Access
A short, fairly gentle woodland walk from Malham, with some uneven ground.
For blind & low-vision visitors A gentle, peaceful woodland path leads to a small fall and open plunge pool; the ground near the water is wet, uneven and unfenced.
Sensory A gentle, peaceful woodland walk with birdsong and a small fall — calm and low-key, busier only near Malham on fine days.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Also featured in Britain's best waterfalls
Settle
A bustling Ribblesdale market town and the start of the Settle-Carlisle line.
Settle is a proper working market town rather than a chocolate-box village, with a cobbled square, independent shops, cafes and a Tuesday market that has run for centuries. It sits at the gateway to Upper Ribblesdale and makes a calmer, better-value base than Malham for exploring the southern Dales. The limestone crag of Castleberg looms right over the rooftops, a short steep climb rewarded with a fine view across the town. Settle is also the historic starting point of the Settle-Carlisle railway, one of the great scenic lines, so you can leave the car and take the train up past Ribblehead. Being on the A65 fringe, it is easy to reach.
Our tip Leave the car and ride the Settle-Carlisle line one way, then walk or catch a later train back.
Access
Accessible parking
For blind & low-vision visitors A handsome market town with a largely level, walkable centre around the square, with some cobbles and slopes.
Sensory A calm, characterful Dales market town — peaceful, busier on market day and as a Settle-Carlisle railway hub.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Day two — Wharfedale and the Three Peaks line
North and west through gentler country and then up onto the moor. A ruined priory in a river bend, a classic Dales village, and the great arches of the Ribblehead Viaduct carrying the most scenic railway in England.
Bolton Abbey
Romantic priory ruins beside the Wharfe with stepping stones and easy walks.
Bolton Abbey is the ruined shell of a 12th-century Augustinian priory set in a bend of the River Wharfe, part of the Duke of Devonshire's estate. The church survives in part and is still in use, while the roofless nave makes a genuinely atmospheric ruin. The real draw for families is the river: 62 stepping stones cross the Wharfe beside a footbridge, a rite of passage for Dales children, with grassy banks for a picnic on either side. Miles of waymarked paths fan out through the estate, including up to the Strid. It is one of the busiest spots in the Dales, so the car parks and cafes heave in the holidays.
Our tip Cross on the stepping stones when the river is low, and use the footbridge alongside if the water is up.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A riverside estate with some firm, level paths near the priory and cafe, and uneven riverside and stepping-stone areas beyond with open water.
Sensory A calm, popular riverside estate of birdsong and water; busy near the priory and car parks on fine days, peaceful upstream.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Grassington
A cobbled Wharfedale village that plays Darrowby on screen.
Grassington is the natural hub of Upper Wharfedale, a village of cobbled square, gritstone cottages, independent shops, pubs and tea rooms. It has become well known as Darrowby, the fictional town in the recent All Creatures Great and Small, so you will recognise the square, the Devonshire Arms and the grocer's shop from the screen. Beyond the film-set appeal it is a genuinely good base, on the Dales Way and close to Kilnsey, Kettlewell and the walks around Grass Wood. There is a National Park visitor centre with a large car park just outside the village. It gets lively on market days and during the autumn festival, but empties out midweek.
Our tip Park at the National Park centre and walk in; the village lanes are cramped and cobbled.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A pretty Dales village with a cobbled, sloping square and largely walkable centre, uneven underfoot in places.
Sensory A calm, characterful village and walking base — peaceful, busier in season and during its Dickensian festival.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Ribblehead Viaduct
A 24-arch Victorian viaduct striding across remote moor on the Settle-Carlisle line.
Ribblehead Viaduct is the great set-piece of the Settle-Carlisle railway, 24 stone arches marching some 400m across bleak Batty Moss with Whernside rising behind. Built in the 1870s at a brutal human cost to the navvies who lived in shanty camps out here, it is both a feat of engineering and a genuinely moving spot. It is an easy, level ten-minute walk from the roadside car park to stand beneath the arches, and trains still rumble across overhead, so time your visit for a passing service. The setting is wide open and exposed, magnificent on a clear day and properly wild when the weather closes in. Bring a windproof.
Our tip Check the Settle-Carlisle timetable and be under the arches when a train crosses.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A magnificent viaduct seen from open, uneven, boggy moorland on foot; the ground is rough and exposed, the viewpoint airy.
Sensory A wild, exposed, windswept moor with the drama of passing trains overhead — elemental and quiet but for wind and rail.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
A 4.5-mile circular past a string of waterfalls through wooded glens.
The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is a well-made circular of roughly four and a half miles that strings together a run of waterfalls along the rivers Twiss and Doe. It takes in Pecca Falls, the broad curtain of Thornton Force where you can walk right behind the flow, and a wooded glen finish, with steps and bridges throughout. It is one of the best waterfall walks in the north, and because the paths are engineered it suits reasonably able families, though there are a lot of steps and it is not buggy or wheelchair friendly. Two things to know: it crosses private land so there is an admission charge that includes parking, and the paths get slippery and busy after rain.
Our tip Wear proper footwear, the polished rock steps get treacherous when wet.
Access
A ticketed 4.5-mile trail with many steps and rough sections — not step-free.
For blind & low-vision visitors A long trail of steep steps, wet rock and narrow gorge-side paths with drops — scenic but strenuous and hazardous, not for VI visitors without a guide.
Sensory A popular trail that can be busy, with constant water sound through wooded gorges — immersive rather than crowded once underway.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Also featured in Britain's best waterfalls
Day three — Wensleydale and Swaledale
The quiet north. A staircase of waterfalls, the home of the cheese, England's tallest single-drop fall behind an inn, and the flower meadows of Swaledale, the emptiest and arguably loveliest dale of all.
Aysgarth Falls
A triple flight of broad waterfalls on the River Ure in Wensleydale.
Aysgarth Falls are three broad stepped waterfalls, the Upper, Middle and Lower Force, where the River Ure spills over limestone shelves across roughly a mile of wooded valley. They are wide and dramatic rather than tall, and thunderous after rain, when the whole river froths white. Kevin Costner's Robin Hood battled Little John here. A National Park visitor centre with a cafe sits between the falls, and short well-marked paths link the three, with the Upper Force just a couple of minutes from the car park and the Lower Force a longer, quieter stroll. It suits families and casual walkers, though the viewing platforms can get crowded in summer and the riverside steps are slippery when wet.
Our tip Walk on to the Lower Force; most visitors stop at the Upper and miss the best of it.
Access
The Upper Falls has a viewpoint near the car park; the Middle and Lower falls involve woodland paths and steps.
For blind & low-vision visitors Well-defined woodland paths and viewing platforms reach the three falls (some steps); the riverside rocks are wet and uneven with open water — keep to the platforms.
Sensory A popular Dales beauty spot that can be busy on fine days, with the sound of water over the three falls; the woods between are calmer.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Hawes and the Wensleydale Creamery
A working market town and the home of real Wensleydale cheese.
Hawes is the highest market town in the Dales and the beating heart of Wensleydale, best known as the home of Wensleydale cheese. The creamery on the edge of town has a visitor centre where you can watch the cheese being made by hand, taste your way through the range and load up in the shop, a reliable stop when the weather is against you. The town itself is a genuine working place with a Tuesday market, good pubs and a rope-maker still turning out rope by traditional methods. It makes an excellent base for the head of the dale, close to Hardraw Force, the Buttertubs and Aysgarth. It is popular, so the creamery car park fills in the holidays.
Our tip Time a visit for a cheese-making session, then walk the fields to Hardraw Force nearby.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A market town with a largely level centre and the creamery visitor centre (level, with viewing and tastings — strongly smell-and-taste led); some cobbles.
Sensory A calm Dales market town famous for its cheese; the creamery and market get busy, the rest quiet and unhurried.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Accessible Hawes Village Walk, Yorkshire Dales with AccessTOG The Outdoor Guide (Julia Bradbury)
More Official site · Wikipedia
Hardraw Force
England's tallest unbroken waterfall, reached through a village pub.
A short drive or a good walk from Hawes, Hardraw Force is England's highest single-drop waterfall, tumbling nearly 100 feet in one clean fall over a limestone lip into a natural amphitheatre. The quirk is the access: you reach it through the Green Dragon Inn, paying a small honesty charge at the pub, then following a level path a few minutes up the beck to the fall. The rock bowl around it has such fine acoustics that brass bands have played here for generations. It is an easy, short outing that pairs well with a pint at the inn, and unlike the Ingleton trail there is little climbing involved. After heavy rain it is genuinely powerful; in a dry spell it thins to a ribbon.
Our tip Go after a spell of rain for the full drama, and settle up at the Green Dragon on the way in.
Access
A short, mostly level path from the inn to the base, though the ground can be rough and wet.
For blind & low-vision visitors A short, fairly level path through the inn reaches England's highest single-drop fall, but the streambed and rocks near it are wet and uneven with open water.
Sensory A quiet, sheltered spot reached through the inn, with the sound of the single-drop fall — rarely crowded and low-key.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Also featured in Britain's best waterfalls
Reeth
A handsome village around a large green, gateway to upper Swaledale.
Reeth sits where Swaledale and Arkengarthdale meet, a handsome village built around a broad sloping green ringed by pubs, tea rooms, galleries and a couple of small museums covering the area's lead-mining past. It is the natural base for exploring the quieter north of the park, with walks straight from the green up onto the fells and along the Swale, and it stays noticeably more relaxed than the honeypots further south. There is a Friday market and a lively autumn show. From here the road climbs west through Gunnerside and Muker into the wildest, most photogenic stretch of Swaledale, all drystone barns and hay meadows. A genuinely good place to slow down for a day or two.
Our tip Use Reeth as a base and drive the dale up to Keld, stopping at Muker for the meadows.
Access
For blind & low-vision visitors A village around a large sloping green with largely level lanes and uneven greens; a walkable, open base.
Sensory A calm, peaceful Swaledale village around its green — quiet and low-key, busier on fine weekends.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
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Before you set off
The Dales are big and the roads are slow — single-track in the north, with passing places and the occasional sheep in charge — so allow more time between stops than the map suggests. Mobile signal is patchy up the dales, so download your maps first. And if you'd like to add the Three Peaks for the walkers, or apply your own access needs throughout, open the trip in the planner and shape it around yourselves.