Bikepacking in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors covers eight multi-day bikepacking routes – from a compact 67km weekend to the epic 303km Yorkshire Dales 300 – through two of England's most dramatic national parks.

The eight routes cover 67–303km, range from Easy to Hard (Green to Red in British Cycling MTB grades), and are designed for experienced riders comfortable with multi-day self-supported touring. Every start and finish is at a railway station – the Yorkshire Dales routes are accessible from the Settle–Carlisle line, while the North York Moors routes depart from Thirsk on the East Coast Main Line and Whitby or Scarborough in the east. Terrain includes ancient cobbled pack-roads, moorland bridleways, green lanes and forestry tracks. The flagship Yorkshire Dales 300 – a 303km circuit from Skipton – is the guide's headline challenge.

Train access is central to the guide's design: Thirsk is just over 2 hours from London on the East Coast Main Line, and Scarborough is accessible via York on TransPennine Express services. Accommodation options span the full range from wild camping and seasonal campsites to B&Bs, shepherds' huts, glamping pods and inns – the guide includes a full accommodation appendix and planning guidance to help you mix and match. Each route also offers Big Gravel Day options, carving a single day's riding from the full itinerary if time or energy is limited.

• Eight named routes across the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, 67–303km, each starting and finishing at a railway station
• The Yorkshire Dales 300 – a 303km loop from Skipton with options for 2–6 days
• Grades from Easy (Green) to Red (Blue) using British Cycling MTB standards; not suitable for beginners
• Free GPX files to download. Also available in the Cicerone app with offline GPS-enabled maps, route advice, accommodation options and points of interest
• Big Gravel Day options for each route – a single day's ride without overnight kit,
• Comprehensive planning guidance on kit, bike choice, accommodation, fuel strategy and wild camping
• All routes use bridleways, green lanes and pack-roads; appendices cover accommodation, bike shops and recommended kit lists

The Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors offer some of England's finest off-road riding – remote, historic and accessible by rail. Bikepacking in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors by Ed Hunton gives you the routes, the GPX files and the practical detail to plan your next long-weekend adventure.

Bikepacking in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, quick facts:

Trail names: eight routes including the Yorkshire Dales 300
Location: Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, northern England, UK
Designation: Yorkshire Dales National Park and North York Moors National Park
Distance: 67–303km (42–188 miles)
Typical duration: 1–6 days
Start points: railway stations at Skipton, Horton in Ribblesdale, Settle, Dent, Thirsk, Whitby, Scarborough
End points: same as start (all routes are circular)
Route format: Circular routes with options for shortcuts
Alternative schedules: recommended itineraries for faster and slower routes, including Big Gravel Day single-day options
Navigation: Free GPX files at cicerone.co.uk/1239/GPX; Cicerone app with offline GPS maps; physical map and compass recommended as backup
Terrain: Bridleways, pack-roads, moorland tracks, green lanes, forestry trails and occasional road sections
Difficulty: Easy (Green) to Red (Hard), British Cycling MTB grades; not suitable for beginners
Best season: Year-round; campsites typically open April–October; autumn colours in the North York Moors particularly vivid
Accommodation: Campsites, plentiful options for wild camping, B&Bs, hostels, glamping pods, shepherds' huts, inns and hotels

Author Highlights

“Yorkshire is by some margin the largest county in England and the only one to have the honour of being home to two national parks: the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. While these two wild, raw locations are similar in being upland areas, remote and steeped in history, their differences originate from their underlying geology. The Dales, predominantly limestone, pre-dates its sandstone neighbour, the North York Moors, by around 150 million years and this accounts for the different textures and colours that contribute to their differing aesthetics.”

– Ed Hunton, author of Bikepacking in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors

Route summary table
Introduction
What is bikepacking?
Planning your ride
What to take
Rights of way
Navigation
Accommodation
Fuel strategies
Using this guide
The rides
Route 1           Yorkshire Dales – Yorkshire Dales 300
Route 2           Yorkshire Dales – Wharfedale Traverse
Route 3           Yorkshire Dales – The Dams and the Dead Men
Route 4           Western Dales – Howgills Classic
Route 5           Western Dales – Dent Double
Route 6           North York Moors – Herriot’s High Lines
Route 7           North York Moors – Esk Valley from Whitby
Route 8           North York Moors – Straight outta Scarborough
Appendix A     Accommodation
Appendix B     Bike shops
Appendix C     Recommended kit lists

Seasons

The routes are mostly on well-defined gravel tracks and can therefore be ridden at most times of the year. However, many sections cross wild and exposed landscapes, so pay close attention to upcoming weather forecasts. Spring, summer and autumn are the optimal times to ride these routes, and in many areas you will have the trails to yourselves even at the height of summer.

Centres

In the Yorkshire Dales, the routes take in Skipton, Settle and Dent, while in the North York Moors they pass through or near Scarborough, Thirsk and Whitby.

Difficulty

All of these multi-day routes present a challenge. Although only a few have technical sections, all but two are over 100km, so you will be out on the bike for at least a couple of days, with all the challenges that entails. We have done our best to avoid hike-a-bike sections where possible, and the main routes that include them also offer easier alternatives.

Must See

The routes take in the historic market towns of Settle and Skipton, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside, two of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks, and the Sun Inn at Dent and Falcon Inn at Arncliffe. Highlights include Mastilles Lane, Yordas Cave, the Calf near Sedbergh, the Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale and its countless swimming spots, Buckden Rake, Bloworth Crossing and the Cinder Track to Robin Hood’s Bay. Other points of interest include the Esk Valley, Monks Trod climbing out of Clay Bank, the views north from Dromonby Bank, the hamlet of Cockayne, Rievaulx Abbey and Whitby’s connection with Dracula.

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