Experience the wild charm of the south and west Yorkshire Dales with a handpicked collection of 44 circular day walks, plus the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, revealing the heart of one of England’s most dramatic and varied landscapes. Explore the rolling valleys and rugged uplands of Wharfedale, Littondale, Malhamdale, Ribblesdale, and Dentdale.

Ideal for both newcomers and seasoned walkers, this definitive Cicerone guidebook presents inspiring routes for every ability, from gentle valley and hillside strolls to more demanding outings across upland moors. Whether you’re seeking peaceful walks or the challenge of a full-day adventure, these routes can be tailored to your pace and ambition.

• Choose from 44 circular day walks and the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, with routes throughout the southern and western Dales easily accessible from Kirkby Lonsdale, Settle, Skipton, and Grassington.
• Walks in the south and west Yorkshire Dales range from 5.6–21 km (3.5–13 miles), each taking 2–5 hours, and include the classic 37 km (23 mile) Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
• Enjoy year-round walking through the dramatic limestone scenery, upland moors, woodlands, waterfalls, and attractive hamlets and villages of the southern and western Dales.
• Every walk in the south and west Dales features a clear route summary, start and finish locations, 1:50,000 OS map extracts, parking and public transport details, estimated walking times, and suggestions for local pubs, cafés, and tea rooms.
• Gain insights into the unique geology, history, plantlife, and wildlife of the south and west Yorkshire Dales with background information included for each walk.
• Most walks are circular, starting from recognised car parks across the south and west of the National Park, with public transport options for creating linear or adapted routes.
• The pocket-sized guidebook is packed with practical advice on terrain, navigation, and facilities specific to the southern and western Yorkshire Dales, helping you plan and explore with confidence.
• Part of a 2-volume set – an accompanying Cicerone guidebook Walking in the Yorkshire Dales: North and East, is also available.

Set out to discover the spectacular scenery, welcoming villages, and fascinating natural features of the south and west Yorkshire Dales at your own pace, in every season. With this trusted Cicerone guidebook, experience the very best walking these remarkable regions have to offer.

Walking in the Yorkshire Dales - South and West - Quick Facts

Location: South and West Yorkshire Dales
Number of routes: 44 circular day walks plus the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge
Distance: Most walks 5.6–21 km (3.5–13 miles); Three Peaks Challenge 37 km (23 miles)
Duration: 2–5 hours per day walk; longer for the Three Peaks Challenge
Areas covered: Wharfedale, Malhamdale, Ribblesdale, Dentdale, Littondale, Kirkby Lonsdale, Settle, Skipton, Grassington
Route type: Mainly circular, with options for combining or adapting routes using public transport
Difficulty: Suitable for novices to experienced walkers; gentle valley and hillside walks to more demanding upland routes
Terrain: Great Scar Limestone outcrops, upland moors, valleys, dramatic gorges, woodlands, hamlets, and villages
Navigation: 1:50,000 OS map extracts and route descriptions included for each walk
Best season: Suitable for walking year-round
Highlights: Spectacular waterfalls, panoramic viewpoints, natural features, rich geology and history
Facilities: Notes on refreshments, parking, and local facilities provided for each walk

Author Highlight

"The Yorkshire Dales is like nowhere else in England, a place of intrinsic and striking beauty that owes its scenic qualities both to Nature and to Man. Bestriding the central Pennines, that broad range of hills erupting along the middle of the country and known to generations of schoolchildren as the ‘backbone of England’, it boasts a diversity of landscape and character that is hard to beat.” 

- Dennis and Jan Kelsall, authors of Walking in the Yorkshire Dales: South and West

Overview map

Map key

Location of walks

Introduction

Evolution of the landscape

Geological history

Human settlement

Industry and enterprise

Farming in the Dales

Plants and wildlife

The Southern and Western Dales

The Yorkshire Dales National Park

Practicalities

Navigation and maps

Careful planning

Clothing and footwear

Food and drink

Taking your car

Leaving your car behind

Using this guide

The Walks

Part 1: Lower Wharfedale and Barden Moor

1 Bolton Abbey

2 Barden Moor

3 Simon’s Seat

4 Burnsall and Trollers Gill

5 Grassington and Grass Wood

6 Conistone

Part 2: Upper Wharfedale

7 Great Whernside

8 Kettlewell and Arncliffe

9 Buckden Pike

10 Old Cote Moor Top from Buckden

11 Buckden and Yockenthwaite

12 Horse Head and Langstrothdale

13 Oughtershaw Side

Part 3: Littondale

14 Arncliffe and High Cote Moor

15 Old Cote Moor Top from Arncliffe

16 Pen-y-ghent Gill from Litton

17 Litton and the River Skirfare 

Part 4: Malhamdale

18 Airedale and Weets Top

19 Gordale, Malham Tarn and the Cove

20 Malham Cove and Pikedaw Hill

21 Mastiles Lane

22 Fountains Fell

23 Winterburn Reservoir

24 Cracoe Fell

Part 5: Dentdale and the Western Outliers

25 Great Knoutberry Hill

26 Wold Fell

27 A Walk into Deepdale

28 Great Coum

29 Dentdale

30 Calf Top and Middleton Fell

31 Barbon Low Fell

32 Gragareth and Great Coum

Part 6: Around Ribblesdale

33 Attermire Scar and Victoria Cave

34 Langcliffe and Catrigg Force

35 Plover Hill and Pen-y-ghent

36 Upper Ribblesdale along the Ribble Way

37 Ingleborough from Ribblehead

38 Whernside from Ribblehead

39 Gayle Moor and the Source of the Ribble

40 Clapham and the Norber Boulders

41 Ingleborough from Clapham

42 Ingleton Falls

43 Kingsdale

44 The Yorkshire Three Peaks

Appendix 1:  Route summaries and suggestions for longer routes

Appendix 2:  Where to find out more

Seasons

Year round walking in the Yorkshire Dales, but be properly kitted out on the tops in winter.

Centres

Skipton, Settle, Grassington, Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh, Dent, Grassington, Clapham, Malham

Difficulty

From gentle two-mile walks to more strenuous day-long routes

Must See

The individual character of each dale, wild fells, cosy villages, the traditional farming landscape, the Yorkshire Three Peaks route, Malham cove

January 2026

Walk 41 map amend

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