Waterfall Walks Yorkshire Dales West

Waterfall Walks in Settle, Ingleton, Sedbergh, Dent and more!

Are you looking for the BEST Yorkshire Dales waterfalls?

Then you are in the right place because this page is full of the BEST family friendly waterfall walks in the Western parts of the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll find waterfall walks in and around Settle, Ribblehead, Dentdale, Ingleton and Sedbergh and with some of the most spectacular falls in the Yorkshire Dales, you won’t be disappointed!

Did you know that the Yorkshire Dales is the home of SO MANY WATERFALLS that we couldn’t fit them all on one page? So if you are looking for waterfall walks in the Southern Dales and Nidderdale you’ll find them, or perhaps you are looking for waterfalls in the Northern Yorkshire Dales? Well you’ll find them too!

Looking for the Biggest subterranean waterfall in the UK?

Well you’ll find it right here as Gaping Gill waterfall is the largest single drop waterfall in England!

SO MANY WATERFALLS! And do you know what? We love waterfall hunting so much, you will HAVE to keep checking back for more because we are always on the hunt for more!

All of these walks are family friendly, suitable for kids and vary in difficulty, so check out the ratings below and have fun waterfall hunting!

Walk Difficulty Ratings

All of our tried and tested kid friendly walks have been divided into 3 categories dependant on difficulty, length and terrain:

⭐ Little Monkeys:

Walks suitable for younger children. Shorter length walks with occasional pushchair access.

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers:

Walks suitable for pre-schoolers. Medium length/ difficulty walks.

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers:

Walks suitable for older children. Longer length walks with some difficult terrain.

Walks at a Glimpse

Here is our quick look key so you can identify what each walk has without taking too long!

👶 Suitable for Pushchairs

🎒 Suitable for Carriers

🚘 Car Park/ On Street Parking

🚌 Public Transport Links

🐶 Dog Friendly

🥾 Sturdy Footwear or Wellies

🧒 A park or play area

🦆 Ducks to Feed

💦 Water play/ paddle/ swim

✨ Cool history or geology

👻 Legendary Story

🌳 Walking Games

Gaping Gill pothole on the side of Ingleborough
Child standing on the bridge looking at Rutter Force waterfall

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 short circular walk is mainly flat and starts and ends at the pub!

Child walking towards Cautley Spout with moors in cloud

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!

Looking at Catrigg Force waterfall in the Summer

Catrigg Force Waterfall

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers

📍 Stainforth, Ribblesdale. Yorkshire Dales

🚘🎒🥾💦🌳🚌🐶

📏 Less than 2 miles linear there and back again

Catrigg Force is located up from the village of Stainforth in the Yorkshire Dales. It’s a linear walk, there and back again to a stunning spot in a little wooded clearing.

It’s a great place to go on a hot Summer’s Day! Or ANY day for that matter!

Gaping Gill pothole on the side of Ingleborough

Gaping Gill, Ingleborough

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

💦🚘🥾🎒🌳✨🧒🐶🚌

📏 8 miles linear (there and back again) walk

📍 Clapham, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales National Park

A walk with a wow factor!

This spectacular walk will take you along the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, past Ingleborough Show Cave, through Trow Gill and to an epic paddle spot just underneath one of the Yorkshire 3 peaks Ingleborough. But not just that, you can watch the beck disappear underground into Gaping Gill. And if all else fails, there’s a park at the end!

Playing in Scaleber Force waterfall

Scaleber Force, near Settle

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📍 Settle, North Yorkshire

🎒🥾🚘💦🌳🐶

📏 1 mile

This spectacular fall is located in a magical wooded gorge, owned by the Woodland Trust. The linear walk is short and sweet, but you won’t be disappointed, nor will you want to leave.

A perfect wander for a late Summer’s Day (or on any day for that matter!)

(The difficulty rating has been awarded on terrain, as access to the waterfall is down steep steps)

Looking down at Sedbergh's secret waterfall

Sedbergh’s Secret Waterfall

📍 Sedbergh, Westmoreland Dales, Cumbria

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Circular walk 2-3 miles

🥾🎒🚘🧒💦🌳🐶

This fab circular walk starts and ends in the town centre of Sedbergh and features the stunning Settlebeck Gill, where you’ll find perfect plunge pools for stone throwing and it’s secret waterfall. Easy to spot from afar, will you get up close?

Oh also…. park. There’s a play park and ice cream!

Hell Gill Force waterfall in Mallerstang

Hell Gill Force, Mallerstang

📍 Mallerstang, Yorkshire Dales National Park

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Circular walk 2-3 miles

🥾🎒🚘💦🌳🐶

This is a true adventurers walk! Mallerstang is one of the most remote parts of the Yorkshire Dales, but is simply stunning in its bleak beauty!

This walk takes you to the dramatically named Hell Gill, where you’ll find a super waterfall and a slot canyon too.

the waterfall at Flintergill

Flintergill, Dent

📍 Dent, Cumbria, Western Yorkshire Dales National Park

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Circular walk 6 miles

🥾🎒🚘🚌🧒✨👻💦🌳🐶

This fab circular walk starts and ends in the village of Dent. The walk is PACKED full of cool stuff for the kids, it features a waterfall, a small farming museum, ruins, paddle spots, ice cream, a park AND a vampire stone! You’ll have to read more about that in the walk details!

Helpful Information!

⭐ We hope you enjoy our walks, but please exercise common sense as routes can change with the weather conditions and seasons! The routes have been walked by our own two feet, but you know your own limits. Always take a back-up map, don’t rely on GPS alone, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take adequate snacks and refreshments with you (although as a parent, I know you already know that bit!)

⭐ Leave no trace! Take nothing away and leave nothing behind, take all rubbish home with you.

⭐ If you choose to paddle, be aware of bio security. Always wear clean dry water shoes (if worn) to avoid cross contamination of species between watercourses, this is a particular issue in the Yorkshire Dales, to help protect the white clawed crayfish.

⭐ If you decide to paddle, be aware that wild water can be dangerous, and water levels will vary season to season. Always supervise children around water. Check out the safety information on the Royal Life Saving Society website.

Playing in Aysgarth Falls in the autumn leaves

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

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