Wensleydale Walks

Family friendly walks in and around the Wensleydale area

Did you know that Wensleydale is the valley of the waterfalls?

Ok, maybe I should say DALE of the waterfalls…. It is the Yorkshire Dales National Park of course! But we do love a waterfall and that’s exactly why we LOVE Wensleydale! That and the cheese. I do love a bit of cheese, Gromit…. (I’m sorry I just couldn’t get through this line without writing that!)

What’s going on in Wensleydale? Well there’s the bustling hub of market town Hawes, there’s the utter stark and glorious beauty of some of the largest of the Yorkshire Dales peaks, there are waterfalls (might’ve mentioned them) and then there’s the Wensleydale Cheese factory (definitely mentioned the cheese!)

If you are intrigued? Head to our Visit Hawes with Kids guide.

And if you want to walk Wensleydale with the kids? Then look no further than this page!

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

West Burton to Aysgarth Circular

📍 West Burton, Wensleydale Yorkshire Dales National Park Central

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📏 Circular walk, 5.5 miles

🥾🎒🚘💦🌳🚌🐶

This fab circular wander starts and ends at the pub and play park, has two famous waterfalls and has the option for a pub stop in the middle too!

So if you love a wander with waterfalls, play park and pubs and VIEWS! Then this is the one for you!

Cauldron Falls in Wensleydale

Cauldron Falls

📍 West Burton, Wensleydale, The Yorkshire Dales

⭐ Little Monkeys / ⭐⭐ Little Adventurers

🚘🥾🎒/ 👶🧒💦🌳🐶🚌

📏 Circular walk, less than 2 miles

Cauldron Falls is a stunning waterfall found at the top of another set of wonderful waterfalls in a beautifully wooded clearing in Wensleydale.

This walk offers a super short pushchair option (which is a really a walk to the waterfalls and back) or a longer version. Plus, it has a play area (with a pub opposite!) WINNER!

Aysgarth Falls in the winter

Aysgarth Falls and Freeholders Woods

⭐⭐ Little Adventurers

📍 Aysgarth, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire Dales

🎒/👶🥾💦🦆🌳✨🐶🚌

📏 2 miles linear walk

I’ll bet you will have heard of the famous Aysgarth Falls!

But did you know it is located next to the Woodland Trust Site of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserve, Freeholders Wood?

Mill Gill force in Wensleydale

Mill Gill and Whitfield Gill Force

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📍 Askrigg, Wensleydale The Yorkshire Dales

🚘🥾🎒💦🌳🚌🐶

📏4.5 miles

Oh yes. This one is for the waterfall lovers out there! Not one, but TWO epic waterfalls, and you get a bonus waterfall in for good measure!

This walk starts and ends in the bustling village of Askrigg in Wensleydale and is awesome in winter and paddlesome in Summer!

Paddleboarding on Semerwater

Semerwater

📍 Raydale, just up from Bainbridge Wensleydale

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

🥾🚘🎒🌳👻✨🐶

📏 5 miles circular walk

This walk not only takes you around Semerwater where an alleged submerged town lays hidden in the depths of the water but you’ll find a hike with a wild swim spot and paddleboarding too (but you do have to bring your own board!)

Aysgill Force, Hawes

⭐⭐⭐ Superstar Hikers

📍 Gayle, near Hawes, Wensleydale, the Yorkshire Dales

🚘🥾🎒🦆🚜💦🧒🚌🐶

📏 Circular walk, 4 miles

This 40 foot wonderful waterfall is well worth the walk from Hawes, where there is plenty of kid friendly stuff to do, including a PARK!

You’ll love it!

Hardraw Force in the winter

Hardraw Force

📍 Hardraw, Wensleydale. The Yorkshire Dales

🚘🥾👶/🧒💦👻🌳🚌🐶

📏 1-2 miles circular trail

A fabulously accessible waterfall walk, Hardraw Force is ace and even better in the winter when it’s a true force to be reckoned with!

Located behind the Green Dragon Pub in Wensleydale this waterfall incurs a fee to go and see it as it’s found on private land.

(Ooh and it was where they filmed THAT scene in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves)

Walking in front of Cotter Force

Cotter Force, nr. Hawes

📍 Near Hawes, Wensleydale

⭐ Little Monkeys

👶💦✨🌳

📏 Less than 1 mile linear

This is a brilliantly accessible waterfall walk in Wensleydale. Both pushchair and wheelchair accessible, it’s also the perfect length for very little legs, just starting to explore!

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

Follow us for up to date Outdoors Adventures!

We live and BREATHE the Yorkshire Dales outdoors life!

Come follow our journey over on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, where you’ll find up to date walk info, breaking news on Yorkshire Events, new Yorkshire Dales wild swim spots, climbing, caves and more!

Follow us on Social Media for all the up to date info: @thereluctantexplorers