Yorkshire Dales Trail Running: Best Areas to Start

Yorkshire Dales trail running: best areas to start

The Yorkshire Dales is big, and where you start changes the run completely. Limestone country around Malham and Settle runs fast and dry; the high fells of Ribblesdale and Mallerstang are a different, rougher day out. This guide is about choosing a base, not just a route — pick the area that suits the kind of running you want, then dive into its routes. Every route on the site has a free GPX download and an honest TRP Grade.

Areas at a glance

Area	Best for	A route to start with	GPX
Skipton and Craven	Car-free running, moor and canal	Sharp Haw from Skipton	GPX
Malhamdale	Limestone icons, scrambly features	Malham Cove and Gordale Scar	GPX
Settle	Classic limestone, great trail town	Settle Loop	GPX
Ribblesdale and the Three Peaks	Big summits and challenges	Pen-y-ghent from Horton	GPX
Wharfedale	Riverside, villages, long loops	Bolton Abbey Loop	GPX
Wensleydale	Waterfalls, easy valley running	Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Castle	GPX
Swaledale	Wildflower meadows, quiet fells	Great Shunner Fell from Thwaite	GPX

Skipton and Craven

The most accessible corner of the Dales, and the easiest to reach without a car. Skipton sits on the main railway line with moor and canal on its doorstep, so you can run open moorland or flat towpath straight from town. Start with Sharp Haw from Skipton for a quick summit, or see our Skipton without driving guide for the car-free options.

Malhamdale

Limestone at its most dramatic — the cove, the pavement, Gordale Scar. The running is fast and grippy when dry, and there's a hands-on scramble through Gordale if you want one. The Malham Cove and Gordale Scar Circuit (7.0km) packs both icons into a short run; the Easy Malham Loop is the gentle version.

Settle

One of the best trail towns in the Dales, with limestone pavements and green lanes straight from the cobbles, and a station on the Settle–Carlisle line. The Settle Loop (14.3km) is the single run that sums the area up: big views for fairly modest effort.

Ribblesdale and the Three Peaks

This is summit country — Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Start with Pen-y-ghent from Horton (9.5km), the most accessible of the three, and build up to the full Yorkshire Three Peaks Circuit (41.5km, Expert) when you're ready for a real day out.

Wharfedale

Riverside running, villages and long moorland loops, with Bolton Abbey and the Strid at its photogenic heart. The Bolton Abbey Loop (10.9km) is the gentle introduction; Buckden Pike from Buckden gives you a proper southern Dales summit.

Wensleydale and Swaledale

The northern dales are quieter and gentler underfoot. Wensleydale gives you waterfalls and easy valley running — the Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Castle Loop (3.4km) is the easiest run on the whole site. Swaledale, just north, has some of the best wildflower meadows in England around Muker, and longer fell days like Great Shunner Fell from Thwaite.

How to choose

If you want car-free, start in Skipton or Settle. If you want the famous limestone, go to Malham. If you're after summits and challenges, base yourself in Ribblesdale. And if you want easy, beautiful running on tired legs, head to Wensleydale. Each area page lists every route with its grade, distance and free GPX.

FAQs

Where should a beginner start trail running in the Yorkshire Dales?

Wensleydale and Malhamdale have the gentlest routes — the Aysgarth Falls loop (3.4km) and the Easy Malham Loop (8.6km). Skipton is the easiest area to reach without a car.

Which Yorkshire Dales area has the best summits?

Ribblesdale and the Three Peaks area — Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough — has the big mountain days, including the full Yorkshire Three Peaks Circuit.

Which Dales towns are reachable by train?

Skipton sits on the main line; Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale are on the Settle–Carlisle line. All three put trail running within reach without a car.

Do I need to register to download GPX files?

No. Every GPX download on Trail Running Planet is free, with no account, no email gate and no paywall.

Explore the Dales

Browse every Yorkshire Dales route, or read our pick of the best Yorkshire Dales trail running routes.