Trail running routes in Nidderdale · 13

13
Routes
15.2km
Avg distance
3,211m
Total ascent

Areas

MashamPateley BridgeUpper NidderdaleWashburn Valley
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13 routes

Fewston and Swinsty Reservoir LoopMODERATE
Fewston and Swinsty Reservoir Loop
10.3km · 41m climb · Loop
Two reservoirs for the price of one, connected by well-graded Yorkshire Water tracks. Quiet, well-maintained, and a reliable choice when everywhere else is ankle-deep.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Fewston Reservoir LoopEASY
Fewston Reservoir Loop
5.2km · 21m climb · Loop
A short and beautiful run around this picturesque reservoir in the Washburn Valley
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Fewston, Swinsty and Stainburn from HarrogateVERY HARD
Fewston, Swinsty and Stainburn from Harrogate
34.2km · 409m climb · Loop
You link two of Yorkshire's prettiest reservoirs and a quiet forest into one long circuit, with reservoir-side trails that keep the running fast and flowing for most of the distance.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
Hackfall Woods from Swinton EstateMODERATE
Hackfall Woods from Swinton Estate
9.8km · 217m climb · Loop
Hackfall is a hidden Georgian pleasure ground gone wild, where you run past ruined follies and a fountain hidden deep in the trees above the River Ure. There is nothing else quite like it.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Masham and the River UreMODERATE
Masham and the River Ure
10.8km · 185m climb · Loop
You get a soft, green riverside loop that starts and finishes in Masham's big market square, with two working breweries and a clutch of cafes waiting when you are done.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Pateley Bridge and Cold Stones CutHARD
Pateley Bridge and Cold Stones Cut
15.4km · 314m climb · Loop
You run the length of Gouthwaite Reservoir, one of the best birdwatching waters in the north, with the moors and old lead mines of upper Nidderdale rising on either side.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Pateley Bridge Trail Running RouteMODERATE
Pateley Bridge Trail Running Route
13.1km · 281m climb · Loop
You run out towards a reservoir famous for its birdlife and back down the upper Nidd valley, framed by moor tops, from one of Yorkshire's most likeable little towns.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Scar House Reservoir Moorland LoopHARD
Scar House Reservoir Moorland Loop
18.1km · 434m climb · Loop
You start beneath the huge stone dam of Scar House and head out across the empty grouse moor at the very head of Nidderdale, about as remote as the Dales get.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Simon's Seat from Thruscross ReservoirVERY HARD
Simon's Seat from Thruscross Reservoir
28.7km · 828m climb · Loop
This route crosses two distinct landscapes in one loop - the flooded Washburn Valley around Thruscross, then the high gritstone fell of Simon's Seat - with barely any road between them.
Fell run
Checked Jun 2026
Swinsty Reservoir LoopEASY
Swinsty Reservoir Loop
6.3km · 27m climb · Loop
The smallest of the Washburn Valley reservoir circuits. Straightforward, reliable, and the kind of route that gets used regularly rather than just once.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Thruscross Reservoir from BlubberhousesMODERATE
Thruscross Reservoir from Blubberhouses
13.5km · 162m climb · Loop
The middle option in the Washburn Valley reservoir series - more commitment than the short loops but less than the full three-reservoir circuit. Thruscross from below gives the valley its proper context.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Thruscross Reservoir LoopEASY
Thruscross Reservoir Loop
7.9km · 97m climb · Loop
Thruscross sits above the rest of the valley and feels it - more open, more exposed, and noticeably quieter than Swinsty and Fewston below. Worth the extra 5 minutes drive.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Thruscross, Fewston and Swinsty from BlubberhousesVERY HARD
Thruscross, Fewston and Swinsty from Blubberhouses
23.7km · 195m climb · Loop
Three reservoirs, one long run, and some of the best-maintained trail surfaces in the north. This is what you do when you want big distance without big hills.
Dog friendly
Checked Jun 2026

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