Trail running routes in Yorkshire Dales · 67
Limestone pavements, green lanes and open moor: the Yorkshire Dales is some of England's most runnable trail country, from gentle valley loops to the full Three Peaks.
67
Routes
23.9km
Avg distance
42,598m
Total ascent
Areas
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67 routes
MODERATEAysgarth Falls and Bolton Castle Loop
Two proper Yorkshire landmarks in one short morning out - tumbling waterfalls and a 700 year old castle - for less climbing than your local parkrun.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDBarden Moor from Embsay Reservoir
Big moorland miles and some really nice fast and flowing trails. Covers proper ground without the serious climbing of the Dales fells.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 20262 ran this
MODERATEBarden Moor from Embsay Reservoir (Short)
Open moor with big skies and a reservoir to frame the start. Compact enough for a summer evening run — good tracks throughout.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
HARDBarden Moor Long Loop
This loop crosses genuine open moorland with long sightlines over Wharfedale, on access land that's free to roam off the main tracks if you want to vary your line.
Checked Jun 20261 ran this
MODERATEBarden Moor Short Loop
Half the distance of the long loop but the same open moorland character - a good way to get a feel for Barden Moor without committing to a half-day out.
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATEBeamsley Beacon from Addingham
The summit carries Bronze Age burial cairns and the wreckage site of a WWII aircraft just south of the trig point - a hill with more history packed into one top than its modest height suggests.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATEBolton Abbey Loop
Priory ruins, limestone riverside, and the Strid - one of the most dramatic river narrows in England. This is Wharfedale at its most photogenic.
Good for beginnersNo car needed
1 ran this
VERY HARDBuckden Pike & Great Whernside from Kettlewell
A direct climb out of the valley earns you a wide plateau with views stretching from the Three Peaks to the North Yorkshire Moors.
Checked Jul 2026
HARDBuckden Pike from Buckden
A steep climb rewards you with one of the best viewpoints in the southern Dales — Wharfedale laid out below in both directions.
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATEBurnsall and Appletreewick
One of the more relaxed runs in the Dales — gentle underfoot, easy navigation, and two good pubs along the way. The Wharfe is at its limestone best through here.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 20261 ran this
VERY HARDBurnsall Half from the Wharfe
You get one of the prettiest stretches of the River Wharfe, the stepping stones and the hump-backed bridge at Burnsall, wrapped into a proper dale circuit rather than a quick there-and-back.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
HARDClapham and the Ingleborough Estate
You get the full Ingleborough approach, the show cave, the dark cleft of Trow Gill and the perched boulders at Norber, without committing to the summit itself.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDEasy Malham Loop
Two of the Dales' most famous limestone features on one short, almost flat loop, perfect for an easy day or a first taste of trail running in Malhamdale.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
MODERATEEmbsay Crag from Skipton
Embsay Crag is one of those gritstone edges that looks ordinary on the map and delivers something much better in person - proper moor underfoot and a long view across the Dales skyline.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
VERY HARDFountains Fell and Arncliffe from Malham Tarn
The classic Malham scenery gives way to wide open fell country and a summit that feels properly remote despite being only 8km from the village.
Checked Jul 2026
VERY HARDFountains Fell and Pen-y-ghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale
Two contrasting Dales summits in one long loop, with the lonely moorland of Fountains Fell giving way to the unmistakable stepped profile of Pen-y-ghent.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTFountains Fell and Pen-y-ghent from Malham
A full 50km day that strings together the cove, the tarn and two major summits, a serious long-distance challenge through the heart of the Dales.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTFountains Fell and Pen-y-ghent from Settle
Town-to-summit running at its best, starting from Settle's cobbles and reaching the wild tops of Fountains Fell and Pen-y-ghent before the long loop home.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERT
Fountains Fell, Pen-y-ghent, Malham and Pennine Way from Skipton
You string together the greatest hits of the southern Dales in one enormous loop: Gordale Scar, the summit of Pen-y-ghent, Fountains Fell and Malham Tarn, all on foot from Skipton.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATEGrass Wood from Grassington
You get ancient ash woodland alive with birdsong and a return along one of the loveliest stretches of the River Wharfe, all from the doorstep of Grassington.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDGrassington Moor and Hebden Circular
The moor above Grassington has layers — wildflowers, curlews, and the eerie ruins of 18th-century lead mines that made this one of England's most productive mining landscapes.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTGrimwith Blast
It links a big day in Wharfedale with the wide-open water and skies around Grimwith, so you get valley running, moorland crossings and a proper reservoir circuit all in one loop without needing a second car.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDGrimwith Reservoir
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATEHawes to Hardraw Force via The Green Dragon Pub
An easy riverside loop to Hardraw Force and back past Wensleydale Creamery — a gentle one to blow off the cobwebs before pie and a pint back in Hawes.
Dog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
HARD
Horse Head and Cosh from Halton Gill
The Horse Head Pass links Littondale and Langstrothdale on a route that barely anyone runs, so you get proper Dales solitude on ground that's been used as a working crossing for centuries.
Dog friendly
HARDIngleborough and Little Ingleborough from Ingleton
The quieter western approach to Ingleborough, building over Little Ingleborough to the iconic plateau summit at 724m before the long descent back to Ingleton.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDIngleborough from Chapel-le-Dale
Vast plateau views on a clear day stretch from the Lake District to the Pennines, with the descent through classic limestone karst.
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTKettlewell Ultra
Proper Dales miles — limestone scars, wide skies, and the kind of distance that sorts out who's eaten their breakfast. This is a full day out.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
VERY HARD
Kilnsey and Mastiles Lane
You run the length of Mastiles Lane, an arrow-straight Roman road across Malham Moor, with the great overhang of Kilnsey Crag as the landmark at the valley end.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATE
Litton and Halton Gill
Littondale is one of the hidden valleys of the Dales, all drystone walls, tiny hamlets and empty fells, and this loop gives you its prettiest upper stretch with barely another soul about.
No car neededDog friendly
HARDMalham Cove and Malham Tarn
The classic Malham circuit, joining the cove, its dramatic limestone pavement and the glittering tarn into one flowing mid-distance loop.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATEMalham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janets Foss from Malham
Three of England's most dramatic limestone features in one run — with a scramble through Gordale Scar that makes most runners grin.
Checked Jul 2026
VERY HARD
Malham Tarn to Langcliffe Scar
You run from Malham Tarn out across the high limestone to Langcliffe Scar, joining the two greatest pieces of Dales limestone in one loop.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATE
Muker, Thwaite and Keld
You circle Kisdon Hill through the three prettiest villages in Swaledale, past the hidden Kisdon Force and through the famous hay meadows that turn the valley yellow in June.
Dog friendly
HARDPen-y-ghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale
A short, punchy mountain loop with a hands-on rocky step near the top, the most accessible of the Yorkshire Three Peaks summits.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Penhill from West Witton
Penhill looks like a proper mountain from the valley and delivers on the promise — the views over Wensleydale to Bishopdale and Coverdale are among the best in the Dales.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Settle Limestone Loop
You get a proper sampler of Ribblesdale from one town: limestone scars and green pasture on the tops, the River Ribble in the valley, and Settle's cafes waiting at the end.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDSettle Loop
Classic Dales limestone running — pavements, green lanes, and big views for modest effort. Settle is one of the best trail running towns in the Dales.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATE
Settle, Stainforth and the Waterfalls
You link two very different waterfalls in one short loop: broad Stainforth Force, where salmon leap in autumn, and Catrigg Force, hidden in a deep wooded ravine you would run straight past without the sign.
No car neededDog friendly
MODERATESharp Haw from Skipton
Sharp Haw looks unremarkable from a distance and then turns into a proper short, steep pull right at the end - a disproportionate amount of summit feeling for a hill this size.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
HARDSimon's Seat from Bolton Abbey
Woodland, waterfall, open moorland, and a gritstone tor — this route packs an unusual amount of variety into one 21.9km day out.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTSimons Seat Blast
Simon's Seat is one of Wharfedale's best short climbs on its own, and this route turns the trip up to it into the centrepiece of a full ultra distance day rather than an afternoon out.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERTSkipton 6 Peaks
Six distinct summits in one big day, a proper local challenge that strings together the gritstone crags and moors ringing Skipton.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026Good · 13d ago1 ran this
EASYSkipton Aireville Park and Woods
If you've got an hour and you're in Skipton, this is the run. Park, woodland, canal towpath. Nothing complicated, nothing slow, good underfoot all year.
Good for beginnersNo car needed
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATESkipton Canal and Stirton
Canal towpath running at its most accessible - flat, surfaced, and direct. Stirton sits quietly 2km south of Skipton and gives the route a reason to go beyond the park.
Good for beginnersNo car needed
Checked Jun 2026
VERY HARDSkipton Explorer
It's the route to reach for when you want proper distance without a mountain attached, running out through genuinely pretty Dales-edge countryside that most visitors drive straight past on their way to the bigger fells.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARDSkipton Moor and Farnhill Pinnacle
More rewarding than it looks from the map. Skipton Moor has a real open-sky feel, and Farnhill Pinnacle is a genuinely odd and photogenic landmark.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 20261 ran this
MODERATESkipton Moor from Skipton
Twenty minutes from the station and you're on open moorland with a proper climb under your belt. This is the shortest and sharpest of the Skipton moor routes.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATESkipton Moor to Bradley and Canal Back
Three distinct sections in one run: moor, village, canal. This is the most satisfying of the Skipton circuits - proper climbing followed by a flat, fast return.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
VERY HARDSkipton Moor, Bolton Abbey and Barden Moor
A proper long day stitching together terrain most runners split into two separate outings. Bolton Abbey woods make a welcome change of scene at the halfway mark.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATESkipton Moor, Cawder Lane and the Canal
Two different surfaces in one short route - open moor underfoot for the climb, then a flat, easy canal towpath to bring you home.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
EXPERT
Skipton Round
You circle Skipton on a huge loop through the quieter country of Craven, linking moor edge, riverside and old field paths that most runners pass through but never string together.
No car needed
1 ran this
HARDSkipton to Malham via Canal and Pennine Way
You start on a flat canal towpath and finish in Malhamdale, with the Pennine Way's National Trail waymarking doing the navigation for you almost the entire way.
Dog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
VERY HARDSkipton to Pinhaw Beacon and Back via Pennine Way and Canal
Pinhaw Beacon is the high point of the Pennine Way's opening stretch out of Edale, and this route takes you up to it and back without needing to commit to the rest of the trail.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATESkipton Woods and Canal
Castle woods on the way out, canal on the way back. Skipton has better trail running on its doorstep than most people realise, and this circuit shows it.
Good for beginnersNo car needed
Checked Jun 20261 ran this
HARD
Sulber Gate from Clapham
You get a taste of the Three Peaks landscape - limestone pavement, wide moorland views, Ingleborough looming ahead - without committing to the full challenge or its usual crowds.
No car neededDog friendly
VERY HARD
The Calf via Cautley Spout
The Howgills feel unlike anywhere else in the Dales — smooth rounded ridges, no walls, no paths to speak of — just open fell running at its best.
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERT
Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales 100k
This is the full southern Dales in one enormous self-navigated loop: Malham Tarn, the summit of Buckden Pike, Trollers Gill, Simon's Seat and a string of the prettiest villages in the country.
Fell runNo car needed
HARD
Victoria Cave and Attermire Scar
You climb straight to Victoria Cave, a huge fault-line cavern that gave up bones of ancient hippo and bear, set in the theatrical limestone cliffs of Attermire Scar.
No car neededDog friendly
VERY HARDWelcome to Skipton
The full Skipton picture in one run: moor above, canal below, and the Craven countryside in between. A proper long day out from one of the best trail running towns in the Dales.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
EXPERTWharfedale Three Peaks
Three big Wharfedale summits with none of the crowds or paved paths, just rough moorland, bog and proper navigation across the roof of the dale.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
VERY HARD
Whernside and Ingleborough from Ribblehead
Two of the Three Peaks in one shapely loop, beginning and ending at the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct with a railway cafe waiting at the finish.
No car neededDog friendly
HARD
Whernside from Ribblehead
The most efficient way to bag the highest of the Three Peaks, a compact loop with a superb ridge and the Ribblehead Viaduct bookending the run.
No car neededDog friendly
VERY HARD
Wild Boar Fell, Swarth Fell and Swarth Fell Pike from Mallerstang
Three summits joined by a single ridge, a ruined castle at the start, and some of the emptiest fell running anywhere in the Yorkshire Dales boundary.
No car neededDog friendly
EXPERTYorkshire Three Peaks Circuit
Three summits, 1,505m of ascent, and a finish back in Horton means that you have definitely earned a drink.
No car needed
Checked Jun 2026
EXPERTYorkshire Three Peaks Extended
A big day out on the most recognisable skyline in the Dales — three distinct summits, 1500m of climbing, and a finish that earns its beer.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
EXPERTYorkshire Trod 50k
It strings together several of the Dales' individually famous valleys into a single day, so instead of picking one dale to explore you cross through four or five of them back to back.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
About running in Yorkshire Dales
Limestone pavements, green lanes and open moor: the Yorkshire Dales is some of England's most runnable trail country, from gentle valley loops to the full Three Peaks.
You'll find everything here from a 10.4km waterfall-and-castle loop at Aysgarth to the 41km Yorkshire Three Peaks. Limestone runs fast and grippy when it's dry; the gritstone moor tops hold water and stay boggy long after rain. Settle, Malham, Skipton, Kettlewell and Hawes all make good bases, and several sit on a railway line so you can leave the car at home. Every route has a free GPX download and an honest TRP Grade.
Safety reminder
In an emergency call 999 or 112 — ask for Police then Mountain Rescue.
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