Settle 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.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Some uneven or off-path ground
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Mostly on runnable ground, but most runners still walk the steepest climbs.
A limestone circuit from Settle onto the high ground above the town, with views across Ribblesdale and towards the Three Peaks. Good tracks and clear paths make this reliable year-round.
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.
The route
From Whitefriars car park in Settle, the route climbs steeply out of town onto the limestone upland above. The high ground gives wide views across Ribblesdale to Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough before looping back to the valley.
Starting in Settle
Settle is exceptionally well served by train. If you're on the Leeds–Carlisle line, you can run from the station door. The town has proper cafes, a bakery, and pubs for post-run.
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Make your route print →Limestone pavement can be slippery when wet. Some exposed edges above town.
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
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Common questions
- Most runners complete Settle Loop in 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, depending on pace and conditions.
Run by us· last checked June 2026
Jason Millward has run this route and written it up from the ground. How we check routes
About the author
Runner reports
Nobody's logged a run here yet. If you get out on it, a few lines about how it went helps the next person plan their day.
Routes nearby
Start from a town: Settle 0.1 km · Horton-in-Ribblesdale 9.6 km
VERY HARDRaces on this ground
All Yorkshire Dales races →Races starting within 20 km of the Settle Loop start, nearest first. If you are entered for one, this route is the rehearsal.
4
Sept
2027
Malham Trail Races
Malham Show Field, Malham, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 5 miles away
From the Show Field at Malham into limestone country above the cove.
HARD
Entries open
1
May
2027
Pennine Barrier Ultra 50
Malham, North Yorkshire · GB Ultras · 5 miles away
Fifty hard Dales miles out of Malham.
EXPERT
Entries open
24
Apr
2027
Three Peaks Race
Horton in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire · Three Peaks Race · 6 miles away
Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough from Horton, as it has been since 1954.
Not open yet
15
May
2027
Glorious Gargrave
Gargrave, North Yorkshire · It's Grim Up North Running · 9 miles away
A flat out-and-back on the Leeds & Liverpool towpath at Gargrave on the edge of the Dales, 5k to marathon, six and a half hours. A tougher towpath than most, they say.
Entries open
£18–£43
24
Apr
2027
The Fellsman
Ingleton, North Yorkshire · The Fellsman · 10 miles away
Sixty-one miles across the Dales from Ingleton to Threshfield, navigating all the way.
Not open yet
19
Jun
2027
provisional
Kettlewell (Skirfare) Trail Races
Hawkswick Cote car park field, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 10 miles away
Out of Hawkswick Cote into upper Wharfedale, with nine hundred metres of climb on the half.
HARD TO VERY HARD
Not open yet