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Trail running in Skipton and Craven

18
routes

Which route should I choose?

18 routes in Skipton and Craven, from 6.3 km to 96.5 km. If it is your first time here, start with the easy group below. Every route has a free GPX file, a TRP grade and a note on parking and transport.

Checked: 18 run by TRP. Each route page says which.

First trail run here

Low effort, easy ground, shortest first.

Under 10 km

An hour or so, whatever your pace.

A long day out

Over 25 km. Take food, take a map.

Firm underfoot in wet weather

Lowest mud rating in the region.

By train or bus

Starts you can reach without a car.

Compare all 18 routes in one table
RouteDistanceClimbGradeGroundGetting there
Skipton Moor from Skipton6.3 km254 mModeratemoorlandBus or train
Skipton Aireville Park and Woods6.8 km55 mEasypathBus or train
Skipton Canal and Stirton8.3 km67 mEasypathBus or train
Skipton Moor, Cawder Lane and the Canal9.8 km267 mModeratemixedBus or train
Barden Moor from Embsay Reservoir (Short)10.1 km335 mModeratemoorlandBus or train
Skipton Moor to Bradley and Canal Back11.2 km255 mModeratemoorlandBus or train
Skipton Woods and Canal11.5 km111 mModeratewoodlandBus or train
Embsay Crag from Skipton11.6 km304 mModeratemoorlandBus or train
Burnsall and Appletreewick13.6 km275 mModeratepathBus or train
Sharp Haw from Skipton13.9 km323 mModeratefellBus or train
Skipton Moor and Farnhill Pinnacle18.1 km409 mHardmoorlandBus or train
Barden Moor from Embsay Reservoir18.3 km519 mHardmoorlandBus or train
Welcome to Skipton23.6 km618 mHardmoorlandBus or train
Skipton Moor, Bolton Abbey and Barden Moor28.3 km714 mHardmoorlandBus or train
Skipton Explorer28.5 km644 mHardpathBus or train
Skipton to Pinhaw Beacon and Back via Pennine Way and Canal28.6 km444 mHardmixedBus or train
Skipton 6 Peaks42.0 km1,251 mVery HardmoorlandBus or train
Skipton Round96.5 km2,428 mExpertmoorlandBus or train
Barden Moor from Embsay ReservoirHARD
Barden Moor from Embsay Reservoir
18.3km · 519m climb · Loop
Big moorland miles and some really nice fast and flowing trails. Covers proper ground without the serious climbing of the Dales fells.
No car needed
Checked Jul 2026
Barden Moor from Embsay Reservoir (Short)MODERATE
Barden Moor from Embsay Reservoir (Short)
10.1km · 335m climb · Loop
Open moor with big skies and a reservoir to frame the start. Compact enough for a summer evening run — good tracks throughout.
No car needed
Checked Jun 2026
Burnsall and AppletreewickMODERATE
Burnsall and Appletreewick
13.6km · 275m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
Embsay Crag from SkiptonMODERATE
Embsay Crag from Skipton
11.6km · 304m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026★★★★★5.0 (1)
Sharp Haw from SkiptonMODERATE
Sharp Haw from Skipton
13.9km · 323m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
Skipton 6 PeaksVERY HARD
Skipton 6 Peaks
42.0km · 1,251m climb · Loop
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★★★★★5.0 (1)
Skipton Aireville Park and WoodsEASY
Skipton Aireville Park and Woods
6.8km · 55m climb · Loop
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 2026Good · 8d ago★★★★★5.0 (3)
Skipton Canal and StirtonEASY
Skipton Canal and Stirton
8.3km · 67m climb · Loop
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★★★★★5.0 (1)
Skipton ExplorerHARD
Skipton Explorer
28.5km · 644m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jul 2026
Skipton Moor and Farnhill PinnacleHARD
Skipton Moor and Farnhill Pinnacle
18.1km · 409m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026★★★★★5.0 (1)
Skipton Moor from SkiptonMODERATE
Skipton Moor from Skipton
6.3km · 254m climb · Out & back
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
Skipton Moor to Bradley and Canal BackMODERATE
Skipton Moor to Bradley and Canal Back
11.2km · 255m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026Good★★★★★5.0 (1)
Skipton Moor, Bolton Abbey and Barden MoorHARD
Skipton Moor, Bolton Abbey and Barden Moor
28.3km · 714m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
Skipton Moor, Cawder Lane and the CanalMODERATE
Skipton Moor, Cawder Lane and the Canal
9.8km · 267m climb · Point to point
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
EXPERT
Skipton Round
96.5km · 2,428m climb · Loop
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
★★★★★5.0 (1)
Skipton to Pinhaw Beacon and Back via Pennine Way and CanalHARD
Skipton to Pinhaw Beacon and Back via Pennine Way and Canal
28.6km · 444m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026
Skipton Woods and CanalMODERATE
Skipton Woods and Canal
11.5km · 111m climb · Loop
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 2026★★★★★5.0 (1)
Welcome to SkiptonHARD
Welcome to Skipton
23.6km · 618m climb · Loop
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 needed
Checked Jun 2026