Skipton 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.
Effort: Long day out, serious climb
Underfoot: Some uneven or off-path ground
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A 28.5km loop through the Craven countryside around Skipton, mixing canal towpath, farmland and quiet lanes with 644m of gentle climbing - a solid mid-distance route without a single big hill.
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.
The route
Starting from the middle of Skipton, this loop heads out through the countryside surrounding the town rather than up into the higher Dales, taking in the canal towpath, farm tracks and the rolling fields of the Craven lowlands. It's a route built for covering ground steadily rather than fighting a single big climb, with 644m of ascent spread evenly across nearly 30km.
Craven countryside
This part of the Dales gets overlooked by runners heading straight for Wharfedale or the Three Peaks, but the mix of drystone walls, quiet farm lanes and the odd stretch of canal towpath makes for genuinely pleasant, varied running. It's also a good deal quieter than the honeypot villages further up the dales, even on a busy weekend.
Underfoot
Nothing here demands technical skill - the going is mostly good farm track and towpath with some field paths that can be soft after rain. That makes this a reliable option when the higher fells are in cloud or the ground up there is too greasy to enjoy, and a good distance-building route for anyone working up toward the bigger Dales days.
Who it suits
This is a good route for building distance without the recovery cost of a hilly day, or for runners newer to trail running who want more time on varied surfaces without technical risk. It also works well as a shakeout run the day before or after a bigger effort further into the Dales.
Getting there and back
Skipton's position on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line and its role as the main market town for this end of the Dales make this one of the more accessible longer routes on the list - you can arrive by train, run the loop, and be back at a cafe within a few hundred metres of where you started.
Livestock and farm machinery on the working farmland sections - keep an eye out on the narrower lanes. Field paths can be greasy and soft after heavy rain.
Summits on this route
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.
Common questions
Run by us· last checked July 2026
Jason Millward has run this route and written it up from the ground. How we check routes
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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.
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