Introduction to the Park

In 1954 the Yorkshire Dales was designated a National Park because of its amazing wildlife, fascinating habitats, beautiful scenery and local history.

Over 20,000 people live and work here, and every year over 8 million visitors come to see the wonderful landscape and wildlife, and to experience traditional village life.

The 1762 square kilometres of the Park have been described in many different ways; as wild, expansive, tranquil and at times awesome and bleak.

It is one of the finest upland areas of Britain, dotted with lovely historic towns and villages and brimming with all sorts of opportunities for outdoor recreation and other activities. 

If you're feeling energetic there are hundreds of miles of footpaths and vast areas of open access land to explore on foot and miles of bridleways to discover on bike or horseback. The Dales are also criss-crossed by hundreds of quiet country lanes, providing you with a brilliant selection of on-road cycle rides of different lengths and difficulties. This area is also a paradise for those seeking adventure with some of the best climbing and caving opportunities in the country.

The National Park is crossed by several long-distance routes including the Pennine Way, the Dales Way, the Coast to Coast Path and the latest national trail - the Pennine Bridleway.

Follow the links at the bottom of this page to find out more about how to enjoy the National Park on foot or on bike.

If, however, you'd just like to soak up the local atmosphere, why not visit one of the many picturesque Dales villages and get a taste of local life by attending a village gala or agricultural show during the summer months? Or choose from the many dozens of wonderful teashops and pubs which will revive and refresh you with their tasty range of local food and drink.

The National Park is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority whose job is to help anyone who visits, works or lives in the area to protect and maintain it, and to help people understand and enjoy the landscape, wildlife and local history of the Yorkshire Dales.

Getting There

BY TRAIN Leeds, York and Lancaster on the edge of the Dales are all served by frequent express train services from all parts of the UK, linking with good rail services to Skipton, Darlington, Harrogate, Northallerton and Ilkley, with bus services into the heart of the Dales.

Getting Around the Park

The Park can be explored on foot, bike and by an extensive local network of buses and trains.  To protect the park and encourage use of the best transport options the park has created a web site to advise on all travel options for the park.  You can visit it at Traveldales.org .

Links

 Yorkshire Dales National Park
 Park Authority Web Site