5 Beautiful & Accessible Waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales

Love walking across the rolling hills and mountains? Then you’ll love the Yorkshire Dales. If you’re not much of a walker like me, there is still so much you can see without breaking a sweat, especially the waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales.

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If you plan on travelling around the UK, the best way to get around is by car. You get to see more, but you will find hidden gems the average traveller doesn’t see.

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Waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales

Aysgarth Falls

These waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales have a bonus for you as they have three to see, getting you right beside the River Ure.

Parking is pay-and-display and can be found either at the Visitor Centre, which has 80 car parks, or behind the village of Aysgarth.

The walk through all three waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales takes only about an hour, depending on how long you spend at each waterfall. The track is an easy walk on a good path, with only stairs to negotiate at times.

Upper, Middle and Lower Aysgarth Falls are the three Falls along the River Ure. If you start from the Visitor Centre, you could do the Upper Falls first by walking back toward the bridge.

Upper Aysgarth Falls

The best view of all the Upper Aysgill Falls is on the road just before you cross the bridge.

I parked in the village and walked down the road to the falls, which only took 5-10 minutes, but there was a steep part of the road. If you park in the Visitor Centre, you can take the path back to the bridge. Once you get to the bridge, you first see the Upper Aysgarth Falls.

A track takes you up the right side of Upper Aysgarth Falls. From here, you are up close to the top of the Cascade.

You can walk back to the Visitor Centre, and on the other side is the path to the Middle and Lower Aysgarth Falls.

Middle Aysgarth Falls

Only a few hundred metres from the Visitor Centre is the Middle Aysgarth Falls.

About 20-30 steps will take you down to the viewing platform, where you can see the power of these falls, especially after some rain.

The platform gives a good vista, although the trees and bushes are growing up fast and may not leave much of a view if not kept in check.

Lower Aysgarth Falls

Only 10 minutes down the track, you’ll find the Lower Aysgarth Falls. Before you get to the falls, there is a track down that you can loop back up on your way back to the Visitor Centre.

Once again, you can get very close to the River Ure, so be careful, as there is no barrier. Make sure you keep an eye on the kids, too. You can walk back up the river to see a small cascade before taking the loop and returning to the main path.

Hours for Visitor Centre

Daily 10 am – 5 pm

West Burton and Cauldron Falls

Right behind the houses in the village of West Burton is Cauldron Falls, one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales. There is a small car park (5 spaces at the most) next to the river, although you can also park on Main Street, making it a highly accessible waterfall for all in the Yorkshire Dales.

As you enter the village, you’ll pass downstream of the falls. This little Cascade falls into a tranquil part of the river.

Cauldron Falls are impressive, especially in the late afternoon when no sun reaches them.

For a closer view, you can walk on the right side, where I am or cross the bridge to the left-hand side, where the rocky ledge is in the photograph’s background.

Aysgill Force

I stayed at the YHA in Hawes. Here, I learnt about one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales, Aysgill Force. It is about a 30-minute walk behind the village of Gayle, which is behind Hawes.

You can walk up the road, and as you get to the farm, you should hear the falls. Walk a bit further until you get to the stile, then walk down to the river with a bridge to the path on the other side.

A hundred metres or so further back, you’ll find the surprising Aysgill Force with a massive drop of 40 feet.

The falls are getting harder to see as the trees grow taller. This point of the path is the only clear view of the falls I could get. If there has been a bit of rain, the trail can get very muddy.

You can follow the path back as it opens into sheep grazing fields, then cross the stiles until you’re back in Gayle.

More to do in the Yorkshire Dales

There are more waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales, or if you are a real hiker, there is the Three Peaks walk, which you can challenge yourself to complete in 24 miles in 12 hours. You can join an organised group to complete this epic walk via the website here.

I only spent one day exploring the waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales, but there is so much more to see and do. There are more waterfalls, walks, and even Bolton Castle to visit next time.

If you want to learn about UK passes and what you should get for where read my blog on Explore the UK with Passes.

Where I Stayed in the Yorkshire Dales

I stayed at the YHA in Hawes. It is situated on a hill with great views over the countryside, and it offers fellow travellers tips on where to go hiking or cycling around the Dales.

I loved staying in this hostel, as it was easy to get around to see the waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales I wanted to see. The staff were great, and they told me about Aysgill Force, a waterfall up the back that was an easy walk away.

Facilities

• Free Parking
• Free WiFi
• Non-smoking rooms
• Family rooms
• Bar
• Good breakfast
• Picnic area
• Outdoor furniture
• BBQ facilities
• Garden
• Shared kitchen
• Wine/champagne (Additional charge)
• Kid-friendly buffet
• Kid meals Additional charge
• Special diet menus (on request)
• Packed lunches
• Snack bar
• Bar
• Bike tours (Additional charge)
• Cycling
• Hiking Off-site
• Wifi
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Board games/puzzles

How to Get Here

YHA Hawes is at Lancaster Terrace, Hawes, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

How To Book

If you want to stay at the YHA in Hawes, click the link and get ready to start your adventure in the Yorkshire Dales.

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Links

If you’d like to read more about my travels in the UK, click on the following links to the countries: England, Scotland, and Wales.

If you want to learn about UK passes and what you should get for where read my blog on Explore the UK with Passes.

If you’d like to read more of my blogs on Australia, you can find them on the following links; Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Camping and Silo Art.

You can also click on the links for New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or Photography.

Travel Resources

• Flights & Accommodation—You can search for the cheapest flights and accommodation using Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, and WayAway, which offers 5% cashback.
• Car Hire—Take to the open road with great deals from EconomyBookings.com, RentalCars.com and DiscoverCars.
• Train & Bus Tickets UK & Europe—Use Trainline to plan and book your rail and bus travel in the UK and Europe.
• Travel Insurance is the number one thing to pack when you’re travelling. Cover-More Australia, Cover-More New Zealand, EKTA, Travel Insurance Master, and Insubuy keep you insured during your travels.
• Attractions—buy before you leave home with these great sites: Big Bus Tour, Get Your Guide, GoCity and Viator.
• House Sitting is a great way to save on accommodation, and Trusted Housesitters offers house sittings worldwide.
• Photo Editing is a great way to bring your photos to life, and you can try Luminar Neo, which I use.
• Visa Applications—apply online for your visa requirements with iVisa.
• Sim cards—Try Airalo, the world’s first eSIM store, which solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards).

If you want more tips, try my Travel Links and Resource page.

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