Everyone goes to Aysgarth and Hardraw. The Dales have thirty more worth finding.
Yorkshire Dales waterfalls beyond the famous two tend to sit at the bottom of steep gorges, down unmarked paths, a mile from the nearest lay-by. Aysgarth Falls gets 200,000 visitors a year. Hardraw Force charges admission and sits behind a pub. Both are worth seeing. But the seven on this list are the ones that fill on the days Aysgarth is empty, that carry more water after three days of rain, that most people on the Three Peaks path walk straight past without noticing.
Two of these falls are connected to Edward Elgar. One is the highest above-ground cascade in England, and almost nobody knows it. One has no official name on the Ordnance Survey map. None have entrance fees, café huts, or visitor centres.
Region: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Best for: Yorkshire Dales waterfalls walking, wild swimming, solitude, geology, photography
Getting there: The A65 between Skipton and Kendal provides the main access route for most locations here. Settle is the best central base for the southern falls. Sedbergh serves the western edge. A car is essential for all sites.
Time needed: 30 minutes to 2 hours per waterfall. Several can be combined into half-day circular walks.
Catrigg Force, Stainforth
A mile north of Settle, a steep track climbs out of the village of Stainforth and drops into a limestone gorge where two falls run in sequence over shelves of carboniferous rock. Catrigg Force is the lower and larger of the two: a double drop, each fall roughly 20 feet, the first plunging into a carved basin half-hidden from below, the second into a shallow pool ringed by ferns and overhanging ash trees.
The gorge was cut along the line of the North Craven Fault, a geological fracture running east to west through this part of the Dales. Where rock has been weakened by faulting, water erodes faster, carving narrower and deeper channels. The result at Catrigg is a slot gorge, dark and enclosed, with the sound of the water amplified by the rock walls on either side.
Edward Elgar walked this stretch of Ribblesdale regularly as a guest of his friend Dr Charles Buck, who lived in Settle. The walks around Catrigg and Scaleber Force are widely associated with the period in which he composed the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance marches, though Elgar was characteristically vague about which landscape inspired which work.
Where to Stay: The Golden Lion, Settle. A boutique inn with 14 en-suite rooms in the centre of Settle, a mile from the Stainforth turn. Yorkshire breakfast served daily.
Worth Knowing: The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority lists Catrigg Force as one of its featured locations. The approach from Stainforth involves a steep climb on the Pennine Bridleway before dropping to the falls.
Scaleber Force, Settle
Two miles south-east of Settle, where Stockdale Beck crosses the South Craven Fault, the stream drops 40 feet over a limestone cliff into a deep pool before continuing through Scaleber Wood towards the River Ribble. The Woodland Trust manages the 10-acre site as a nature reserve. The wood appears on early 19th-century maps, and the ruins of a lime kiln survive near the top of the falls, a remnant of the industry that worked the limestone seams through this valley.
The approach is from the minor lane called High Hill Lane, a 20-minute walk through the woods to the falls. The gorge is narrow, and the path drops steeply to the pool below the main drop. In late spring, the woodland floor along the approach is carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic.
Elgar’s connection here is documented through letters to Dr Buck. He walked the Scaleber and Catrigg circuit on multiple visits to Settle, and the enclosed gorge, combined with the open moorland above, appears repeatedly in descriptions he sent to friends during his most productive years.
Where to Stay: The Golden Lion, Settle. Less than 2 miles by road.
Worth Knowing: Scaleber Force forms part of the locally marketed Settle Caves and Waterfalls Walk, which also takes in Jubilee Cave and Attermire Scar. The full circuit is approximately 6 miles.
Yorkshire Dales Waterfalls at Their Most Extreme: Cautley Spout
Six miles east of Sedbergh, where the Howgill Fells rise steeply from the Rawthey Valley, a series of cascades drops 650 feet down the face of a glacially-carved corrie. Cautley Spout is the highest above-ground cascade in England. Most people who know the Dales well cannot tell you where it is.
The Howgills are built from ancient Silurian rock, smooth and rounded in contrast to the limestone country to the east. The valley below is a glacial U-shape, and the falls occupy a hanging valley left exposed when the main glacier cut deeper. Archaeologists excavating the valley floor found evidence of an Iron Age settlement, with a stone-lined avenue leading towards the foot of the falls. Whether this represents a processional route connected to the water or simply a practical path is not established, but the alignment is deliberate.
From the car park on the A683 near Cross Keys, the walk to the base takes about 40 minutes. The Cross Keys itself is a temperance hotel, operating since the 18th century, serving food but no alcohol.
Where to Stay: The Golden Lion, Settle. 17 miles south-east via the A683 and A65.
Worth Knowing: The falls are most impressive after several days of rain. The walk to the top is steep and requires care. Carry waterproofs and sturdy footwear throughout the year.
Force Gill, Ribblehead
On the north face of Whernside, where the Three Peaks route passes between Ribblehead Viaduct and the summit, a side stream cuts through the moorland and drops six metres over a gritstone edge before joining the becks below. Force Gill is visible from the main path. Almost no one turns off to reach it.
The walk up Whernside from Ribblehead carries thousands of people on busy weekends. The falls sit perhaps 200 metres off the main line of travel. The majority of walkers pass within sight, register them as a feature in the middle distance, and carry on to the summit. The pool at the base receives only those who notice the detour and take it.
Ribblehead Viaduct, visible from the approach, was completed in 1875 as part of the Settle to Carlisle railway. Construction killed roughly 100 workers, most buried in the churchyard at Chapel-le-Dale, a mile to the west. The 24 arches carry the line 104 feet above the valley floor.
Where to Stay: The Golden Lion, Settle. 11 miles north on the B6255, which follows the Settle to Carlisle line past Ribblehead.
Worth Knowing: The Ribblehead car park fills by 9:30 am on Three Peaks event days. Force Gill is best visited as part of the Whernside circuit rather than as a standalone walk.
Gastack Beck, Deepdale
Between Sedbergh and Ingleton, the narrow valley of Deepdale carries a beck that drops over two successive tiers of rock in a wooded gorge reached by no public road. Gastack Beck is a two-tiered fall, little recorded outside local walking guides. The valley is one of the quietest in the national park, deep enough that it catches shadow early in the afternoon, giving it an atmosphere more enclosed than most Dales valleys.
The approach is on foot from Dent village, roughly 3 miles to the north-east, or from Barbon to the south-west. The walk crosses open moorland before the descent into Deepdale, and the falls are not visible until the path drops into the gorge above them.
Dent village, the nearest settlement, is a cobbled street of whitewashed cottages with a pub that has been in operation since 1450. The village is connected to Adam Sedgwick, the Victorian geologist born here in 1785, credited as one of the founders of modern geology.
Where to Stay: The Golden Lion, Settle. 15 miles south-east via the A684.
Worth Knowing: OS Explorer OL2 covers Deepdale. The descent into the valley is steep and pathless in sections. Carry a paper map and compass.
Nidd Falls, Lofthouse
In the village of Lofthouse in upper Nidderdale, a short footpath from the village war memorial leads down to the River Nidd, where the water drops over a series of limestone ledges in a wooded gorge. The falls are marked on Ordnance Survey maps but carry no name on the sheet. Locally, they are known as Fairy Falls.
The walk from the car park near the village memorial hall takes about 10 minutes along the riverbank, through a gate into open fields, then down the bank to where the falls come into view below. The pool at the base is shallow, over smooth limestone, and is used for paddling by families from the village.
Nidderdale was added to the Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2016 and remains the least visited of the Dales valleys despite lying close to Harrogate and the A1. Scar House Reservoir, a mile north on the same road, was completed in 1936 and holds 2,200 million gallons of water. The stone dam is considered one of the finest examples of its kind in Britain.
Where to Stay: River House, Malham. 18 miles south-west via Pateley Bridge and the B6265. An independent riverside B&B in the heart of the Dales.
Worth Knowing: The Lofthouse approach road follows Nidderdale from Pateley Bridge, through some of the least visited countryside in the national park. Allow extra time for Gouthwaite Reservoir, an important wetland reserve with access via roadside lay-bys.
Cow Close Gill (Middle Falls), Upper Wharfedale
In the upper reaches of Wharfedale, above Kettlewell, a side beck drops over limestone in a series of falls known to those who seek them out as the Middle Falls of Cow Close Gill. They sit close to a roadside lay-by on the B6160, but a fallen tree across the lower beck partially obscures the view, and most drivers pass without noticing.
The pool below the main fall is deep and clear, fed by the limestone country above. This stretch of Wharfedale is narrow and quiet, the B-road carrying local rather than tourist traffic, and the combination of roadside access and near-total obscurity means the falls are consistently empty even in the height of summer.
Upper Wharfedale above Kettlewell was the heart of Benedictine monastic territory in the medieval period. Fountains Abbey held grazing rights across the high limestone pastures on both sides of the dale, and the network of packhorse routes between Wharfedale and Wensleydale above Buckden still survives as public footpaths across the open fell.
Where to Stay: River House, Malham. 8 miles south via the B6160 and B6265 through Grassington.
Worth Knowing: Park in the lay-by on the B6160 north of Kettlewell and walk back south along the road a short distance to find the path down to the beck. Carry OS Explorer OL30 for this section.
Practical Tips
- Most of the walking is on unmade paths, sometimes steep. Waterproof boots are essential from October to April and advisable year-round.
- The AllTrails app carries routes for Catrigg Force, Scaleber Force, and the Whernside circuit past Force Gill. For Gastack Beck and Cow Close Gill, OS Explorer paper maps are the more reliable option.
- The best conditions for photography are 24 to 48 hours after heavy rain, when the water volume is high, but the paths have partly dried.
- Parking is limited at most locations. Arrive before 9 am on summer weekends. The Ribblehead car park on the B6255 fills by 9:30 am on Three Peaks event days.
- Water levels in dry summers can reduce some falls to a trickle, particularly Gastack Beck and Cow Close Gill. Check recent walking blogs or the Yorkshire Dales National Park website before making a long journey.
- If you are combining a waterfall visit with a day in the Dales, the Yorkshire Dales pubs guide covers eight places where the food matches the scenery.
- Several pools on this list are suitable for wild swimming in the Yorkshire Dales. Check the dedicated guide before getting in.
Responsible Visiting
Stay on established paths near gorges, particularly at Catrigg Force and Scaleber Force, where the drop from the rim is unguarded. Do not swim alone or in unfamiliar pools after heavy rain, when currents can change without warning. Carry all litter out. These are fragile habitats and recover slowly from damage.
Reader Q&A
Which of these is the most accessible? Nidd Falls at Lofthouse is the easiest walk on this list, a roughly 10-minute walk from the village car park along a clear path. Scaleber Force and Catrigg Force are next, both within a mile of road parking. Force Gill, Cautley Spout, and Gastack Beck require longer walks on rougher ground.
Can I swim at any of these? The pools at Catrigg Force, Nidd Falls, and Cow Close Gill are used for wild swimming in summer, though conditions vary with water levels. Do not swim at Cautley Spout, where the flow from the cascade above creates unpredictable currents. See the full Yorkshire Dales wild swimming guide for more detail.
What is the best time of year to visit? Late autumn and spring offer the best water volume following sustained rainfall, with manageable path conditions. Late May and early June bring wildflowers to the woodland approaches at Scaleber Force and Catrigg. August is drier but busier around the Three Peaks area near Force Gill.
Do they charge for access? None. All are on public footpaths with free access year-round. The Cross Keys at Cautley Spout charges for food but not for the walk to the falls.
What else is there to do in the Dales? The Yorkshire Dales river walks guide covers ten routes along the Wharfe, Swale, Ure and Nidd that most visitors never take. The hidden dales guide covers ten valleys that stay genuinely quiet.
Where to Stay
The Golden Lion, Settle. A boutique inn with 14 en-suite rooms in the centre of Settle. The ideal base for Catrigg Force, Scaleber Force, Cautley Spout, Force Gill, and Gastack Beck.
River House, Malham. A riverside B&B in Malham village, 10 miles from Skipton. Best placed for Nidd Falls via Pateley Bridge and Cow Close Gill in upper Wharfedale.
Yorkshire Dales waterfalls do not announce themselves. You have to walk the path to find out.
