Five Yorkshire family days out the standard guidebooks miss: underground caves, a lost woodland gorge, and one of the strangest four-acre gardens in England.
Yorkshire has a reliable visitor circuit. Flamingo Land, the National Railway Museum, and Scarborough seafront. These are reasonable choices. They just account for a fraction of what the county actually offers for family days out. Yorkshire keeps the best of it away from the leaflets.
The five hidden family days out in Yorkshire listed here have run for years with minimal promotion. A four-acre labyrinth garden in Coverdale that accepts pre-booked visitors only. An 18th-century pleasure ground in Nidderdale that most Yorkshire families have never set foot in. Show caves where lead miners found wolverine bones in 1858. None of these is on the standard tourist circuit. That is their advantage.
Region: North Yorkshire, including Nidderdale, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Vale of York
Best for: Families with children aged 4 and above, outdoor exploring, history, wet-weather options
Getting there: A car is the most practical option for most of these locations. Northern Rail serves York directly for Murton Park. Bus 159 between Ripon and Leyburn stops at Grewelthorpe for Hackfall.
Time needed: At least half a day per location. The Forbidden Corner and Murton Park each take a full day.
The Forbidden Corner, Coverdale
The Forbidden Corner sits within the Tupgill Park estate in Coverdale, a quieter valley running south from Wensleydale between Middleham and Horsehouse. What it contains is difficult to describe without underselling it: a four-acre maze of tunnels, underground chambers, follies, and planted garden passages built into the landscape over decades. Nothing inside behaves the way it should. Doors open onto brick walls. Passages loop back on themselves. Statues move.
The garden began as a private project in the 1980s and opened to the public in 1994. It has never appeared on a major tourism circuit, and the owners keep visitor numbers low by requiring pre-booked tickets. That policy is part of what makes it work. The site is never crowded, and the atmosphere stays intact.
Children navigate the tunnels independently while adults try and fail to keep track of where they are. The experience depends entirely on not knowing what comes next, which is why every visit runs differently. In summer, the garden walls are thick with planting, and the follies disappear into the growth.
Where to Visit: The Forbidden Corner at Tupgill Park, Coverdale. Pre-booked tickets only. Open from early April to early November, then Sundays through to Christmas.
Worth Knowing: Walk-ups are not accepted under any circumstances. Book at least two weeks ahead during the July and August school holidays.
Hackfall Woods, near Masham
Hackfall covers 47 hectares of ancient semi-natural woodland in a deep gorge cut by the River Ure, six miles north-west of Ripon in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the 18th century, it was one of the most celebrated pleasure grounds in northern England, designed with follies, a stone temple, and paths that revealed different sections of the gorge as visitors moved through it. Today, most people in Yorkshire have never heard of it.
The Woodland Trust manages the site, and entry is free. The main circular route passes a series of follies and at least one waterfall. The terrain is genuinely steep in places, the paths are uneven, and there are no information boards or managed visitor facilities beyond a basic car park. Children who like climbing and exploring do well here. The site rewards the kind of family that does not need a map to tell them what to look at.
The light in the gorge in late spring, when the canopy closes over the valley floor, turns everything green. The sound of the Ure carries up through the trees from below.
Where to Go: Hackfall near Grewelthorpe, Ripon. Free entry. Car park off the Masham road, postcode HG4 3BS.
Worth Knowing: Bus 159 between Ripon and Leyburn stops at Grewelthorpe three times daily. It is one of the few locations on this list reachable without a car.
Stump Cross Caverns, Nidderdale
Stump Cross Caverns sit on the B6265 between Pateley Bridge and Grassington in the limestone country of Nidderdale. In 1858, lead miners broke through into a cave system that had been sealed since the Pleistocene era. Inside, they found bones: wolverine, reindeer, bison. These animals had lived in this part of Yorkshire thousands of years ago, and the sealed cave had preserved the evidence.
The guided tour takes visitors through the illuminated cave system. The stalactite and stalagmite formations developed over millions of years. The temperature underground remains around 8 degrees Celsius year-round, which matters on a warm July afternoon. Children who are comfortable in enclosed spaces find the tour absorbing. The site includes a museum displaying some of the original Pleistocene bone finds, which puts the cave’s age into perspective in a way no information board can quite match.
The on-site café also solves the midday problem without having to drive anywhere.
Where to Go: Stump Cross Caverns, B6265 between Pateley Bridge and Grassington. Open daily 9am to 6pm.
Worth Knowing: The cave temperature stays at around 8 degrees Celsius year-round. Take a layer regardless of what the weather is doing above ground.
Murton Park, near York
Murton Park sits four miles east of York city centre on a 14-acre site and holds two reconstructed historical settlements: a Roman fort (Brigantium) and a Dark Ages Saxon village, the Danelaw Centre for Living History. Both are walk-through, with hands-on activities and period interpreters during the visitor season. For children who have spent a week in York looking at Viking artefacts and Roman mosaics behind glass, seeing reconstructed buildings they can actually enter changes how the history lands.
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming at the same site covers the full arc of Yorkshire agricultural life, from horse-drawn implements to the mechanisation of the 20th century. The site also runs a narrow-gauge railway and a play area. It takes a full day to cover properly, and the 12-month return policy included in the admission price means a second visit costs nothing extra, which matters for families who stay in the York area more than once a year.
Adults £16, children £14, family ticket £42. Under 2s free.
Where to Go: Murton Park, Murton Lane, Murton, York. 12-month unlimited return policy included in the admission price.
Worth Knowing: Murton Park is four miles from York city centre and outside the usual York visitor footprint. Most families staying in York for a week walk straight past the signs.
Studfold Adventure Trail, Upper Nidderdale
Studfold sits on the edge of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Lofthouse in upper Nidderdale. The Adventure Trail runs through woodland and meadow with go-karts, den-building areas, fairy houses, sensory stations, and a play park. The terrain is natural, the scale works well for younger children, and the whole thing takes a morning at an unhurried pace.
How Stean Gorge sits two miles up the same valley road, where a limestone gorge allows families to scramble along the inside of the rock on a paid trail. Both together fill a full day without moving far. Studfold also runs a camping and glamping park on-site, making it a practical base for exploring the Upper Dale.
The trail runs seasonally. In 2026, it opened from late March. Advance booking is advised during school holiday weeks.
Where to Go: Studfold, near Lofthouse, upper Nidderdale. Seasonal opening. Advance booking recommended.
Worth Knowing: How Stean Gorge, two miles up the same valley, adds a geological scramble that suits older children well. Both together cover a full day from a single base.
Practical Tips
- The Forbidden Corner requires pre-booked tickets without exception. Book two to three weeks in advance for July and August.
- Download walking routes for Hackfall in advance using the AllTrails app. Mobile signal in the gorge is poor.
- Pack a layer for Stump Cross Caverns. The temperature underground is 8 degrees Celsius year-round.
- Murton Park’s 12-month return policy is built into the ticket price. It makes a second visit free, which is worth noting if you plan to return to York.
- Studfold and How Stean Gorge are two miles apart in the same valley. Both together fill a full day without needing to drive between different areas.
- Hackfall’s car park is small and informal. Arrive before 10am in summer or walk down from Grewelthorpe village.
Responsible Visiting
Hackfall’s steep and uneven paths require sensible footwear. The Woodland Trust asks visitors to stay on marked routes to protect the woodland floor. Stump Cross Caverns is not suitable for visitors with claustrophobia or very limited mobility, as the cave passages are narrow in places. The Forbidden Corner’s booking system exists to protect the experience for all visitors. Walk-ups disrupt other guests, and the site reserves the right to turn them away. Book before you travel.
Reader Q&A
Do you need to book The Forbidden Corner in advance?
Yes, pre-booked tickets are required, and the site does not accept walk-ups. Book online at theforbiddencorner.co.uk. During school holidays, book two to three weeks in advance to secure your preferred date.
Is Hackfall Woods suitable for pushchairs or wheelchair users?
No. The Woodland Trust states that Hackfall has no wheelchair access due to the terrain. The paths are steep and uneven throughout. The site suits children old enough to walk independently on rough ground. Allow at least 90 minutes for the main circular route.
What age group does the Studfold Adventure Trail suit best?
Broadly ages 2 to 12. The trail combines go-karts, fairy trails, and den-building at a scale that works well for younger children. Older children often add How Stean Gorge for a more physical complement to the same day.
How long does it take to visit Murton Park?
A full day is enough to cover the site properly. The Roman fort, Saxon village, farming museum, and narrow-gauge railway are separate sections, and most families take three to five hours. The 12-month return policy lets you come back without paying again.
Yorkshire Family Days Out: Where to Go
The Forbidden Corner, Coverdale. A four-acre labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, and follies at Tupgill Park. Pre-booked tickets only. Open April to November.
Hackfall Woods, near Masham. A 47-hectare ancient woodland gorge with 18th-century follies and waterfalls. Free entry, managed by the Woodland Trust.
Stump Cross Caverns, Nidderdale. Show caves with Pleistocene bone finds and year-round guided tours. Open daily 9am to 6pm.
Murton Park, near York. Roman fort, Saxon village, farming museum, and narrow-gauge railway four miles east of York. 12-month return policy included.
Studfold, upper Nidderdale. Seasonal woodland adventure trail with go-karts, fairy houses, and den-building. Advance booking advised.
The hidden family days out in Yorkshire worth finding share one quality: none of them relies on marketing to stay open. They rely on the experience being good enough to bring people back.
For more places worth the drive across Britain, explore the Secret Britain travel archive.
