Dales Way Walk

in Buckden in Gearstones in Ilkley in Oughtershaw

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Starting in Ilkley and finishing on the shores of Lake Windermere, the Dales Way is a 78 mile walk through the Yorkshire Dales and into the Lake District.

The Dales Way walk

The Route

  • Start Point: Ilkley
  • Finish Point: Windermere
  • Distance: 78 Miles

Getting there

Ilkley is easily accessed by bus, train, car and is only a short taxi ride from Leeds-Bradford Airport.

GPX Route Map

Download file for GPS

Walk Description

This walk was initially devised by the West Riding Ramblers’ Association with the ‘leading lights’ being Colin Speakman and Tom Wilcock (Footpath Secretary). The route was announced to the public in 1968 and the first recorded crossing was by a group of Bradford Grammar School Venture Scouts in 1969.

The first half of the walk follows the River Wharfe upstream to the main watershed of Northern England at Ribblehead. The second half follows several river valleys (Dentdale, River Mint, River Kent) to descend to the shores of Windermere.

Most walkers tackling this route take about a week, in sections of 10 to 15 miles per day and taking a rest day or two.

Accommodation

Staying the night near the Buckden to Gearstones section is possible at:

Luggage help

If you would like help with planning or transporting luggage on this route, the Dales Way Association has a list here: http://www.dalesway.org/services.htm

Related Accommodation

The accommodation below is nearby - and has been updated recently.

Picture of The Smithy

The Smithy

45a Cowpasture Road, Ilkley, LS29 8SY, United Kingdom

Picture of The Wheatley Arms

The Wheatley Arms

Wheatley Lane, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, LS29 8PP, United Kingdom

Picture of The Black Hat

The Black Hat

11 Church Street, Ilkley, LS29 9DR, United Kingdom

1 thought on “Dales Way Walk”

  1. Brigantes we’re brilliant st taking our luggage allowing us to enjoy The Dales Way without any worry about baggage. The bags were always at the right place at the right time. Well done Brigantes.

    Reply

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