Things to do in the Yorkshire Dales

Discover Nature, Explore Culture or Uncover History!

Yorkshire is packed full of beautiful scenery, local attractions, and fun days out. With ample natural beauty to explore, there are so many family activities in Yorkshire that will leave you and the family with the best memories.

Fun days out in Yorkshire give you the chance to explore a magnificent county whilst stretching your legs and breathing in the lovely fresh air. Yorkshire is famous for the expansive Yorkshire Dales that can be explored by everyone. Whether you’re a Yorkshire resident wanting to explore more of your surroundings, or a visitor wanting to uncover all that it has to offer, the Yorkshire Dales is home to many exciting places and activities.

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exploration through natural formations

North Yorkshire has a lot to offer adults, children, and families alike. A fun family day out will cater to the whole family and all ages, and lovely and exciting walks, tasty eateries, and exploration through natural formations are a challenge and exciting activity for the whole family to enjoy!

If you’re wondering what to do in North Yorkshire and its surroundings, we’ve put together some inspirational activities to be enjoyed by all. There’s lots to do for the nature lovers out there as Yorkshire is famous for its brilliant untouched walks and adventurous pathways. Additionally, you can experience magnificent views whilst working up an appetite to satisfy in a local Yorkshire pub.

Natural Wonders

4 mins from Stumpcross caverns is Coldstone Cut. Created by the artist Andrew Sabin, Cold Stone Cut is Nidderdale’s latest visitor attraction (24 minutes away from How Stean). A massive construction which visitors can freely walk through and explore, the sculpture overlooks the huge working Coldstones Quarry and offers spectacular views over the scenery of Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales.

Wildlife Watching

Upper Nidderdale is home to red grouse, plovers, curlews, oyster catchers and lapwing. Raptors such as red kite may also be spotted soaring high. Gouthwaite Reservoir (SSSI) is a renowned bird sanctuary and recommended location to spot waders and wildfowl and has an excellent viewing area. The heather clad moorland is also a haven for redshank and snipe and good for spotting raptors.

Retail therapy

Typical Yorkshire market towns such as Pateley Bridge, Masham, Grassington and Skipton are full of art galleries, craft shops and antiques. The elegant spa town of Harrogate has a healthy mix of high street and individual boutique shops.

Mountain Biking

Suitable in any weather a great ride with hardly any tarmac. It starts at the top of Nidderdale at the car park next to Scar House Bunk Barn, (operated by How Stean Gorge). The route takes you across stony tracks high above the dale, before descending down a rubble slope to Bouthwaite. You then pass through farmland back up the valley, which then takes you up a steep climb to Middlesmoor and the superb descent back to the reservoir. Route details on the Nidderdale AONB website

Heritage and Culture

Real gems are only minutes away. Admire 600 years of Ingilby family history at Ripley Castle and marvel at the National Trust’s World Heritage Site Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens. Take a train on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway or visit RHS Harlow Carr and see gardens through time.

Visit the award winning Nidderdale Museum to see life in the Dales over the centuries and pop in to see glassblowers at work in the King Street Workshops. Take in the breath-taking scenery of Coldstones Cut, Yorkshire’s biggest and highest public artwork.

For other great ideas and things to do in Yorkshire, please visit Welcome to Yorkshire.

Fabulous Food and Drink

Pateley Bridge and Masham are traditional Yorkshire market towns strewn with highly acclaimed shops selling award winning pork pies and sausages, groceries and ice cream.

Pateley Bridge is also home to England’s Oldest Sweet Shop, where you can recapture childhood memories. Glass jars fill the shop selling every sweet you can imagine. Mackenzies and Bleikers smokehouses are worth a visit if you love the flavour of smoked meat and fish. Taste real ale at Black Sheep or Theakston’s Brewery Visitor Centres in Masham.

Hear From Our Teams

Corporate team building at How Stean Gorge is all about stepping away from the day-to-day, tackling something new together and having a good laugh along the way. Teams come for the shared challenges, the muddy moments and the buzz that comes from doing something genuinely memorable as a group.

It’s a relaxed, enjoyable way to strengthen connections, boost morale and create stories your team will still be talking about long after the day is over.

Great Campsite!

Great campsite with excellent facilities. Our team of senior and junior executives camped for one night on site and then the second night up in a field with spectacular views of Dales. Our every whim (and there were many) was catered for by Stan and his team, who remained enthusiastic and un-phased by our requests weeks leading up to the event and during the event. Well worth a visit!

Fantastic Time

I would like to thank yourself, Claire & Stan for looking after us so well last Friday – we had a fantastic time and will definitely recommend you to any other people wanting to throw themselves off a bridge into freezing cold water!

Fabulous Day

We had a fabulous day at How Stean Gorge entertaining clients. Everyone was very excited to join us on the day and they certainly weren’t disappointed. Stan and his team put everyone at ease and ensured they enjoyed the activities. It was a great event for a mixed group and everyone interacted really well. We have received excellent feedback and will certainly look to take another group.