Dales Way hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Dales Way is a long-distance footpath in the north of England. It runs for about 80 miles (128 km) from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere on the shore of Windermere in Cumbria, through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and into the edge of the Lake District. It mostly follows rivers: the Wharfe, the Dee, the Lune and the Kent. It is not a National Trail, but it is fully waymarked and is looked after by the volunteer Dales Way Association. Most people walk it from south-east to north-west, from Ilkley to Bowness, in six to eight days, staying in village inns, B&Bs, farmhouses and hostels.

The route

The walk starts at the Old Bridge over the River Wharfe in Ilkley. The first day follows the river upstream on field and woodland paths to Bolton Abbey, with its ruined priory, through Strid Wood, where the river is forced through a narrow rock channel called the Strid, and past Barden Tower to the village of Burnsall. The second day crosses into limestone country. The path passes Grassington, then runs along high limestone pastures with long views up Wharfedale before it drops to Kettlewell and follows the river through Starbotton to Buckden.

The third day is the longest and wildest. The path follows the young Wharfe up Langstrothdale, past the old church at Hubberholme and the hamlets of Yockenthwaite, Beckermonds and Oughtershaw, then climbs onto Cam Fell. Here it crosses the watershed between the North Sea and the Irish Sea, meets the Pennine Way on the old Cam High Road and drops to Gearstones in Upper Ribblesdale, with views of Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside. From 2026 the official route then follows the Pennine Bridleway over the shoulder of Wold Fell and down Arten Gill, under its viaduct on the Settle–Carlisle railway, to reach the River Dee near Cowgill. The fourth day is a gentle walk down green Dentdale to the cobbled village of Dent and on to Sedbergh, below the Howgill Fells.

After Sedbergh the path follows the River Lune through the Lune valley to the Crook of Lune Bridge, crosses the M6 motorway and the West Coast main line, and continues over farmland to Burneside on the River Kent. The last day follows the Kent to Staveley, then crosses low, rolling hills with the first real views of the Lakeland fells before it reaches the Dales Way seat, a slate bench on the slopes of Brant Fell above Bowness Bay, and drops into the town.

This guide follows the route as mapped on OpenStreetMap, with the 2026 Arten Gill change, and splits it into 6 stages, about 21.6 km each. The highest ground is on Cam Fell and Wold Fell, at about 550 m.

Highlights

• Bolton Abbey and Strid Wood: the 12th-century priory ruins beside the Wharfe and the dangerous, narrow Strid
• Upper Wharfedale: limestone terraces and dry-stone walls above Kettlewell and Buckden
• Langstrothdale and Hubberholme: a quiet, narrow valley with a riverside path and an old church and inn
• Cam Fell and Ribblehead: open moorland on the watershed, with views of the viaduct and Whernside
• Dentdale and Dent: a green valley with cobbled streets and a village brewery
• The Lune valley and the Howgill Fells: riverside paths below rounded fells
• Brant Fell, Bowness: the finish, with a wide view over Windermere

When to walk the Dales Way

The best months are April to early June and September to October, when the paths are drier and the villages less busy. July and August are popular and warm, but beds fill early. In winter some B&Bs close, daylight is short, and the crossing of Cam Fell can be wet, cold and misty. Lambing runs from about March to May, so keep dogs under close control. After heavy rain the riverside paths can flood, especially in Wharfedale and by the Lune.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers take six to eight days. The 6 stages here follow the common six-day plan (Ilkley, Burnsall, Buckden, Cowgill, Sedbergh, Burneside, Bowness) and run from 14 to 31 km. The day from Buckden to Cowgill is long and remote: there is no shop between Buckden and Dent, and the George Inn at Hubberholme is the last pub before Cowgill. Many people split it at Oughtershaw or Ribblehead, or stay in Dent instead of Cowgill, for a seven- or eight-day walk. Sedbergh to Burneside is also long, with few places to eat on the way.

Getting there and away

Ilkley has frequent trains from Leeds and Bradford. Bowness is about 2.5 km from Windermere station, linked by bus or taxi; trains run from Windermere to Oxenholme on the West Coast main line. Along the way, buses run from Ilkley and Skipton to Burnsall, Grassington, Kettlewell and Buckden (some only on certain days), the Settle–Carlisle railway stops at Ribblehead and Dent station (England's highest main-line station, above Cowgill), and Burneside has a station on the Windermere line. Check timetables: rural services are thin, especially on Sundays.

Accommodation, money and phone signal

You sleep in inns, B&Bs, farmhouses, hostels, bunk barns and campsites. There is no general right to wild camp in England: use campsites or ask the landowner first. Beds are few at Buckden, Cowgill and Burneside, so book early for May to September. Several companies can book your rooms and carry your bags. Some small B&Bs do not take cards, so carry cash; there are cash machines in Ilkley, Grassington, Sedbergh, Kendal and Bowness. Mobile signal is weak or missing in upper Langstrothdale, on Cam Fell and in parts of Dentdale.

Difficulty and safety

The Dales Way is an easy to moderate walk with no scrambling. Most of it is on riverside paths, field paths, farm tracks and quiet lanes, with many stiles and gates. The hardest part is the crossing from Oughtershaw over Cam Fell and Wold Fell, which is exposed and can be confusing in mist; carry a map, compass or GPS and waterproofs. In 2024 a landslip closed the road at Dent Head; it has reopened to walkers, and you can still use it in bad weather instead of the Arten Gill route. Stay well back from the edge at the Strid, keep dogs on a lead near sheep and cattle, and never walk between a cow and her calf. In an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

What to pack

Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, a hat and gloves outside summer, comfortable broken-in boots or trail shoes, a blister kit and basic first aid, a map or GPS app with the route, a head torch, water and lunch for the long days, and some cash.

History

The Dales Way was devised by members of the West Riding Ramblers' Association, led by Colin Speakman and Tom Wilcock. It was announced in 1968 and established in April 1969, and Bradford Grammar School Venture Scouts made the first recorded crossing that year. The Dales Way Association was founded in 1991 to protect and improve the route; it keeps a list of route changes and offers a free completion certificate.