Hawes - walks and things to do - Yorkshire Dales National Park : Yorkshire Dales National Park

Top tips for things to do in Hawes and the surrounding area

Download our popular free walking app with walks in Hawes, and Wensleydale as well as other parts of the National Park.
Make sure you visit the Dales Countryside Museum which houses our Hawes National Park Visitor Centre.
Make sure that you jump on board the Little White Bus to the Snaizeholme red squirrel trail to see these native creatures in their favourite habitat.
Ensure you get to taste Wallace and Gromit’s beloved cheese at the famous Wensleydale Creamery and enjoy their family visitor experience
Call in on the livestock sales at the 100-year-old Hawes auction mart for a real slice of farming life.
From Wensleydale, you can further explore the surrounding Dales, Lower Wensleydale, Raydale, Bishopdale and Coverdale.

Walks in Hawes and the surrounding area of Wensleydale

Walk – Hawes Mosaic Walk – can be done in short sections

A circular route around Hawes, offering fantastic views across Upper Wensleydale. The entire route is just under 11 miles and can be completed in around 4 and a half hours. However, it is possible to do small sections of the walk at your leisure. The walks starts from the Dales Countryside Museum and there are a total of 20 mosaics to collect along the route. The walk was created as part of a project to celebrate the millennium, with mosaics created by members of the local community. The Mosaic walk leaflet was updated in 2025 and is available to download here.

Distance: 10.8 miles (17.4km) but can be done in shorter sections
Features: low level route in the most part with a elevation gain in places.
Location: Wensleydale.

Walk – Hawes to Sedbusk

A short walk visiting the nearby village of Sedbusk, and the hamlet of Hardraw where you can visit the spectacular Hardraw Force.

Features: Low-level route (mostly valleys)
Location: Wensleydale

Walk – Hawes and Aysgill Force

This walk takes you past the home of Wensleydale cheese, through the tiny streets of Gayle and up to the lovely waterfall of Aysgill Force. Watch the video for the Aysgill Force walk below.

Features: Low-level route (mostly valleys)
Location: Wensleydale

Bainbridge audio trail

This audio trail starts and finishes in Bainbridge where the village surrounds a large green and explores this part of Wensleydale. It takes in the delightful village of Askrigg and the many mills that used to form an important part of the industry of the valley. You will also discover part of the old railway line which ran through the valley and some of the historic buildings in these two villages. Download the Bainbridge audio trail here.

Location: Wensleydale

Circular walk – Semerwater / Raydale

A great walk around and above Semerwater in Wensleydale. The first half of the walk running alongside the lake and through the nature reserve is relatively gentle, before a reasonably steep climb out of Marsett heading up the side of the valley before heading north-east back towards Countersett. There are no instructions with this walk, just a map to download.

Features: lakeside walk followed by a high-level route along the valley side with stunning views over the lake
Location: Raydale, Semerwater

Miles without stiles walks in and around Hawes

Walk – Hawes – miles without stiles walk

Starting at the car park, follow the road through Hawes, crossing Gayle Beck. After approximately 60m from the bridge, turn left up the cobbled footpath signposted to Gayle. The next 70m of this route are cobbled with a gradient of 1:7. After this point, the footpath levels out with some slight gradients up to 1:10. Most of the length is constructed of stone flags at a width of 100cm. There is a rest area halfway along the route.

Distance: 0-2 Miles
Features: Accessible route
Location: Wensleydale

Start point: SD875898
Turning point: SD870895

Getting there: When arriving at Hawes on the A684 from the Leyburn direction (east), the Hawes National Park car park is on the right-hand side.

Facilities: The nearest public toilets, including RADAR facility toilets, are in the Hawes National Park car park. Normal charges apply. There are public parking facilities – including nine designated bays for blue badge holders – in the Hawes National Park car park. There is a further pay and display car park in the town centre. Normal charges apply.

Walk – Cotter Force – A miles without stiles walk

Known as ‘the valley of the waterfalls’, Wensleydale harbours many delights for the visitor. Cotter Force, west of Hawes, is a lovely secluded waterfall in a wooded setting. It is a series of about six waterfalls with the largest single drop being about 1.5m. This 490m level footpath alongside the beck is constructed of compact stone with a general width of 100cm. There are three benches evenly spaced along the footpath. Watch the video of the Cotterforce walk below.

Whilst walking the route look out for dippers, grey wagtails, redstarts, long-tailed tits and kingfishers.

Distance: 0-2 Miles
Features: Accessible route
Location: Wensleydale

Start point: SD850915
Turning point: SD848919

Getting there: From Hawes, follow the A684 and after a few miles, you will reach Cotter Force.

Facilities: The nearest public toilets, including RADAR facility toilets, are in the Hawes National Park Visitor Centre car park. There is a pull-in for three cars, but with limited width for wheelchairs.

Find other miles without stiles walks across the National Park

The Yorkshire Three Peaks is nearby with various walks in Ribblesdale.

Long-distance walks in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Find walks in other areas of the Yorkshire Dales National Park here and don’t forget to get these walks on our FREE Yorkshire Dales National Park walking which has 35 walks on it.