Long distance trails give you a fantastic sense of achievement. Baggage handlers can lighten your load and organise accommodation, or you can complete the route in stages using public transport.
100 – 270 miles
Pennine Way
The oldest and most iconic National Trail offers a rugged taste of Northern England – stretching from the Peak District to the Scottish Borders on a challenging but rewarding route of remarkable contrasts. With a combined ascent that exceeds the height of Mount Everest, the Pennine Way is arguably the most challenging National Trail in England and the route is recommended for experienced walkers who want a unique experience – but you don’t have to walk it all at once.
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Length: 268 miles
Coast to Coast Path
This particularly challenging route passes through three stunning national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park. However because of this unique route, walkers will witness some of the most stunning natural sights England has to offer as it takes you across beautiful valleys, hills and mountains.
Length: 195 miles
Pennine Bridleway
The Pennine bridleway is specifically designed for the use by equestrians however it is a good challenge for cyclists. The route follows a variety of surfaces including minor roads, aggregate tracks, grassed stone tracks, stone setts and worn causey flags. Some of these have been newly created specifically for the Pennine Bridleway but some are ancient highways such as drovers roads or packhorse trails that have been in use for centuries.
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Length: 205 miles
Pennine Journey
The Pennine Journey is a challenging walk taking place mostly in the north Pennines area, however some of it takes place in the beautiful Yorkshire dales national park, including the starting in the town of Settle. The Pennine Journey is one of three looped walks but it is by far the biggest loop.
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Length: 247 miles
80 – 100 miles
Lady Anne’s Way
This route was inspired by Lady Anne Clifford, that Lady who owned vast estates in the seventeenth century. Lady Anne was known to travel between her castles and this route takes in these beautiful buildings, most of which are now ruins. This walk starts in the lovely town of Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and ends in the charming town of Penrith in Cumbria’s Eden Valley.
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Length: 100 miles
Dales High Way
The Dales Highways is a high level route through the Dales and containing summits of Ingleborough, Whernside, the Howgills, Ilkley Moor and Sharp Haw but most of the route keeps to high ground. The Dales Highway is for the more experienced walker but you can always make it easy by creating your own route or breaking it down into easier sections.
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Length: 90 miles
Dales Way
The Dales Way runs for 80 miles from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere. This route follows mostly riverside paths, passing through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the gentle foothills of southern Lakeland to the shore of England’s most famous lake, Lake Windermere.
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Length: 80 miles
50 – 80 miles
Herriot Way
This beautiful route takes place in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, visiting many locations that were used in the filming of the TV programme ‘All Creatures Great & Small’. This programme is based on a series of book written by the veterinary surgeon Alf Wight under the pseudonym James Herriot in the 1970s. This pleasant route is done in four days starting in any location you would like eventually bringing back where you started.
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Length: 52 miles
Ribble Way
As you can probably guess by its name the Ribble Way follows the River Ribble starting from its mouth at Longton, near Preston, to the source at Gayle Moor in Yorkshire. The route goes from Lancashire into Yorkshire before passing through the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales national park and finishing at the source at Gavel Moor near Ribblehead and the famous Ribblehead Viaduct.
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Length: 70 miles
Dales Inn Way
The walk is divided into six stages and passes 26 traditional Dales inns, with each stage consisting of around 13 miles of route each. The route starts and finishes in Grassington as it is a circular route taking you to beautiful towns and villages like Reeth, Askrigg and Buckden with many more along the way.
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Length: 76 miles
20 – 50 miles
Kirkby Stephen Cycle
A great route for exploring the north west corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The route combines sections of quiet road with tracks, byways and some bridleways across open fell. Watch out for the Helm Wind, a strong north easterly which blows down from Cross Fell and is the only named wind in Britain.
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Lenght: 23 miles