Parking
Park at the Forestry England car park at May Beck. It has 28 spaces including 2 accessible spaces; charges may apply. There are no toilets on the route.
Overview
About May Beck and Falling Foss
Why go
- Falling Foss waterfall and Midge Hall tea garden
- Shady woodland and beckside walking
Heads up
- Uneven steps, steep sections and narrow footbridges
- Steep drops near the waterfall
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation130–184 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active North York Moors alerts
- ClosureHawnby Bridleway 110 closurePublic Bridleway 25.122/110/1 in Hawnby is closed to pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians because its bridge is unsafe. - The closure is between grid references SE 5309 9073 and SE 5335 9097.Official details
- ClosureWest Ayton Footpath 1 closurePublic Footpath 1 in West Ayton (Forge Valley) is temporarily closed because its boardwalk is unsafe. - The closure is between SE 9860 8494 and SE 9839 8712.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North York Moors Tour Guide
Your drive to May Beck and Falling Foss, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North York Moors National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
May Beck and Falling Foss Walk0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching May Beck, the starting point for a woodland loop that reaches Falling Foss and returns beside the beck.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Falling Foss Waterfall
- A Walk with a Proper Ending
- The Hermitage Without a Hermit
- Follow the Bird Up the Bark
- 298 audio storiesacross North York Moors’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Red Deer, Grey Seal, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 126 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking May Beck and Falling Foss
The route in shortA complete circular loop starting and finishing at the May Beck car park, measuring about 1.
A complete circular loop starting and finishing at the May Beck car park, measuring about 1.9 miles / 3.1 km on the official route track, which the official listing rounds to 2 miles / 3.2 km. Allow around 1.5 hours at a steady pace with time to look at the falls. It rates as moderate, roughly 4 out of 10 for effort.
How the walk unfoldsThe payoff is a shady valley of oak, ash, alder and cherry, shallow water alongside the beck,…
The payoff is a shady valley of oak, ash, alder and cherry, shallow water alongside the beck, and the waterfall itself set in the wooded valley.
- From the car park entrance, do not cross the bridge; turn uphill on the stone and gravel track.
- Follow the level track, then rough steps and a winding path through mature woodland.
- At a stony track junction, descend and cross a footbridge, passing Midge Hall and the lower path beside Falling Foss.
- Continue into the Falling Foss car park area and take the track at the far end, dropping back through the wood.
- Cross a second footbridge and follow May Beck downstream, finishing with rough steps and a gate.
Footing and difficultyThis is a woodland walk on unsurfaced ground, and it is not an easy-going route from end to end.
This is a woodland walk on unsurfaced ground, and it is not an easy-going route from end to end.
- Paths are uneven and stony, and can be wet or muddy.
- Short steep gradients both up and down, with cross slopes up to 1:3.
- Rough stone steps in several places, including at the finish.
- Two narrow footbridges, about 70 cm and 60 cm wide.
- Two gates and no stiles.
Safety notesThere are steep drops near the waterfall, so keep well back from edges and keep children close.
There are steep drops near the waterfall, so keep well back from edges and keep children close. Take care on wet stone steps and on the narrow bridges, where there is little room to pass.
Dogs and livestockDogs are welcome. Near the waterfall, with its steep drops, keep them on a short lead.
Dogs are welcome. Near the waterfall, with its steep drops, keep them on a short lead. Sheep may graze on the final section beside the beck, so keep dogs under close control on a short lead if livestock are present.
Parking and facilitiesParking is at the Forestry England car park at May Beck, with 28 spaces including 2 accessible…
Parking is at the Forestry England car park at May Beck, with 28 spaces including 2 accessible spaces; charges may apply. There are no toilets on the route. The Falling Foss Tea Garden at Midge Hall sits beside the falls and serves refreshments seasonally, so treat it as a bonus rather than something to count on.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North York Moors
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
79 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around noonSighting map
26 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North York Moors. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
