Malham National Park Centre

Overview

About Malham National Park Centre

Why stop

Practical base for the Malham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss circuit.

Heads up

The centre itself is modest and has no landmark view.

This is a practical starting point for walks to Malham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss. Information advisers can talk through routes and distances, and the centre holds displays and walk planning material for the ground around Malham village. It is a planning stop rather than a viewpoint, so treat it as the place where you sort out the day and then walk.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop here

Map

Where it is

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Full map

Visitor centerMalham National Park Centre54.05986, -2.15375

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

The Malham car park tends to be one of the busiest in the area. Arriving early makes a real difference on fine weekends and holidays, and it is worth having a backup plan in mind in case it is full. Coming by bus removes the parking problem entirely.

Access and facilities

Toilets at the car park, usable when the centre is closed
A Changing Places toilet
Accessible parking and accessible toilets, with a wheelchair accessible entrance and seating
A level, wheelchair accessible path running toward Malham Cove
Free all-terrain wheelchair hire is available
Electric vehicle charging in the car park
Dog friendly and cycle friendly
Paid parking
Bus access from Skipton, useful if you would rather not drive

1 active Yorkshire Dales alert

ClosureTemporary closures on public rights of wayAvoid the listed sections of public rights of way while their temporary closures or pedestrian prohibition are in force. - Public Bridleway No. 52 (05.Official details

Yorkshire Dales alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide

Your drive to Malham National Park Centre, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yorkshire Dales 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 place

Malham Village and National Park Centre

0:00 / 0:35

“You're coming up on Malham village, where the beck runs between stone houses and little bridges. It's the base for the limestone walks, but I'd spend a few minutes in the village itself before setting off.”

Plays as you drive up to Malham National Park Centre in the Parkwolf Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide.

More about Malham National Park Centre

What is hereDisplays on the area and its landscape

Displays on the area and its landscape
Guidebooks, leaflets and maps for local and longer routes
Souvenirs and clothing in the shop
Staff advice in person on where to go and how long it takes

Using it as a baseThe car park and centre sit at the edge of Malham village at grid reference SD 8994 6269,…

The car park and centre sit at the edge of Malham village at grid reference SD 8994 6269, within walking distance of the three sites above. Many visitors link them into a single loop from here in either direction, and there is the shorter option of walking out to the Cove and returning the same way.

Dark skiesThe car park is a designated Dark Sky Discovery site, so clear nights are worth planning a…

The car park is a designated Dark Sky Discovery site, so clear nights are worth planning a return visit around.

Honest limitsThis is a small information centre rather than an attraction in its own right, and the scenery…

This is a small information centre rather than an attraction in its own right, and the scenery is a short walk away rather than out of the window. The car park and toilets stay usable when the centre itself is not open.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Yorkshire Dales

All Yorkshire Dales wildlife maps

10 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

11 sightingsAtlantic SalmonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

12 sightingsShort-eared OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

22 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

27 sightingsTawny OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

34 sightingsCommon KingfisherMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yorkshire Dales. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.