Parking
Yockenthwaite Bridge, Skipton, BD23 5JQ. No official car park; use safe off-road roadside parking only. Nearest public toilets are in Buckden.
Overview
About Discover Langstrothdale Valley Trail
Why go
- Short, varied loop with river, archaeology and meadow scenery
- Easy route with a clear sequence of landmarks
Heads up
- No official trailhead car park
- Return uses a vehicle-shared country road grass verge
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yorkshire Dales map
Full mapElevation269–313 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide
Your drive to Discover Langstrothdale Valley Trail, 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 trailhead
Yockenthwaite and Langstrothdale0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching Yockenthwaite Bridge in Langstrothdale, a good start for seeing the upper River Wharfe on foot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Where the Wharfe Begins
- The Mice in the Pews
- A Tiny Cross from Littondale
- Sea Lilies at Cray Gill
- 298 audio storiesacross Yorkshire Dales’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Atlantic Salmon, Short-eared Owl, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 63 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 Discover Langstrothdale Valley Trail
The walkAn easy circular walk in Langstrothdale, 2 miles / 3.
An easy circular walk in Langstrothdale, 2 miles / 3.2 km in total, starting and finishing at Yockenthwaite Bridge. Allow about 1.5 hours, within the official 1 to 2 hour range. It is a relaxed riverside walk that stays mostly flat, with elevation samples along the loop ranging from 269 to 313 m and returning to the starting height at the end.
Route sequenceCross Yockenthwaite's ancient packhorse bridge and follow the path toward the farmhouses.
- Cross Yockenthwaite's ancient packhorse bridge and follow the path toward the farmhouses.
- Join the Dales Way heading toward Beckermonds, with the River Wharfe on your left.
- Pass an old limekiln, then the Bronze-Age stone circle and the water emerging from Yockenthwaite Cave, where a waterfall can be heard inside.
- Cross the hay meadows toward Deepdale, cross Deepdale Bridge, and return to Yockenthwaite along the country road.
Difficulty and surfacesOfficial difficulty is easy, rated 2/10 here.
Official difficulty is easy, rated 2/10 here. The walking is mostly flat across fields, meadows and a country road with a grass verge. The route is not claimed to be step-free, and it includes field and meadow paths, gates and uneven ground. The return leg uses a country road with a grass verge that is shared with vehicles.
Parking and facilitiesThere is no official car park at Yockenthwaite.
- There is no official car park at Yockenthwaite. Off-road parking is along the roadside, only where safe.
- Trailhead: Yockenthwaite Bridge, Skipton, BD23 5JQ, grid reference SD904790.
- Nearest public toilets are in Buckden, about 2.5 miles southeast. There are no toilets at the trailhead.
- Pubs are in Buckden and Hubberholme.
Dogs and livestockDogs are allowed.
Dogs are allowed. Keep them on leads or under close control on public rights of way and in fields with livestock. Seasonal restrictions can apply in farmland or woodland from March to July for lambing and ground-nesting birds.
Scenery and wildlifeThe River Wharfe is the constant companion on the outward leg, with kingfishers, goosanders,…
The River Wharfe is the constant companion on the outward leg, with kingfishers, goosanders, dippers and sand martins among the species that may be seen. The hay meadows carry wild flowers in summer.
PhotographyThe packhorse bridge, the limekiln, the stone circle and the cave outflow all sit close to the…
The packhorse bridge, the limekiln, the stone circle and the cave outflow all sit close to the route, so the main subjects come in quick succession along the riverside section.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yorkshire Dales
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 mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yorkshire Dales. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
