Parking
Roadside parking near Yockenthwaite, on the left as you arrive from Hubberholme, close to the stone packhorse bridge. There is no dedicated trail car park; the nearest public toilets are in Buckden.
Overview
About Horse Head Moor and Deepdale Walk
A closed circular walk of 6.9 miles / 11.04 km, starting and ending at roadside parking near Yockenthwaite. The mapped physical line traces the complete loop and measures about 10.17 km / 6.32 miles, which serves as a cross-check rather than the visitor-facing distance. Grade is challenging, with an opening climb of roughly 1,000 ft from the valley floor to high moorland around 600 m.
Why go
- Three Peaks views from a remote moorland ridge
- A varied loop from high fell to the River Wharfe
Heads up
- Steep opening climb on uneven, sometimes muddy ground
- Roadside start with limited facilities
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yorkshire Dales map
Full mapElevation269–601 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 Horse Head Moor and Deepdale Walk, 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
- The Mice in the Pews
- Where the Wharfe Begins
- Buckden Pike and the Polish Memorial
- A Tiny Cross from Littondale
- 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 Horse Head Moor and Deepdale Walk
How the walk unfoldsStart at the roadside in Yockenthwaite and walk a short stretch of road back to Raisgill…
- Start at the roadside in Yockenthwaite and walk a short stretch of road back to Raisgill farmhouse.
- Climb the steep bridleway in zig-zags up through the Hagg onto Horse Head Moor.
- Optional short detour to the white trig point, then back to the gate.
- Follow the moorland ridge beside the wall for 1.2 miles / 1.9 km.
- Descend toward Beckermonds with Greenfield Forest away to the left.
- Join the River Wharfe and follow the Dales Way to Deepdale.
- Cross Deepdale road bridge, then return on the signed Yockenthwaite path and over the stone packhorse bridge.
Difficulty and timeThe official duration is 2 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours.
The official duration is 2 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours. Most walkers taking the trig point detour and stopping for views should plan closer to the upper end, and longer again if the ground is wet. Expect uneven moorland and fellside underfoot, several gates and stiles, and mud after rain. The high ground is open and exposed, with little shelter along the ridge.
NavigationThis is not a route to improvise.
This is not a route to improvise. Competent navigation is needed on the moorland section, and an Ordnance Survey map and compass are recommended, particularly if cloud drops onto the ridge.
What you get for the effortWide moorland horizons and Three Peaks views from the high ground, dry-stone walls threading…
Wide moorland horizons and Three Peaks views from the high ground, dry-stone walls threading the fells, and a contrasting second half beside the Wharfe with limestone in the riverbed. The riverside stretch is the place to watch for kingfishers, oystercatchers and dippers. Settled, clear conditions noticeably improve the ridge views, while wet weather mainly means muddier ground rather than a different walk.
Access, facilities and dogsRoadside parking at Yockenthwaite (grid reference SD904790); there is no dedicated trail car…
- Roadside parking at Yockenthwaite (grid reference SD904790); there is no dedicated trail car park.
- No toilets at the start. Nearest public toilets are in Buckden, about 2.5 miles southeast. Facilities on the route are limited, so carry what you need.
- Dogs are welcome under close control, and on leads near livestock. Seasonal restrictions may apply in farmland or woodland from March to July for lambing and ground-nesting birds.
If this is too muchThe Discover Langstrothdale Valley Trail, also starting from Yockenthwaite, is a separate and…
The Discover Langstrothdale Valley Trail, also starting from Yockenthwaite, is a separate and considerably easier 2-mile option that stays low in the valley. It is a different walk, not a shortcut version of this circuit.
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.
