Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve Walk

A closed loop of 2 miles (3.2 km) starting and finishing at Waterhouses car park, BD24 9PT, managed by the National Trust. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. Difficulty is 4/10, easy to moderate: it is short, but the surfaces change often and some of it is uneven.

1. Leave the car park along the track and pass the red post box.

2. Turn onto an unmade track and enter the National Nature Reserve.

3. Follow the boardwalk through wet woodland and mossy wetland, the centrepiece of the walk.

4. Continue on rough footpath, then a track through woodland to Tarn House.

5. Turn up the short hill and return by track to the car park.

The route runs in two halves: enclosed, damp and green on the boardwalk, then open limestone pasture and wider views as you come round by Tarn House.

Expect boardwalk, gravel and unmade tracks, rough footpath, and grassy uneven field path, plus gates along the way. Wear proper shoes or boots. The reserve section is the highlight of the walk rather than a smooth, level route, so treat this as a nature walk with variable ground, not an easy-access stroll.

Start from Waterhouses car park, which is the access point for this loop. There is a toilet at the Orchid House next to Tarn House, and further toilets in Malham village. Do not count on facilities at the car park itself.

Pets are not allowed on this route. The National Trust permits assistance dogs only on the National Nature Reserve boardwalk, so leave other dogs at home rather than planning to walk them on a lead here.

• Uneven grassy and rough sections, so watch your footing.
• Boardwalk and gates to negotiate along the way.
• Livestock may be in the fields, so close gates behind you.
• No dog access on the reserve boardwalk.

For a broader outing around the water, the separate Malham Tarn Circular is a longer circuit of roughly 4 miles that takes in more of the tarn itself.