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Five Walks For Families

Five walks around Harrogate for families

Date Posted: Tuesday 25th Apr 2023

Welcome to our guide on "Five Walks for Families around Harrogate."

Spend quality time with your loved ones exploring the picturesque landscapes and charming trails near Harrogate. These family-friendly walks offer a perfect opportunity to connect with nature and create cherished memories together.

Whether you're looking for a relaxing stroll, an adventurous hike, or an educational outing, our carefully curated selection has something for everyone. Lace up your walking shoes and embark on these wonderful walks that cater to all ages and interests.

Enjoy the beauty of Harrogate's surroundings while bonding with your family on these unforgettable outdoor adventures.

Valley of the Seven Bridges

This walk combines open countryside with a winding river offering young ones plenty of opportunity for splashing, paddling and games of Pooh sticks.

The walk winds its way through a dramatic steep-sided valley along a path that repeatedly crisscrosses the river Skell. While only five of the original packhorse bridges remain, newer bridges at the beginning and end of the walk still make the total of seven.

On the return leg, the path rises up to offer a wonderful view of the valley below.

Whether children are still having fun and learning numbers or will enjoy the open space and terrain for climbing and clambering, with sticks and their imagination this is a great walk for all the family.

The Seven Bridges Valley walk

The Bewerley Tree Trail

This walk goes from Pateley Bridge up to the village of Bewerley and its popular Fish Pond Wood. These woods are home to a great many species of bird and water fowl. Visitors who get up early will often see deer in the woods, though not for long.

The fish pond is a small artificial lake created by the Yorke family in the 1700s as part of the project to landscape the woodland, creating Nidderdale's first visitor attraction. The woods flood with wild garlic in spring, followed by a carpet of bluebells. Points of historical interest in the woods include the old ice house, home to a rare species of Cave Spider.

Bewerley Tree Trail

Crackpots Mosaic Trail

At 7 miles this is not a walk for the younger explorer, but for older children it will offer terrain, exploration and a sense of a treasure hunt.

This walk was created in 1997 and is the home to 22 mosaic markers installed along its length depicting scenes of rural Nidderdale life.

Along the route, you will encounter hidden streams, open views and pockets of rich woodland each of which represents the important habitats that allowed Nidderdael to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Crackpots Mosaic Trail

Victorian Gardens of Pateley Bridge

This walk is easy to navigate and for the most part, is traffic-free or uses quiet back lanes. It includes a long stretch along the river Nidd with several opportunities to paddle or skim stones. There is also an opportunity to feed the ducks when you reach Glasshouses mill pond at the far end (remember bread is very bad for ducks, it is better to use oats, rice, birdseed or frozen peas).

The return walk will bring alongside fields that often have lambs frolicking and playing amongst the grass during spring.

Victorian Gardens of Pateley Bridge

Swinsty Reservoir

This easy-to-follow and accessible route traces the circumference of Swintsy reservoir in the Washburn Valley. Lined with trees the path around Swinsty is accessible and simple to follow and features several options to stop for a picnic.

The lake is home to a range of waterfowl and other birdlife, with larger birds of prey often seen circling overhead.

Swinsty Reservoir Walking Routes