Best Places to Stay in the Yorkshire Dales for Walking

The best places to stay in the Yorkshire Dales for walking put the right landscape outside the door. Wharfedale, Swaledale and Ribblesdale are far enough apart that one universal base is more myth than useful advice.

Quick picks

Grassington: best for first-timers

Grassington combines a handsome centre, useful shops and paths into Wharfedale. It has enough accommodation and food for a weekend without losing the feeling of a country base.

Settle: best without a car

Settle’s station and position on the Settle–Carlisle line make linear walks possible. It is a market town rather than a tiny village, which brings more rooms, supplies and evening choice, all suddenly very attractive when the weather has cancelled your romantic picnic.

Hawes: best for Wensleydale

Hawes offers a strong sense of place, access to the Pennine Way and walks towards Hardraw Force. It suits travellers who want a working Dales town rather than a polished resort.

Reeth: best for quieter Swaledale walking

Reeth sits where Arkengarthdale and Swaledale meet, with footpaths radiating into some of the Dales’ most handsome country. It is a particularly good base if you prefer stone walls, old lead-mining tracks and villages to the busier headline sights. The village green gives you somewhere civilised to return to after a day in boots, which is always preferable to discovering your accommodation is three miles beyond the pub.

For a longer break, Reeth also makes sense as part of a two-base trip. Spend a night or two here for Swaledale, then move south towards Wharfedale or Malham rather than repeatedly crossing the national park.

Malham: best for limestone scenery

Malham is the obvious base for the famous circuit linking Malham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss. Staying in or close to the village gives you a useful advantage: you can start before many day visitors arrive or take a quieter evening wander once the coaches have gone.

The trade-off is popularity. If your idea of the Dales is complete solitude, Malham on a sunny weekend may not fulfil the brief. For dramatic limestone scenery within walking distance of your bed, though, it is difficult to beat.

How to choose the right Yorkshire Dales base

Start with the walks you most want to do, then choose accommodation. Doing it the other way round is how a bargain cottage turns into an accidental driving holiday.

Choose Grassington for a first visit, classic Wharfedale scenery and a good balance of walks and facilities. Choose Settle if arriving by train or if you want rail-assisted linear walks. Choose Hawes for Wensleydale and the Pennine Way, Reeth for quieter Swaledale, and Malham when limestone landmarks are the priority.

If you only have two days, our Yorkshire Dales weekend itinerary gives you a realistic plan without trying to collect the entire national park before Sunday tea.

Staying in the Yorkshire Dales without a car

Settle is the easiest starting point for many rail travellers because it sits on the Settle–Carlisle line. Grassington can work well by bus from Skipton, while more remote bases require closer timetable planning.

Check the timetable for the actual day of travel, especially on Sundays and outside summer. A route that looks perfectly connected on a map can become rather less convenient when the final bus has already left.

For a broader car-free break, favour one well-connected base and build walks around it rather than changing accommodation every night.

What to look for

• A drying area for wet gear.
• Breakfast times compatible with early starts.
• Walkable evening food.
• Flexible winter cancellation.
• Clear bus access if travelling without a car.

If you are comparing a few different areas, Rambl Stays & Escapes collects our walking bases and countryside weekend guides in one place.

New walkers may find our guides to day-hike packing and route planning useful.

When should walkers visit?

May and June bring long days and meadow flowers, while September often offers quieter paths and good walking temperatures. Summer has the broadest bus services. Winter rewards careful visitors with stark scenery, but daylight is limited and remote roads may be difficult.

During lambing and ground-nesting season, follow local signs and keep dogs under close control.

Booking questions that save trouble

• Is the property genuinely inside the village?
• Where can boots and wet coats be stored?
• Can breakfast be served early or packed?
• Is evening food available every night?
• What is the last usable bus, not merely the last one listed?