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🛒 Top picks for this trip
✅ Essentials Checklist
- Waterproof jacket — Yorkshire weather is notoriously changeable
- Waterproof Trousers ↗ for moorland and dales walking
- Waterproof Walking Boots ↗ (boggy terrain on the moors)
- OS map or digital mapping (1:25000 for the Dales and Moors)
- Rucksack with rain cover
- Water bottles and snacks
- First aid kit
- Head torch
- Warm hat and gloves (moors are exposed and cold)
- Sunscreen (UV on open moorland is higher than expected)
🛒 More kit for this trip
👕 Clothing Checklist
- Waterproof jacket
- Waterproof trousers
- Waterproof walking boots — broken in
- Thermal base layers
- Fleece mid-layer
- Warm hat
- Walking socks × 3 pairs
- Comfortable casual clothes for pub evenings
⭐ Nice to Have
- Trekking poles (useful on steep Dales descents)
- Binoculars (red grouse, golden plover, short-eared owl on the moors)
- Camera with weatherproofing
- Insulated flask
- Gaiters for boggy sections
🚫 What to leave at home
Full serious mountain kit (crampons, ice axe, bothy bag) unless you're specifically doing the Three Peaks Challenge or a winter hill day — the Dales' popular valley walks and market towns need waterproofs and good boots, not expedition gear. City-break-style smart shoes if your whole trip is the Dales or Moors — you'll be on wet grass and limestone paths, not pavements. And a car if you're basing yourself in York itself — the city is entirely walkable and a car becomes a parking headache; you only need one if you're exploring the wider Dales or Moors from a rural base.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best walk in Yorkshire?
The Yorkshire Dales offer some of England's finest walking. Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside make up the Three Peaks challenge. For coastal walking, the Cleveland Way between Saltburn and Filey is exceptional. The Moors offer solitude and moorland atmosphere that's hard to find elsewhere in England.
Is the Yorkshire Dales boggy underfoot?
Yes — particularly on high ground and after rain. Waterproof boots are essential everywhere above valley level. Gaiters are useful on the more remote sections of the Dales Way and Pennine Way. Paths are generally well-maintained on popular routes.
When is the best time to visit Yorkshire?
Late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September) offer the best combination of weather, light and fewer crowds. Summer is busy around the Dales villages. Heather blooms purple on the moors from mid-August to September — one of England's great seasonal spectacles.
How do you get to the Yorkshire Dales without a car?
The Settle–Carlisle railway is one of Britain's great scenic lines and stops at several Dales villages (Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Kirkby Stephen), making it genuinely possible to walk without a car. Buses connect the larger villages but are infrequent — check timetables carefully before planning a bus-dependent day, especially on Sundays and in winter when services thin out considerably.
What is the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge?
A 24-mile circular walk taking in Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, traditionally completed within 12 hours. It's a serious undertaking — around 1,585m of ascent — not a casual day walk. Most people start from Horton-in-Ribblesdale, where there's a dedicated car park (fills early) and a café that stamps a completion card. Proper boots, waterproofs and navigation skills are essential; the moorland sections have claimed lost walkers even in summer.
Are the Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales the same thing?
No — they're two separate national parks with quite different character. The Dales (west) are green limestone valleys, drystone walls and rolling hills. The North York Moors (east) are heather moorland, steep-sided dales and a dramatic coastline around Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay. Both are excellent walking country but pack differently — the Moors need more wind protection on the open tops, the Dales more grip for wet limestone.
Is Whitby worth combining with a Dales trip?
They're roughly 1.5–2 hours apart by car, so a combined trip works well over 4–5 days rather than a weekend. Whitby brings the coast, Dracula history, the abbey ruins and genuinely excellent fish and chips; the Dales bring walking and villages. Many visitors base themselves centrally (around Pickering or Helmsley) to reach both without excessive driving.
What should I pack differently for a Yorkshire city break versus the Dales?
York and Leeds need city-break packing — comfortable shoes for cobbles, layers, and little else specialist. The Dales and Moors need proper hill-walking kit regardless of season: waterproof boots, a head torch (days close in fast on the moors), and a paper map as backup since mobile signal drops out in many valleys. Don't assume 'Yorkshire' means one packing list — the city and the national parks are different trips.
Check the weather and best time to visit before you finalise your Yorkshire packing list — and see country facts and travel info for entry requirements and local tips.
Not sure which suitcase size or clothing sizes you need? Check 247Sizing's luggage and clothing size guides before you pack.