Hills & Mountains
Our guide to the Hills & Mountains of the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Lake District and beyond!
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The ‘boggiest hill in Yorkshire’, this summit overlooking one of the most picturesque parts of the Dales is notoriously inaccessible and difficult to traverse.
Towering, imposing, and intimidating. Famous for being the most difficult walk up its parent peak, Yr Wydda (Snowdon), Crib Goch provides scrambling, technical adventure and exposure to make a challenging, yet exhilarating day out.
Instantly recognisable from Skipton and the A65, the diminutive Sharp Haw provides splendid views of the southern Yorkshire Dales and upper Aire valley, while several surrounding gritstone outcrops provide fun and adventure, perfect for little legs.
The lesser-known child peak of Pen-y-Ghent, visiting the often-bypassed Plover Hill can make for a quieter and more rewarding walk than the more standard routes.
One of Alfred Wainwright’s ‘best half dozen fells’, the panoramic views from the top across the entire Lake District help this mountain live up to its reputation.
Towering above Patterdale, yet dwarfed by the peaks around it, the curiously-named St Sunday Crag provides an arduous, though never-overly challenging mountain walk with jaw-dropping views on a clear day.
Recognisable from miles around due to the imposing monument that towers above it, Stoodley Pike provides commanding views over the Calder Valley.
A magnificent viewpoint over Ladybower reservoir, Great Tor is an impressive rock buttress commanding over Bamford Edge.
One of only four trig points in the magnificently sculpted Howgill Fells, the remote and peaceful Green Bell is another fantastic vantage point to view the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District Fells and the Northern Pennines in a single spot.
Sitting proudly above the village from which it derives its name, Baildon Hill is a very reachable, yet still spectacular viewpoint.
Watching over one of the most spectacular natural features of the North York Moors, this beautiful, yet unusual area is a fantastic day out, with plenty of hidden history
Sitting at the meeting point of three counties, highest point on a largely desolate moor, Little Wolf Stones, is a peaceful place with great views towards the Aire Gap and Pendle Hill in the distance.
A short distance from the popular Malham waterfall trail, New Close Knotts are well worth a visit to get outstanding views and a new perspective of the area above Malhamdale and Gordale Scar.
One of my very favourite places in the Yorkshire Dales, Buckden Pike overlooks the picturesque and verdant head of Upper Wharfedale. Within its beauty and against a backdrop of rich history, there is also a tale of tragedy atop the hill, caused by the incredibly fickle weather you may encounter.
Well-known due to its accessibility from nearby Leeds and Bradford, legend in song, and a plethora of ancient sites, Rombalds Moor offers the first real taste of remoteness when approaching the Yorkshire Dales from Leeds to the east, despite this being historically one of the most intensely-utilised areas of moorland in the region.
The third highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales, Great Shunner Fell remains one of the lesser known fells, despite its prominence over the town of Hawes.
Easily accessible, yet with so much to explore, the high moors to the north of Skipton, comprising Cracoe Fell, Thorpe Fell, Rylstone Fell and Barden Fell offer easily a full day of exciting exploration.
Sandwiched between the gorgeous Dales honeypots of Malham and Pen-y-Ghent, Fountains Fell is a peaceful peak, with rich history to complement its stunning panoramic views.
Set deep in ‘limestone country’, this distinctive, yet little-explored, dome-shaped peak hides a secret history that is yet to be unearthed.
A distinctively-shaped peak that resembles a mini Pen-y-Ghent from some angles, Little Whernside is a remote hill that straddles the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale.
A firm favourite of many, this instantly recognisable peak in the Yorkshire Dales provides not only a challenging hill walking experience but also plenty of natural sites and ancient history.
A remote summit at the head of Dentdale, Great Knoutberry Hill offers splendid views of the nearby Yorkshire Three Peaks, and on a clear day, a panoramic view which is basically a ‘who’s who’ of the peaks of northern England
One of the most popular destinations in the Peak District, Mam Tor provides history, legend plus a fantastic ridge walking experience, with expansive views into both the Edale and Hope valleys.
A relatively low summit within easy reach of the populat tourist destination of Bolton Abbey, Simon’s Seat’s commanding position above Wharfedale below, and 360 degree panormaic views gives the impression of somerthing far higher.
Most famous as one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, this mini-mountain contains plenty of fun in its own right, either as a challenging, yet short adventure with the kids, or for longer expeditions involving the remote, yet enchanting Pen-y-Ghent Gill to the east, or the seldom-visited Plover Hill to the north.
This often-neglected buttress lies less than 1km from the summit of England’s highest mountain, but tough terrain, its lack of classification as a Wainwright, means anyone who takes the time to visit the summit will often have it to themselves.
Literally meaning ‘Hill Hill Hill’, this isolated summit’s recognisable shape and seemingly ever-presence on the horizon throughout the Yorkshire Dales, West Pennine Moors, Lancashire, the Peak District means it certainly lives up to its name.
The highest summit in the Peak District (if you can find the summit, that is), Kinder Scout packs a mighty punch in terms of scenery and points of interest, and provides the terrain for a range of epic outdoor activities.
An imposing and pathless peak situated in the eastern Howgill Fells, the challenge of the reaching the summit of Yarlside is far surpassed by the sense of achievement at reaching the top.
This oddly-shaped hill is overshadowed by its taller pointy neighbour, but a hidden history and glorious views into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales can be found on its flat summit.