Aysgarth Falls Walk: Via The Stepping Stones

The Yorkshire Dales is known for waterfalls, and the Aysgarth Falls are some of the most well known ones, so naturally I had to do a walk that involved them.

Looking towards the waterfalls of Aysgarth Falls in full force, surround by leafless trees, at the end of the walk.

At the visitors centre, there are free maps that show you how to get to the Aysgarth falls, and it even marks out an additional circular route for you to do, I think through the woods. I of course did not do this, but instead chose to take a route along the river and back on the other side.

And I’m so glad I did.

What I’m going to do in this guide, is give you a bit of an overview of what to expect when visiting the Aysgarth falls. Then I will provide full logistics and a map for the circular route, along with some useful tips. I will then give a step by step description of how to walk to the Aysgarth falls, followed but the full circular route, along with lots of photos.

Why do the circular walk along the river?

I didn’t know what I had in store, as I couldn’t find any information about this particular route online. All I could find was suggestions to walk through the woods or to Castle Bolton.

What I got on this walk was the stepping stones. Giant stepping stones. I didn’t know they were coming until I was nearly there and a sign told me they were coming.

Large stepping stones across the River Ure, halfway through the Aysgarth Falls circular walk.

I also got peace. You see, the Aysgarth falls are very popular, and if you walk straight to them from the car park, you will not be alone.

Once I got out of the madness, I felt like I was back in nature. Then coming back along the river on the other side, I got to see the Aysgarth falls again, but now everyone was on the other side of the river. I had this side to myself.

The lower waterfalls of the Aysgarth Falls, with people walking on the other side.

What is Aysgarth falls?

Aysgarth falls are a series of three waterfalls, upper, middle, and lower, along the River Ure. Apparently they have been a tourist attraction for over 200 years.

Fun fact: They have featured in the recent Robin Hood movie.

How long is the walk at Aysgarth falls?

From the main car park, you can walk to Aysgarth falls in a couple of minutes. To walk to all three sections of the falls will take maybe 20min or so. For this full circular route, allow about 2h.

Do you have to pay for Aysgarth falls?

All you have to pay for is the car park. To see the Aysgarth falls themselves, is free. There is an honesty box, suggesting you pay £1 per adult, and 50p per child to see the upper falls….but who is really that ‘honest’? I’m not. I didn’t see any other ‘honest’ people either.

Is Aysgarth falls an easy walk?

To walk to all the Aysgarth Falls is very very easy. There are easy dirt paths alongside the falls, then some field walking, and easy stepping stones, and some tree roots if you go further afield. Just be aware, that if you want to get closer up to the middle and lower falls, there are some steps.

A family walking ahead on a wide dirt path, with a wire fence on the left, and leafless woodland trees.

I would say this is a very family friendly walk.

Logistics

Start/Finish: Aysgarth falls National Park Visitors Centre. Post code: DL8 3TH.
Public transport: Yes. 856 and 875 buses pass through Aysgarth, from Northallerton to Hawes, and from York via Leeds to Hawes.

Distance: 230 meters to get to the middle falls from the car park. 830 meters to get to the lower falls. The upper falls are less than half a mile in the other direction from the car park. To do this full circular route is 4.4 miles.
Time: 1h40min for this circular route. Allow longer for stops. It was cold, so I kept walking.
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Dirt trail, a few steps, grass, stepping stones.
Amenities: Just over the bridge, there is the highly rated Mill Race Teashop (dog friendly). Public toilets and a cafe at the National Park Visitor Centre. Picnic tables near the upper falls.

Dog friendly: Yes, dogs are welcome. Just be aware that if you do the cull circular route, then later on, there is some livestock about, one stile, and those stepping stones. Dogs must be kept on leads.
Time of year: I did the Aysgarth Falls walk in winter

Parking for Aysgarth falls

You can park at the Aysgarth falls National Park Visitors Centre, which gives you direct access to the falls. At the time of writing, it costs £3.50 for 2 hours. It said it costs £3, but that’s a lie. For more hours, it said it costs £5, but I will now assume it costs more than that.

Alternatively, just up the hill, on the other side of the river, there is a cafe and large pay and display car park.

At the very top of the road (on the south side of the river), it looked like there is free street side parking. I would usually go for this option, except I needed the toilet urgently, so went straight for the visitors centre parking. If you choose this option, just note, it’s a steep way down to the falls. Going down isn’t so much the issue, it would be having to go back up again.

Aysgarth falls circular walk via the stepping stones map

You can find my more detailed route map for the Aysgarth falls circular walk on AllTrails.

Tips for visiting the Aysgarth falls

Don’t just stick to the area near the car park. Even if you don’t want to do this circular route, then at least go have a wander across some of the fields, with a view to Castle Bolton in the distance. It’s quite peaceful and beautiful.
Take cash for the car park. The machine says it takes contactless payment, but I tried 4 different cards, and all of them were declined.
If you plan to just walk around the Aysgarth falls, trainers will be fine. For the full circular route, you could probably get away with trainers, but I would still recommend some form of hiking boot, as there are some muddy patches…unless it’s summer and hasn’t rained for a while.

Stop at the Mill Race teashop for some cake and coffee at the end. It has some great reviews. I didn’t stop, as I had elsewhere to be.

The stone budding of the Mill Race teashop, at the end of the Aysgarth Falls circular walk. It has red and blue bunting hanging in front.

-If you like walks to waterfalls, I will list a whole bunch at the end. The Yorkshire Dales is full of them-

Or if you would like to try out some other types of walks, then I have a lot more to choose from on my Best Yorkshire Dales hikes guide here.

A guide to the Aysgarth falls circular walk via the stepping stones

Starting from the visitors centre car park, there are signs about directing you straight to the falls. If you would like, you can also pick up a free map just outside the visitors centre.

A wooden signpost pointing the way to the middle and lower Aysgarth Falls, at the start of the walk from the car park.

For this walk, you want to head towards the middle and lower falls first. To do so, go back out of the car park, and follow the path down the road, then cross over it, and through the gate.

At the wooden trail signpost, follow the direction for the lower and middle falls.

A wooden trail signpost in the woodland, pointing right to walk to the lower and middle Aysgarth Falls.

Walk to the middle falls

A short way along, through the woods, there will be steps on your right to take you down to the middle falls. If you don’t want to do the steps, you can still see them from up here.

Stone steps leading down through a gap in the trees to the waterfall of the middle Aysgarth Falls ahead.

The River Ure, leading to a large waterfall, with a large green field lined with leafless trees on the other side.

Walk to the lower falls

Go back up the steps (if you went down) and continue walking through the woods.

Two people walking ahead on a dirt path in the woods with leafless trees.

When you reach the sign for the lower falls viewing platform, instead of following it straight, turn right, through more woodland and down some steps, to reach the rock surface and the lower falls.

A wooden trail signpost with a blue arrow, pointing ahead to walk to the lower Aysgarth Falls viewing platform. There is a group of people walking ahead on the path.

Steps leading down through the woods towards the river Ure. there are a couple of people walking along the bottom. One of them is wearing a red wool hat.

The waterfalls of the lower falls, with a steep bank and leafless trees on the other side.

If you walk along the rock surface (to the left), it will lead you to a trail back up, but also to the viewpoint. You do get a better angle from the viewpoint.

Looking down towards the multi drop waterfall of the lower Aysgarth Falls, with a steep bank and leafless trees on the other side.

This is the end of the Aysgarth falls, so if you just want to stick to this area, then to reach the upper falls, walk back in the other direction, then at the road, continue straight and you will find them.

To continue on with the circular walk route, follow me….

Leave the Aysgarth falls to walk through the fields

Continuing past the viewpoint, and up a few steps, when you reach the junction, continue straight.

Steps leading up through the woods, on the walk away from the Aysgarth falls. — The junction is at the top of these steps

A dirt trail through the woodland with leafless trees, on the walk away from the Aysgarth falls.

There is a little bit more woodland walking next to the river, to reach a wooden gate. Through the gate, turn left up the grass (and potentially muddy) path, then up the top, turn right.

A wooden gate with a wooden trail signpost and field on the other side.

A wide dirt grass trail leading uphill, with a wooden fence on the left. — The left turn

A wide dirt grass trail, with leafless woodland trees ahead, and a family of people walking along the trail. — The right turn

Follow the wide path some more, and you will reach a large open field.

A large green grass field with a few leafless trees on the other side.

Looking down and across the green grass underling landscape, with hills ahead in the distance.

You need to now walk straight across this field, with some lovely views to your right, to reach the gate on the other end.

There is actually a series of gates now, which will lead you to a road and past a house, and through another gate on the other side.

A wooden gate and fence across the trail, with leafless bushes and trees on the other side.

A small road, with a stone wall on the left, and a few trees ahead.

A wooden fence and gate leading into a large grass field.

Follow the arrows directing you to another wooden gate and into a big field. Keep following the arrows, down this field to reach the stone wall and gate.

A large grass field, with a wire fence on the right, and hills way ahead in the distance.

A stone wall across the field, with a wooden gate and a wooden trail sign post in front of it. There is a large green grass field on the other side, with hills way in the distance.

Castle Bolton

Through this gate in the stone wall, you will be in an even bigger field, with a wonderful view in the distance to Castle Bolton.

This looked like a field that would house lots of animals. Today it was sheep. As long as it’s not cows, I’m happy.

For the next while, you need to follow the signs directing you to Castle Bolton. First straight across this field, then at the next stone wall with a wooden signpost, turn right, keeping the wall to your left.

A wooden trail signpost pointing left to walk to Aysgarth Falls and right to walk to Castle Bolton.

A wooden trail sign post in front of a stone wall. There is a small wooden gate in the wall.

A large grass field with a stone wall running ahead, along the left side.

After a bit more grassy trail walking, and through a metal gate, you will now be on more of a dirt trail.

A dirt trail surround by grass, with a mass of leafless trees on the left and a stone wall on the right.

A wooden trail signpost in front of a stone wall with a sign saying 'conservation area, please keep dogs on a lead'.

Keep going, then when you reach the junction in the photo below, take the left.

A dirt trial leading ahead two the right, and a small dirt trail leading off it to the left. There are short leafless trees in the junction.

After a bit more grass and mud trail, some woods, and a metal gate, you will reach another junction, where you turn right.

A grass trail leading straight ahead, with a wire fence on the left, and stone wall on the right.

A dirt trial leading into a tree tunnel. There is a broken stone wall on the right.

A dirt trail surrounded by trees. — This is the junction where you need to turn right

Walk to the stepping stones

Up until this point, I didn’t know what the river crossing would be. I had assumed a bridge. It had also crossed my mind that there was no crossing, seeing as I had found nothing online about this route. Was there a reason for that? Was it non existent?

Well, at this junction, there is a trail signpost which said I was heading to stepping stones. I initially felt excitement, then I suddenly realised, this might be the reason. Were the stepping stones not passable? Maybe they had gone. Maybe the river is too high.

A wooden signpost pointing the way to the steeping stones.

There was only one way to find out. So I kept on going.

The next section of trail is more dirt, with some rocks, and the occasional tree root. I quite enjoyed it. Surrounded by trees, the occasional views, and larger rocks later on.

A rocky dirt trail leading through a tree tunnel.

A dirt trail with tree roots, lined with some big trees and rocks.

The stepping stones

On my way to them, I thought about what I would do if they weren’t passable. I hate walking back on myself. So one way or another, I was crossing that river. Even if my feet got wet.

Once the stepping stones appeared I let a out a laugh. Not only were these passable, they were giant. Probably the biggest stepping stones I have come across.

Looking down through the trees, towards the large stepping stones across the river, halfway through the Aysgarth Falls circular walk.

The next day I walked to Bolton Abbey, which also features stepping stones. Those are the kinds of stones I was expecting. Small, and impassable.

Would I have really walked through the river if they weren’t passable? We will never know….

I might add, to get to the stepping stones, don’t go through the gate, instead, turn right just before them, and navigate across the big tree roots.

Some large trees on the left with tree roots sticking up through the grass hill on the right, with the river Ure ahead.

Looking along the river ure when standing on the stepping stones, at the halfway point in the Aysgarth Falls circular walk. There are a few small rocks in the river, a steep bank on there right, and a few leafless trees dotted about.

Walk back along the river towards the Aysgarth falls

Once over the stepping stones, go right, through the big red gate with a cows with calfs sign. Usually I would panic at a sign like this, but it was the wrong time of year for them. It must be left over from last year.

A sing on a wooden fence saying 'caution, cows with calfs' in red.

For the next while, it’s now as simple as just following the river….

I still kept my eyes out just incase I was wrong and there were cows with calfs.

You will now walk through a series of field, some gates, and a hole in a stone walls.

The river ure on the right, with a large field on the left on the walk back towards the Aysgarth falls. There are a few leafless trees lining the river.

A small gap in a stone wall, and a red metal fence to the right.

Somewhere along here I found the cows with calfs, except the calfs were a bit more grown up. There was however a bull thrown into the mix. I was ok though, as we were separated by a string of what I assumed is electric…or so I hoped.

Looking across a field with black cows, and a stone building ahead up a small hill, on the walk back to the Aysgarth Falls.

The impossible gate

The trail will lead you into some woods, then on the other end and, an impossible gate. It just won’t go, so I had to climb over it.

A dirt red left covered trail through the woods with leafless trees.

A metal gate across the rocky dirt trail. — The impossible gate

Through (or over) the impossible gate, walk up and through a gate on the right, and continue through the field, keeping the river to your right.

A large green grass field, with leafless trees lining the right side of it.

Keep going, past a stone shed that looks like a mini house, to reach the road. As I walked past the shed house, I wondered if I could claim it. It comes with land and a river view. High enough up from the river, that flooding won’t be an issue. I could do it up quite nicely.

The road and more field

At the road, turn right to go over the bridge. There is no walkway here, but it’s a short bit on the road, and not a busy one either.

A stone wall with a small wooden gate, and a tree with red leaves on the right. — The road is just past this wall

Just around the corner, look out for a gate and trail sign on the right. Go through it and walk straight across the field diagonally, then follow the trail sign on the other end.

A small wooden gate in the wooden fence, and a large grass field on the other side.

A large green grass field, with trees lining the other side of it.

a wooden trail signpost in a field, with leafless trees on the other side.

Walk to the lower Aysgarth falls

Through the mini wooden gate, you will be back onto the riverside trail. It will first lead you to a bit of the river which you don’t see from the other side, with some mini falls.

The dirt trail leading to a small wooden gate in the stone wall. There is a large tree branch hanging over the wall.

A small dirt trail on the left with the river ure visible through the leafless tree branches on the right, on the walk back to the Aysgarth Falls.

A small leading wooden gate in a stone wall, with a mass of leafless tree branches on the right.

Looking across the river Ure, with small waterfalls, on the circular walk back to the Aysgarth Falls.

Then further along the trail, when you reach a junction in the woods, take the right dirt trail down, and you will reach the lower falls.

A dirt trail split in the woods, with the left trail leading straight, and the right trail leading down hill towards the river. — Go right here

It made me happy seeing everyone on the other side.

Walk past the middle falls to reach the church

Back up the hill, onto the trail, it will start to take you gradually uphill (and one slightly steeper, but short bit further along). You won’t get a good view of the middle falls from here, but you will catch a glimpse of them through the trees below.

A dirt trail with a few tree roots, and a wire fence to the left, and trees and steep downhill bank to the right.

Looking up a grass hill, with large stones lining the right side, and a few leafless trees ahead.

What you do get is some wonderful views to all the fields and hills in the distance.

Looking across a large uphulating grass field, with trees and hills ahead in the distance.

The trail is quite self explanatory and obvious. Keep following it to reach the woods.

A large grass field, with a mass of woodland trees ahead to the right, with orange and green leaves.

Lots of large rocks leading up to a wooden fence in front of the woodland.

A dirt trail leading through the woods with tall trees.

After a short walk through the woods, you will reach a mini wooden gate, with the church on the other side. Now walk over to it.

A dirt trial leading through the tall thin tree trunks towards a small wooden gate in a wooden fence.

Looking across a large gras field toward a church and graveyard ahead. There are leafless tree branches across the frame.

Walk to the upper falls

In the church ground, if you turn to the right, you should reach a path that takes you right again, to reach the Mill Race Teashop.

I didn’t take this route, as I though there would be another trail, which turned out not to materialise.

I instead, went straight across the the church grounds to reach the road, then turned right to walk down it to reach the Mill Race Teashop. It’s from here that you will get your first view of the impressive upper Aysgarth falls.

To get closer, continue over the bridge, then take a left through the gate. Then follow the dirt path, past the honesty box, through the gate, and you will reach the upper falls and picnic area

A white sign saying 'honesty box, £1 adults, 50p children'

A rocky path with a view to the upper waterfalls though the trees ahead. There are a couple of people walking across the rocks.

Looking towers the waterfalls of the upper Aysgarth falls, at the end of the walk, with a steep back covered in bushes on the other side.

Return to the car park

Go back to the road, and you will see a path taking you up the left side of it, and this will lead you straight back to the car park.

Looking across the road to the bridge and stone buildings on the other side.

More waterfall walks

20 min down the road from Aysgarth, you have the Hardraw Force waterfall. I have mixed feelings about this one. You can read about it on that guide.

A favourite of mine is The Valley of Desolation, as part of the Simon’s Seat circular. It’s a tough walk, but the waterfall on that one is gorgeous.

Linton Falls are pretty cool, and a similar style of falls to these ones (but much smaller). You can see them on the route from Burnsall to Grassington.

The Malham Cove circular walk features two cool waterfalls. First Janet’s Foss, and then at Gordale Scar. It’s quite a popular and busy route, especially as it’s not too challenging, and you see some really cool stuff.

Slightly further north, you could try this walk from Muker, which takes you first high above the valley, then down by the river, passing by a few waterfalls. It’s a really gorgeous walk. You also have the option of making it easier, by skipping the hilltop, and following the trail out and back along the river.

Local to Muker, you will find my favourite walk. Gunnerside Gill. This one takes you through the most gorgeous valley with undulating hills, and a river flowing through the bottom. It takes you past lots of mining ruins, and a number of waterfalls with dipping pools.

Not a waterfall walk, but an easy river walk with a deadly story, is this one to Bolton Abbey. It’s such a pretty walk, family friendly walk, and I highly recommend it.

Pin it for later: Aysgarth falls walk via the stepping stones

Aysgarth falls waterfall walk in the Yorkshire Dales.