Thruscross Reservoir: Easy dog friendly walk

I chose to walk around Thruscross Reservoir today, because I thought it would be the safe option after the recent snow dump. My only concern was what if the ground was icy? I didn’t anticipate there actually being snow.

I had this image of the path around the reservoir having been cleared. Of course I did. I am from London after all.

Looking across the calm water of Thruscross Reservoir, on the circular walk around it. There is a snow covered hill on the other side, with the reflection in the water.

Looking along the snow covered ground, through the trees to the Thruscross Reservoir, on the walk through the woods. There are green and orange woodland trees on the other side of the water.

A snow covered ground with tufts of long grass poking through, and wire fence with a stile running across.

It actually started out rather fun. The first half of the walk is under woodland, so the snow covered ground was manageable. Walking out across the moor was another story entirely.

In parts knee deep snow, in others, slipping and nearly doing the splits. Steep hills where there should be steps, but now just a very steep snow covered slippy hill that nearly ended in bum slides.

By the time I finished the walk around the Thruscross Reservoir, my feet were soaked through with ice water.

It was quite adventurous actually….but I was glad when it was over.

In this guide, I’m going to give you a bit of an overview of the Thruscross Reservoir walk, with logistics, a map, and some tips. Then I will give a route description with photos.

How long does it take to walk around Thruscross Reservoir?

To walk around Thruscross Reservoir, allow about 2h. You could probably do it quicker. I was engulfed by snow which slowed me down.

Is Thruscross Reservoir dog friendly?

Yes. Thruscross Reservoir is a popular place for dog walkers. All the stiles have doggy doors, and there are dog poo bins about. When I walked it, every single person (except me) had a dog roaming off lead.

What to expect on the circular walk around the Thruscross Reservoir

I would divide this walk into three sections. The first part is under woodland along the edge of the reservoir. Then there is a section where you will be walking high up, away from the Thruscross reservoir, and across the moor. After this, it’s back along the reservoir, but this time right up close, out in the open.

The trail along the woodland section undulates a lot. On the other side, you will have a few hills.

Walking through the woods around the Thruscross Reservoir. The ground is covered in bright white snow, and there is snow all down the tree trunks.

Looking through a gap in the leafless tree branches, to the calm water of the Thruscross Reservoir on the circular walk around it. There is a hill covered in snow and trees on the other side of the water.

Looking through a gap in the trees to a snow covered hill with stone building and shed ruins.

Looking along the snow covered hill side as it leads into the Thruscross Reservoir, on the walk along the edge of it.

Logistics

Start/Finish: Thruscross car park.
Where is it: Nidderdale AONB. Nearish to Harrogate. The nearest big road is the A59. Post code for the car park is HG3 4BB.
Public Transport: No

Distance: 5 miles circular
Time: 2h for me
Terrain: I can’t be entirely sure, as it was covered by the snow. The sign says there are sections of rough, uneven, potentially muddy terrain. I think there might be bog. Sometimes my foot got sucked into some under the snow. There are definitely steps. Grass was poking through in some parts.

Dog friendly: Yes
Amenities: None, other than the car park
Time of year: I walked this in winter, obviously

Parking for the Thruscross Reservoir

There is a free (at the time of writing) car park on the edge of the reservoir. It’s called Thruscross car park. If approaching from the Harrogate direction, you will have to drive over a very narrow, long, one lane car kind of bridge. I can’t imagine how that will work if it’s busy.

A road leading into a car park with a ground covered in snow, and a few parked cars. There is a blue sign and metal height barrier at the entrance to the car park. — The Thruscross car park

Looking along the long light black road of the bridge, with a wall on either side, lined with snow. At the end, the road leads uphill towards woodland trees.

Thruscross Reservoir circular walk map

You can find my more detailed route map for the Thruscross Reservoir walk on AllTrails.

Want to try some other walks in the area? Check out my best of Nidderdale guide here.

Tips and other things to know

If you just want to walk along the woodland side of the reservoir, then I think trainers would be ok. For the moor, I got the feeling it can be muddy and boggy. So if you plan to walk the full circular route, then I would suggest hiking boots.
On the other side of the reservoir, at the time of writing, part of the trail is closed due to fallen trees. It’s ok because for this route, that is the same point you leave the woods anyway to go up onto the moor. If you want to avoid the moor, then once this trail opens again, you could stay along the woodland trail.

I did the walk on the weekend at midday. There weren’t that many people there. Was it because of the snow, or is it just a lesser known place to walk? I’m not sure. I have read that the nearby Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs are the more crowded ones.

Thruscross reservoir is owned by Yorkshire water, and they have a few others nearby which you can also walk around. The Fewston Reservoir and the Swinsty Reservoir, are bit further south in Nidderdale. These ones are a bit busier, and less rugged.

Just across into the Yorkshire Dales, is the Grimwith Reservoir. This one is tied favourite with Scar House further North in Nidderdale.

A guide to the circular walk around the Thruscross Reservoir

I chose to walk around the Thruscross Reservoir clockwise, so I will describe it as such.

From the car park, directly opposite the entrance, is the entry to the woods. I started out very excited on this walk. As I entered the woods, there was a real fairytale winter wonderland vibe. I was certain this would be a great day.

The road with snow around it and a wooden fence and woodland on the other side.

A snow covered path through the tall trees, with two men walking in the distance.

For the next while, the walk is mostly under woods, alongside the reservoir. I can’t say what the terrain is like here, because it was covered in snow. What I can say though, is it undulates a lot. There are a couple of bridges and some steps thrown in for good measure.

A snow covered ground lined with tall trees, and a view through a gap in them to the Thruscross Reservoir near the start of the walk around it. There are two people ahead, partially hidden by the trees.

The ground is covered in snow, with snow covered tree branches hanging over it.

Looking down at steps partially hidden under the snow, in the woods.

A carved out snow walking path within the snow, leading towards the Thruscross Reservoir ahead. There are trees on the left with snow covered branches and green and orange leafed trees on the other side of the reservoir.

Nearing the end of this section, the reservoir was a bit frozen. It was quite beautiful….Probably not ice skating worthy though.

The Thruscross Reservoir frozen over, partway through the walk. There is a stone wall with a hole in it over the water. On the other side of the reservoir is a bank covered in snow.

A long snow ridge trail leading through the woods on the circular walk around the Thruscross reservoir. The right side of the tree trunks are covered in snow.

Walk around the pinnacle

The reservoir has a sort of pinnacle. To walk around it, it looks like there is a stone wall (everything was covered in snow), then a short bit of walking next to a road.

Once over the next bridge, the trail takes you back. I couldn’t see a trail, but I could see some footsteps so I followed them.

The ground covered in thick powdery snow, with footsteps running through it. There is a road just about visible to the left, and lots of leafless trees ahead.

A metal bridge under the woods, surround and covered in snow.

Footsteps through the powder snow through the woods. There is a person in a red jacket visible ahead through the trees.

This would become the theme for today. Follow the footsteps.

After a bit of ankle deep snow walking I found the trail, which takes you a bit higher up from the Thruscross Reservoir. You will be briefly out of the woods, before entering again.

Footsteps leading straight ahead, through the powdery snow, with the reservoir down to the right, in shade of black. There are trees ahead.

The ground covered in snow beneath the tall woodland trees.

Walk out of the woods and across the field

You will want to exit the woods at some point. Right now, the woodland trail is closed at the point where you need to leave, which makes it easy. Sometime navigating through woods can be tricky, as everything looks the same.

A red sign saying 'footpath closed' in front of a mass of fallen trees in the woods. There are steps covered in snow to the left to lead out of the woods.

Once out of the woods, continue up the hill, and you should now be in what I think is a field*

*Don’t quote me on that.

A dirt trail leading up the side of the gill, with a wire fence and woodland trees to the right.

A large field covered in powder snow as far as the eye can see. There are footsteps through the snow, two people ahead in the distance, and the woodland trees to the right with orange and green leaves.

Snow attack

Once I got into this ‘field’, it was an attack on my senses. Up the hill and out of the shelter of the woods, I was sweating, my fingers were cold, and I was blinded. I didn’t think to bring sunglasses with me whilst I spent the winter in Yorkshire.

This section was my first inkling that today would be tough. Although, at first I was filled with joy. Snow walking. Novel.

The thing is, this field is on a slant, and it became increasingly difficult trying to navigate through ankle deep snow on a slant. There were a few slips, and splits.

Further along, where tufts of grass were poking through, I found myself doing a sort of hop scotch across them.

The ground covered in snow, with patches of grass poking through. There is a forest to the right with a wire fence surrounding it.

The dogs ahead of me looked to be having fun. At the stone wall, rather than taking the steps, one of the dogs leapt right over the wall. I didn’t know dogs could jump that high.

There is a fence along here with a locked gate. I didn’t navigate across all of that, to not get passed it. As I was about to climb over, I noticed a stile crossing to the left.

The snow hill

As I approached a lovely looking viewpoint bench, a fell runner came bounding past, and disappeared quite suddenly.

Once I reached the bench and looked down at where he had gone, my first thought was, no.

A viewpoint bench and wooden trail signpost looking down into the valley, partway through the Thruscross Reservoir walk. The ground is covered in snow.

Looking down a snow covered hill to a stream at the bottom. There are woodland trees to the right, with a wire fence surrounding them.

No way am I getting down that. I paced a little back and forth trying to figure out another way. There might have been one. But the snow was hiding everything. So I slowly tried to inch my way down.

One step would take me into knee deep snow, another would cause a mini avalanche slip.

The guys with the dogs came up behind, and settled themselves on the bench, asking me if the steps were looking treacherous.

Steps?

I looked harder, and someway further down, I could see a few steps poking through. I just had to make it to those steps….they turned out to be not much use though.

When I reached the bottom, I let out a sigh of relief. The hard part was over, and I was treated with a beautiful view along the stream, surrounded by pretty snowyness. Then I looked up…

Looking along a stream with black water, surrounded by snow with tufts of grass poking through.

Looking up the hill covered in snow, with some big rocks at the top, and large green leafed trees to the right.

The snow hill part 2

Now it was time to go up. The steps were more visible going up the hill. That’s something at least. Plus, there were cool looking rocks up the top.

Steps leading up the hill, partially hidden by the white snow, partway through the Thruscross Reservoir circular walk. There are two people walking down the steps.

Large rocks on the side of a white snow covered hill.

Once I reach the top, I was treated with a wonderful view across the snow covered landscape.

Looking across the landscape covered in snow as far as the eye can see.

I also had no idea where to go. There was no visible trail up here. All I had was the footsteps of others. So I followed the footsteps.

A large field covered in snow, with footprints and bits of grass poking through.

The moor

Along the moor, I felt a little like I was walking in the wilderness. All I had was the footsteps in the snow to follow, and the occasional trail signpost which reassured me I was going the correct way.

A wooden trail signpost in a field of snow, on the walk around the Thruscross reservoir. There are tufts of orange grass poking through.

At the first stream crossing, there was a wooden plank to get me across. The next ones were not so forgiving.

A small stream of water within the snow covered field.

I can’t say whether these were steams, or just sections of bog. For one of them, I put my foot down and got sucked down through the snow and into a mass of water. My left foot was now done. My right foot, at this point was still only just a bit damp. So I tried to hold onto that.

At the next wet section, I had a look around to find a way to cross, and found a patch that others had found. They had created foot placement snow holes. Knee deep snow holes.

I suspect that walking across the moor, would usually be quite easy in terms of fatigue. Today, it was anything but.

Looking across the landscape of snow as far as the eye can see. There is a wire fence and gate ahead in the distance.

Once I could see the Thruscross Reservoir again, and the footsteps starting taking me towards it, I felt such relief, that I might get something easy to walk on….

Walk back along the Thruscross Reservoir

To get back to the reservoir, there is one more very short but steep section. There are definitely tree roots here.

Once I arrived on the Thruscross Reservoir edge, I was pleased to see exposed ground to walk on. This didn’t last long, before I was presented with a different type of terrain.

Now it was time for slush and mud.

The trail along here becomes very narrow. My only option was slush mud trail, or ankle deep snow on a slant. I went with the slush.

A thin sloshy muddy snow trail along the edge of a slope leading down to the Thruscross Reservoir, on the walk back around. There is a wire fence on the left of the trail.

Looking across the reservoir to the green forest woodland on the other side. There is a gap in the woods revealing a hill covered in white snow.

A thin muddy trail through the snow, with the Thruscross reservoir to the right, near the end of the circular walk.

It was very slippy and spashly, and deceptively deep in parts. By now my right foot was done. I was so wet, that there was no point trying to be careful, so I just stomped my way through all of it.

On a positive note, this section of the walk along the Thruscross Reservoir was very beautiful. Lovely views. As much as I was hating the snow right now, it did look pretty.

The road and the bridge

At some point, the trail will take you away from the Thruscross Reservoir, where you will walk first alongside, and then onto the road.

A slushy path through the snow, surround by trees with orange and green leaves.

A black tarmac road leading straight ahead, lined with powdery white snow. The woodland is on the left side of the road. There is a wooden fence on the right side. — Here I am looking left along the road. You want to actually turn right.

At the road, turn right.

I had never been so happy to be walking on a road.

The road will take you downhill, and to the bridge, to walk across the Thruscross Reservoir. I was now thinking about the dry cosy boots in my car. Actually, that’s a lie. I had been thinking about them for a while. But now they were close. I picked up my pace.

Looking across the calm water of the Thruscross Reservoir, at the end of the circular walk. The3 water is a light black. There are snow covered hills and woodland trees on the other side in the distance.

On the other side of the bridge, there are steps to the left, which will take you back up to the car park. I looked at them, partially hidden by snow.

No thanks. I stuck to the road.

Pin it for later: Thruscross Reservoir circular walk guide

Thruscross Reservoir circular walk guide, Nidderdale.

You can find out more about the local area and other things to do on the Visit Harrogate website.