An Enchanting Walk through Hackfall Woods

This walk takes you through Hackfall Woods, which is a beautiful ancient woodland filled with wildlife, follies, grottos, lakes, waterfalls, bluebells, a water fountain, surprise views, and river.

A large tree learning over a dirt trail on the hills side, on the walk through Hackfall Woods.

Looking over a mass of green leafy tree top, to a folly poking over the top in the distance, on the Hackfall Woods circular walk.

A winding dirt trail on the hill side surround by a man of green leafy trees with green leaves on the ground, on the walk through Hackfall Woods.

Fun Facts: Hackfall Woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, has been painted by Turner, and 19th century writers have named it the most beautiful woods in the country.

The woods themselves have been landscaped to create what you have today. So it’s more of a rugged woodland garden type of woods.

The dirt trail leading to a partially hidden folly, covered in folly on the walk through Hackfall Woods.

A guy named John Aislabie bought these woods for £906 (I know) in 1731. He is the guy that did the landscaping at Fountains Abbey. It was his son William, however, who took on the landscaping role at Hackfall.

What to expect on the Hackfall Woods Walk

I was truly amazed by this walk through Hackfall Woods. So much green lushness, the almost constant sound of the river flowing, and every so often, a surprise view to a folly poking out through the trees in the distance.

Looking through a gap in the mass of trees of Hackfall Woods, partway through the walk. There is a waterfall visible through the gap in the distance.

Looking through a mass of green leafy trees, with the castle ruins visible poking out of the top ahead in the distance.

There are numerous trail options, so you could spend plenty of time exploring the different routes, and uncovering little secrets. I had a little look on Alltrails before going, to see if there was any particle route recommended, to see the best spots. This is what I roughly followed, although I did switch it up a little so see some things not planned in the route. This is what I will be showing you today.

I have to tell you, it was a lot hillier and more rugged than I was expecting.…

Is the walk easy?

I don’t want you to go there thinking this will be a gentle stroll through the woods (which is what I thought it would be). So I would actually rate the walk around Hackfall Woods as moderate. It surprises me to be saying this, especially as it’s such a short walk.

It’s very very hilly. Full of undulations, lots of mud, and narrow trails with steep drops. It’s definitely not pram suitable.

Rugged stone steps leading uphill through Hackfall Woods, on the challenging part of the walk.

A muddy dirt trail on the left, with a steep drop to the right, on the circular walk through Hackfall Woods. The trail is surrounded by lots of green.

A dirt trail without the woods, with tree branches overhanging the trail.

How long is the walk around Hackfall Woods?

The route I followed through Hackfall Woods, was just under 4 miles and it took me about 1h 40 min to complete to walk. I might allow more time though, as although I did stop a lot for photos, I didn’t properly stop. There are a number of places you might want to sit to really savour your surroundings.

Is Hackfall Woods free to visit?

Hackfall woods are complete free to visit. You don’t even have to pay for parking.

Parking for Hackfall Woods

There is a car park right at the start of the trail for Hackfall Woods. It’s free to park, but there are limited spaces. The view from the car park is wonderfull. There is even an information board, telling you what you can see in the distance.

The car park, with two red cars parked on the left and a stone wall with a gap ahead.

I was pleasantly surprised that you can see Roseberry Topping, way over in the North York Moors. This is actually where I had my lunch, at the end of the walk. Sitting on the stone bench with the wonderful view in front of me.

Read more: Roseberry Topping Walk

Tips for walking through Hackfall Woods

Feel free to explore your own route. With my guide I will show you where some cool things are, so you know where to look, but as I didn’t explore every trail, who’s to say I didn’t miss something.

Take a picnic. There are some lovely sitting spots, facing surprise views.
Hiking boots I highly recommend, due to the terrain.
When you see a bench, have a look at what it’s facing. It’s usually something good.

When you reach fountain pond, if the fountain isn’t going, just wait around. It will come. I have since learnt that you can also manually activate it, and apparently there are instructions there on how to do it.
The terrace at the ‘The Ruin’ is only open on (most) Mondays and Fridays between 1am and 3pm. You will walk past it near the end. It’s quite a cute little spot, and is actually a holiday cottage.

A red door in the stone archway wall, with a dark brown wooden table and chairs next to it.

Logistics

Start/Finish: Hackfall car park

Where is it: Hackfall Woods is located in the Nidderdale AONB, in Yorkshire. Post code for the area is HG4 3DE.
Public Transport: The nearest bus stop is in Grewelthorpe. It’s the 138 bus from Ripon. From there, you can take an alternate trail to reach Hackfall Woods, but will start the walk from a different point in my route description.
Distance: 3.9 miles for the route I took

Time: 1h40min
Elevation: A big downhill to start. Lots of undulations. Then a big uphill later on.
Terrain: Dirt trail, tree roots, mud, steps, gravel.

Amenities: Other than the car park, nothing.
Time of year: I walked through Hackfall Woods in spring

Map for the circular walk through Hackfall Woods

You can see my more detailed route map for the Hackfall Woods walk on AllTrails here.

At the end I will provide suggestions for other walks similar to, or near Hackfall Woods

route Description for the walk through Hackfall Woods

At the car park, walk to the other side, where you will have that wonderful view I mentioned earlier.

Looking across the grass fields as far as the eye can see.

From there, go through the (heavy) gate, then turn left at the end. From here, you keep going straight. Through another gate, and walk all the way down the grassy hill, to reach the start of Hackfall Woods at the bottom.

Steps leading down to the right, with a wooden signpost on the left, pointing the way to walk to Hackfall Woods. The steps are lined with grass strips, and the is metal railings on the left.

A path leading straight ahead, lined with strips of green grass and short bushes. There is a wooden fence on the right, with a grass field on the other side of it.

A wide dirt path leading through the bushy trees, with a wooden gate leading to the open, with the sun shining down ahead.

Looking down across a large grass field with sheep grazing. The field is surround by woodland.

A dirt trail through the woods and bushes.

Start the walk through Hackfall woods

Through the wooden gate, keep going straight along the dirt trail. When you see the signs for the viewpoint, follow them.

A dirt trail in the woods, with a wooden sign on the left with a red arrow pointing ahead to the viewpoint.

After following the viewpoint arrows, I could see a bench up ahead. When I got closer, I realised it was facing me, so I turned around and gasped at the view. If you look closely, you can see the church spire in the distance. That’s Masham Church.

A wooden bench on the wide dirt path, surround by straggly woodland trees.

Looking though a gap in the tall trees, to a view of the river surround by woodland, at the start of the walk through Hackfall Woods. A church spire is visible way in the distance.

Continue past the bench, where the trail will soon wind you down the hill. It was here that I started to hear the sound of the river below. That mixed with the green lushness put me in a really good mood.

A dirt trail leading downhill surround by a mass of trees and green fern.

Having done so much walking over the past winter, I was getting a little tired of the lack of life. I had been waiting for spring to really show itself. For the flowers and green leafy trees. I had a feeling this was going to be a lovely day.

Walk along the river

At the bottom, follow the red arrow to walk with the river to your left. There is a little sandy ‘beach’ area here. I didn’t go onto it, but feel free to go have a look.

An open area in the woods, with a wooden trail signpost with a red arrow pointing ahead.

The trail here is quite tame compared to what will come later. Wide and a little gravelly.

A gravel dirt path leading through, surround by green grass, bushes and trees.

Looking through a gap in the green leafy bushes and trees, to the river, on the circular walk through Hackfall Woods.

A gravel dirt trail leading up and to the left, surround by so much green with white flower buds.

When you reach the junction, take the right trail.

A split in the gravel dirt trail, surround by green leafed woodland trees. There is a wooden signpost in the junction of the trail split.

I couldn’t stop taking photos. This is the most green I have seen in a long time. I knew this was going to be a short walk through Hackfall Woods, but I had a feeling it would take me quite some time to complete.

A gravel path winding ahead through the woodland trees, and lined with a carpet of green leafy flowers, partway through the Hackfall Woods walk.

The view and the waterfall

When you reach the next junction, look to the left for a view to a folly nestled within the trees in the distance. You will walk over there soon, but first, turn right, following the sign for Limehouse Hill.

Looking across the green leafy tree tops and bushes, to a folly nestled within the green ahead.

A wooden trail signpost with a white arrow pointing right to Limehouse Hill.

Further along the trail, I could see a structure ahead. This is the Grotto. I noticed an older couple sitting in it, looking ahead at something. I turned to see what they were facing, and was surprised to see a waterfall. A really cool one.

Grotto ruins ahead on the dirt trail, surround by masses of green bushes and leafy trees.

A dirt trail surround by green plants and bushes, with a waterfall just visible straight ahead.

The fountain and pond

Continuing on the trail, you will then reach the pond with the fountain. If you look higher up, you will see the tree framed castle ruins on the hill above. You will go to that later.

Looking across a pond on the walk through Hackfall Woods. There is a wall of green leafy bushes and trees on the other side of the pond, with the castle ruins poking out the top in the distance.

Fun fact: This fountain and pond was created in 1756. The fountain would break down a lot and by the 1800’s it had completely stopped working. It has since been restored.

When I arrived, the fountain didn’t seem to be working. I was a little confused, so left to go back to the waterfall.

I have since learned that the fountain does work, it just works on a pressure system, from water fed from a spring somewhere higher up. It should run for a few minutes before shutting off whilst the tank refills which takes about 15min.

If you don’t want to wait, apparently there is a manual pump that will allow you to activate the fountain.

Continue the walk through Hackfall Woods

Go back the way you came to reach the junction, and now follow the sign for Alum Spring. Once you cross over the stream, take the left trail, now following the sign for Fisher’s Hall, which will lead you to the folly you could see earlier.

A wooden trail signpost pointing right to Alum Spring.

A wooden trail signpost pointing left to Fishers Hall.

A wide dirt trail leading down through Hackfall Woods, partway through the circular walk. The trail is lined with white budding flowers with green leaves.

From here you will have another wonderful view of the castle on the hill above.

The trail then continues past the folly and down the hill and steps to reach the river with some rugged stepping stones. Go over the stones.

Muddy steps leading downhill through the green leafy woods.

Stepping stones river the river, with a mass of green bushes and leafy trees on the other side.

The rugged part

You will now tackle to most rugged part of the Hackfall Woods walk. It starts off a little bit muddy, but flat.

A wooden plank walkway, leading to an area of mud, surrounded by green leafy bushes and trees.

You will then have a lot of undulations with mud and tree roots, as you are led deeper into a more wilderness type of woodland vibe.

A muddy section of trail, leading under a mass of green leaves from the straggly tree branches.

Looking through a gap in the trees to the river.

A muddy section of the ground, on the hillside, surround by trees and green leafy bushes.

The steps and the big hill

When you reach the sign for Mowbray Castle next to the steps, go up them. The steps go on for longer than you would think. Once they are over, the hill is not. You will continue more uphill, navigating tree roots, mud, and narrow trail with steep drops.

A wooden trail signpost pointing up the steps to Mowbray Castle, on the walk through Hackfall Woods.

Rugged steps leading steeply up the hill, on the challenging part of the walk through Hackfall Woods. the steps are surround by lots of green bushes, tall grass, and leaves.

A dirt trail covered in tree roots, and lined with trees, and a walled tree over the trail ahead.

Keep going until you reach the opening. It is here that, at the right time of year, you will be greeted by a mass carpet of bluebells. You can’t see them so well in my photo, but trust me, it’s impressive.

Looking to a wall of bluebells on the hill in the woodland.

The hill is not over though. After the bluebells, take the main trail to the right to continue going up. All they way until you are suddenly hit with Mowbray Castle up the steps to your left.

A wide muddy trail leading uphill through the woodland.

A thin muddy trail through the woods, with a steep drop down the hill to the right.

Small steps leading up the hill on the left, surrounded by tall grass, and under the woodland trees.

A dirt path with a few rocks, leading through the dark woods. There is a ray of light shining down on the path ahead.

Looking up to the ruins of Mowbray Castle, part way through the circular walk through Hackfall Woods. There is a backdrop of blue sky behind the ruins.

The waterfalls

The main trail continues straight (so if you have gone up to Mowbray Castle, come back down to the main path).

When you reach the next sign, the main trail is to the left. I would suggest first taking the right, following the sign for Kent’s Seat.

A thin dirt trail, surrounded by the greenery of the woodland trees and bushes.

A wooden trail signpost in the green leafy woods. The sign points to the right and left.

This leads you down to a little waterfall with stepping stones. Go across them to see the other waterfalls.

Looking down to a stream of water and small waterfall.

A small stream of water in the woods, with water cascading down the rocks on the other side, and a small waterfall to the right.

I could see on my map, a sign for a waterfall down the trail to the right. So I decided to go take a look. After some downhill (which bothered me after I had worked so hard walking up), I realised that no such ‘main’ waterfall exists. I think the sign on my map meant the whole strip of water is a waterfall, as there were lots of little ones on my way down. The main stuff is back at the top though.

So there is no need to go down. Instead I would just admire the main ones (in the photo above).

Walk back for the final stretch of the Hackfall Woods walk

Now go back over the stepping stones to reach the junction again, and this time follow the sign for Grewelthorpe.

This will take you yet again, uphill some more, before levelling out as you reach the little bridge and waterfall.

A rugged dirt trail surrounded by green leafy bushes, flowers and thin trunked trees.

A dirt path on the left, lined with tall thin trunked trees.

The path leading over a small stone bridge in the woods.

Go over the stone bridge, following the sign for Fountain Pond and Follies.

You have nice bit of level walking now, to give yourself a break (more hills to come though).

A dirt trial leading ahead under the darkness of the woods, with rays of light shining down on it.

Stick to the main trail, until the junction with the sign. Take the left trail here.

A dirt trail split, with a wooden signpost in the middle. The trails are lined with white flowers with green leaves.

A dirt path leading straight ahead, lined with green grass, bushes and straggly trees.

Keep an eye out for the viewpoint bench, for this view:

You will soon reach ‘The Ruins’, which is the holiday cottage I mentioned earlier. If you are able to walk through, you will get a really lovely view down across Hackfall Woods.

A wooden gate, with a sign saying 'private'.

Looking down and across the tree tops of Hackfall Woods, near the end of the walk. The tree tops lead towards green fields as far as the eye can see.

If you can’t walk through, then the trail will take you around, to pick up the trail on the other side.

Now it’s pretty easy level walking the rest of the way. When you reach the car park sign, follow it to take you back to the start.

A wide dirt path, with a dirt bank on the left, and green leafy bushes on the right. There are trees on the right side, with branches overhanging the path.

A wooden signpost on the side of the path, pointing left for the car path.

More walks near Hackfall Woods

Nearby, you have Brimham Rocks. It’s so close that I actually went there straight after the Hackfall Woods walk. I had left it to do on a Monday, as I knew it would be a busy place. I wasn’t expecting much, but I was absolutely blown away. They were way more impressive than I was expecting.

You can also see the rocks as part of this circular from Pateley Bridge. As it’s a much longer route, it’s a good leg stretcher.

Also nearby, is Druid’s Temple. I really enjoyed the temple section of the walk. The rest of it, not so much. I had high levels of anxiety on that day, which may have contributed to my dislike of it.

Slightly further south, you will find Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. The landscaping there was done by the Aislabie family as well. Think very pretty English garden. This route guide, takes you around the best spots, with the best views, and with potential deer spotting.

If you like reservoirs, then Nidderdale has a bunch of them. My favourite is Scar House, which you can read about here. It’s very secluded and moody.

More popular reservoirs are Swinsty and Fewston. I did enjoy them, but as I said, they are the popular ones, so can get quite busy. A slightly lesser known one is the Thruscross Reservoir, which feeds into the two. This one has more variety as you walk across the moor as well as the reservoir.

To see a side by side comparison of all the walks, you can read my best of Nidderdale AONB guide here.

Pin it for later: A wonderful walk through Hackfall Woods

Walk guide through Hackfall Woods in Nidderdale.