Cycle touring

The Yorkshire Dales Cycleway takes you around the whole area, while the Pennine Cycleway passes through, the Lancashire and West Yorkshire Cycleways bring you into the Dales.

Yorkshire Dales Cycleway

The Yorkshire Dales Cycleway (YDCW) takes you on a fantastic tour of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, crossing a wonderful landscape of heather moorland, dramatic limestone scenery and linked together by beautiful valleys and villages. The Dales are famous for their flower filled meadows and high fells, scattered with stone barns, dry stone walls and an abundance of waterfalls.

There are challenging climbs through wild areas which will test your limits, swooping descents and stunning quiet dales to explore. The route follows country lanes for its length including many where you will see more sheep than cars. However, it also goes through many of the loveliest towns and villages in the area, where you can get a warm welcome, have a slice of cake or try some of the locally brewed beer.

The Cycleway is a challenging 210km (130 mile) circular route visiting most of the major dales which is designed to be started and finished in Skipton. It can, however, be started at any point, or divided into sections to suit your fitness. Many will find it is ideal for a leisurely six day tour, while others may wish to cover more than one section in a day. An alternative link to Ilkley (unsigned) has been included for those wishing to start or finish here.

A Harvey map of the route is available from our online shop or direct from Harvey.

More information and route description are available on our dedicated YDCW page.

Pennine Cycleway

The other major cycle route that passes through the Yorkshire Dales National Park is part of the National Cycle Network Route 68. The Pennine Cycleway is a magnificent 580km (350 mile) route running from Derby on the southern edge of the Peak District to Berwick on Tweed on the Scottish border. It enters the National Park at Gargrave and runs through Settle to Clapham, then follows the same route as the YDCW to Ingleton and Dent, before carrying on to Sedbergh and Appleby. Details are available from the Sustrans website or the online Pennine Cycleway Guide.

The route is served by trains on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle route with stations at Gargrave, Settle and Appleby.

The West Yorkshire Cycle Route (WYCR)

The WYCR is a 150 mile circular route that roughly follows the West Yorkshire County Boundary. It connects with the Yorkshire Dales area at Ilkley and comes very close around Skipton. Primarily for leisure cycling, the route is mainly on road and is intended for use by all roadworthy bicycles. The route is signed in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, and is identified by the route logo, a white rose with a green background.

It is supported by a very attractive laminated map that is available free on request from Leeds City Council. Send an A5 sized stamped addressed envelope to:

Dept. of Highways & Transportation
Leonardo Building
2 Rossington Street
Leeds
LS2 8HB.

The Lancashire Cycleway

The Lancashire Cycleway comprises two circular routes which meet in the historic village of Whalley in the Ribble Valley. Where possible it follows minor roads and takes you through a host of different landscapes from the rugged Bowland Hills and West Pennine Moors to the rich pastures of the Fylde Plain and the outstanding coastal scenery at Silverdale. You can find out more by looking at Lancashire Cycleway.