Lovely little trail. As we were staying at the Falls Caravan park, we were already at the top of…read morethe trail and had a lovley meander down into Ingleton. A little more challenging on the way back with some steep climbs, but take it easy at your own pace and the sense of achievement at the end is worth the effort.

This would be one of the main reasons to visit this quaint little town in the heart of North…read moreYorkshire. The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is an utter delight, and quite the walk, but well worth the visitors fee - which I believe was something like £5-8. The folks at the gate weren't massively welcoming, but you literally pay your fee, park up and get on foot so it's not too bad. (And of course, we can assume the fee goes toward the upkeep of this place of natural beauty.) A word of warning -the car park is laid out in the most bizarre way, with tiny tiny spaces, and it seems a popular spot for caravans so I'd advise getting there early to ensure a space. Or give in to a good fifteen minutes of adjusting the frustrating labyrinth it can become. Anyway. The walk itself is several miles long, and can take up to four hours depending on your speed, but you'd be hard pressed for a more beauteous journey. With gorgeous copper water flowing the whole route around, due to the peet, the walk is lush with greenery. You'll be clambering up steep rock steps, ascending the hills, traversing across the mountainous dales, and view five incredible waterfalls along the way. There's even a cafe at about a third of the way along, for a coffee stop, and if you're spritely like me you can make it in two and a half hours-even stopping to photograph everything. Essentially, it's what I love about this country the most. England's pastures green, and all that. My favourite spot is the little Oak copse about half way home. Being autumn when I was there, it was exquisite and resplendent in orange hue, and so peaceful with the water roaring in the background, the birds, and the air. You'll feel right, when you're here, and without a care in the world. Outstanding.

Just 20 minutes by train from Manchester and around 30 minutes from Leeds - sandwiched in the…read morePennines is the glorious Dovestones. Most people walk around the 1st reservoir and enjoy the stroll. You can however walk around as many as 4 reservoirs in total and increase the challenge. If your particularly fit or an experienced Walker then walk to the tops and enjoy some fantastic views. The place changes every day with the weather, and lots of different routes to take so you won't get bored. Always wear good shoes/boots and take your waterproofs just in case. There is ample parking on weekdays, but very busy at weekends.

Our mission to go for at least one walk in the great outdoors each month of 2016 continues - at…read moreDove Stone Reservoir up in the hills of Saddleworth. Hoping lots of folks would have been put off by the cold weather and fallen snow, our group were met by total carmageddon at the official car park (which was full on a Sunday lunchtime and proved difficult to find a space). After a couple of circuits without success, we drove back to the main road, up the hill a few hundred yards and found plenty of room at the Binn Green car park. It's supposed to be pay and display but there were no machines - double winner. We took a stepped path down from this car park (it's a tad muddy in winter so choose appropriate footwear) and then eventually met the main paved/gravelled route around the reservoir. It's pretty flat all the way and there are gorgeous views to be had, so lots of photo opportunities. The shorter circular route is about 3 miles, whereas if you include the route past Yeoman Hey and Greenfield Reservoirs this increases to 5 miles. We were getting hungry by this point so decided to just do the former!

I am in awe. This is one of the loveliest and most beautiful national parks that I've ever had the…read moreprivilege to visit. I immediately, upon arrival, fell in love with the picturesque landscape and the calm rain that was persistent in our week stay in Coniston. We were told it has been an unusually rainy season this year, but nonetheless, it still made for a beautiful week. There are lots of wonderful places to get lost in, the Lake District is a wonderful place to explore. With better weather, there are options for canoeing, a steamboat ride, horseback riding, bicycling, simply walking, and hiking the mountains. The shops in town have delicious coffee as well as food, fun vintage items, and dogs... literally EVERYWHERE! The people here are sweet and everyone seems to know everyone, as they do in small towns. I definitely recommend coming here on holiday for the beautiful views to relax!

The Lake District in Cumbria, England is a national treasure. There is so much to see and do here…read morethat there is never enough time to do it all. The numerous lakes, the fabulous walks, all the water activities, to name just a few, will keep you enthralled for weeks. And then there is the amazing history, including sites of Viking villages, old churches, standing stones, museums, and much more. And of course there is the home of William Wordsworth, as well. This is definitely a place I will return to spend time in the future.

Who's your daddy? I am! Okay maybe not but in terms of outdoor areas to go in the area, Otley…read moreChevin has a real claim at using that statement. Otley itself is a wonderful retreat in the heart of some stunning countryside. So it makes sense that the Chevin is a quality place to go. I go purely for the views. Anything else is just a bonus but that's a bonus it can boast. Not only do you have a wealth of wildlife and conserved areas but you've also got loads of activities to get stuck into. There are plenty of events spread throughout the year and copious amounts of guided walks. I can highly recommend a guided walk to get the most out of your trip. Not only that, try your hand at orienteering or it's sister sport Geocaching. Don't worry I'd never heard of it before either but if you want to find out more check out www.geocatching.com. See I'm a walking public service machine. There is even a wildlife group and the friends of the park are always looking for volunteers to help out with the general maintenance so if you're feeling generous give a little back. All in all this is a must for outdoor lovers', walkers or people who just love the sensational county that is Yorkshire. Sheer class.

Chevin Forest is a place I stumbled across by accident when I was out for an afternoon drive with…read moremy friend. We went to one of the many car parks spread around over Otley and decided to go for a little walk. We came across some amazing views where we could see the whole of Otley, really beautiful. It's a great place for serious walkers as it's so huge and has so many alternative pathways. It's also a nice place to go for picnics with children or just friends as there's lots of beauty spots with benches and tables to sit down at. Beware though, the Forest is literally huge. We turned up unprepared, got lost and ended up wandering around a village on the opposite side to where we'd came from! It was quite an adventure though, and one we've re-created many times since!

This is another glorious place to visit in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. It's a little way…read moreoff past Ilkley and takes roughly an hour to drive to from Headingley, but man it is worth it for that view. It's literally on the border between Leeds and Harrogate and is one of those notorious walking spots for anyone local to the area. My boyfriend and I decided to drive out here, with our housemates who wanted to join us, for the August meteor shower as it was the highest and clearest place we could think of to escape Leeds' heavy light pollution. It was a lovely late night drive and once we'd navigated up those hellishly thin country roads we parked and began the hike. It takes maybe fifteen minutes or so to ascend to the top of the hill where there is, basically, a ruddy great big set of rocks at the top. For those sure of foot it's great fun to climb up them all - some being really quite a challenge, but given that it was pitch black at my first visit I decided not to risk life and limb. The view from all around is breathtaking! I will issue a warning though, these rocks are really huge and have some real ankle-twisting cracks inside. There are even some pretty nasty cracks big enough for the less careful climber to become wedged deep inside, which was my nightmare, so go really carefully around those bits! Sadly the meteor shower on that particular night was hampered by tons of mist, but it was a great night anyway. The views were worth the jaunt and about fifteen other people had the same idea as we, and so it turned out to be a fun night all in all. Totally worth checking out - get your hiking boots on!

I was overjoyed to discover such an amazing spot so near to Leeds city centre. Before I go on I…read moremust correct Rowena's review below - its no where near as far as Ilkley! Its not even as far a Otley. If you've ever been in the passenger seat of a car driving from Headingley to Otley and on the winding road downhill spotted a massive rock on top of a hill - that is Almscliff Crag. Its so easy to get to if you don't have a car too - from the city centre train station you can get the train that goes to Harrogate through Burley Park and Headingley and jump off the stop past Horsforth called Weeton. It takes about 20 minutes and once off the train, cross the road and follow the 'public footpath' signs with yellow arrows. I have been countless times when wanting a bit of the countryside but not wanting to go all the way out to the Moors or the Dales. I have occasionally gotten lost whilst not walking with someone who has done it before. You'll tramp through fields uphill then come to a sign that points a little downhill through a wooded area. I made the mistake of not following this sign and getting stuck in some fields full of cows once. Once you've reached the top you will be stunned - by the 180 degree panoramic view where you can see Leeds city centre one way and Harrogate another; by the sheer size and shape of the rock that appears to have been placed here, perfectly balancing; by the old graffiti carved into the rocks by fellow walkers. The top face of the rock is covered in dates and initials. The oldest I have found was from 1842! It was incredible to think that some one that long ago stood in the same spot and was awed by the view just like I was recently. So I fully encourage a visit to this place on a sunny day. Always good foot-ware like wellies or walking boots and a coat because no matter how warm feels at the bottom of the hill its usually pretty windy up there.

I absolutely fell in love with Grizedale Forest over the past weekend. Looking for somewhere new to…read moreexplore when we visited the other half's parents, they suggested heading to the forest. Cue some very windy roads and a few moments of "are you sure this is the right way?" - but we found it! We headed to the visitor centre to take a look at which walk to take. They have both cycling and walking routes, so make sure you're looking at the right map...! We decided on the white route, and the helpful member of staff explained that you simply follow the coloured markers - if you lose the colour, it's time to retrace your steps. Our walk took about 2 hours overall and was described as moderate, and it's worth pointing out that it wasn't wheelchair/pushchair friendly, so a quick chat with a staff member would be needed to find an accessible route. The reason I fell in love was a) because of the absolutely stunning weather we experienced and b) the selection of sculptures that can be found on each route. The large keys in trees which played music if you wound them fast enough were a personal favourite, following by the huge stone fox, which actually provided a nice place to rest and admire the valley view. I feel the downsides sit with the shop, which was overpriced and didn't seem to stock any drinks (very odd considering the length of some of the walks), and the parking payment. It's all done automatically by registration plate when you drive in, then you enter it at a paypoint - best have some cash on you as noone has quite thought through that no phone signal = no card reader signal. There's bike rental available and the Go Ape course if you need something to keep more active members of your group entertained. Recommended!

A huge area of woodland to explore in the Lake District, either on foot or by mountain bike - it's…read morea spectacular place to get away from it all for the day. There are several colour-coded waymarked footpaths, in varying lengths and levels of difficulty (from easy to strenuous) as well as dozens of others paths and bridleways crisscrossing the landscape so you can either buy a map for £1.50 or just see where a route takes you. Go Ape (an aerial assault course) has a site here, and as well as a visitors' centre there's a children's playground, education centre, café and shop so plenty of things for families to do. For our group it was all about the walking; the forest has hosted a sculpture trail since the 1970s, so we were on the look out for exhibits whilst we wandered through the trees. It has to be said there were a few times we were wondering if we were looking at art or some forestry equipment...or a pylon! The car parking was really straightforward and rather cutting edge - a number plate reader registers your vehicle when you arrive and you pay when you leave by typing your number plate on the screen. It was a bargain too at about £4 for several hours. If you're a lover of the great outdoors, then you can't get much better than this.

Located in a great area directly facing Lake Windermere, the lake District visitor centre is a…read moregreat source of information and advice on what to do , where some great trails and hikes are, where to eat and more! There is a pay and display parking, however there's some free parking on the outside of the pay and display for two hours. Plenty of things to keep kids occupied and so much beauty to see!

We found this place purely by accident; as it is signposted as the Lake District Visitors Centre,…read morewe expected a lot of information on the wider area. It is a series of adventure areas going from the play equipment, swings etc for toddlers right up to the sixty feet up in the trees rope-work which requires full harness and safety line. The childrens' areas are free and the car park is very reasonable as well as having the best organised payment methods I have ever seen. It used number plate recognition on entry to the park. When you are leaving, you enter your licence number and the machime tells you how long you have been there and what it costs. Payment is possible by cash or all the usual credit and debit cards - and there is even an option of leaving it until you get home and paying online, as long as it is within 48 hours! We didn't go as far as finding out the costs for the rope-work course as our children are 5 months and 22 months, but we did see the prices for the huge netting up above the playground area. Children between 3 years and, I think, 8 were £12.50 and the same charge for any adult accompanying them. This would make it very expensive for a family group, but it was pretty full, so it must be worth it. I am pretty sure we will be back when the "littlies" are old enough to enjoy it properly.

Unexpected woodland gorge walk owned and cared for by the woodland trust. Just a small car park at…read morethe entrance for about 12 cars but another area just 100 yards up the road. A leaflet is available showing various walk lengths. It's not suitable for disabled or wheelchair users. There are some steep banks, steps & terraced paths. A number of follies are doted around the valley, including a hand pumped fountain. No toilets available. Great views over the vale of York. Ideal for family exploration. Blue Bells Galore at the right time of year. It's FREE!