Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Durham
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Durham include Summerhill Force, Low Force Waterfall, High Force Waterfall, Huggill Force, Bleabeck Force, Richmond Falls, Marske Beck and Cauldron Snout.
Durham lies within easy striking distance of some of the finest waterfalls in the north of England, most of them gathered in Teesdale and the high Pennines to the west. Follow the River Tees upstream and you pass a whole run of them: gentle Low Force by its old chain bridge, the thundering drop of High Force, the quiet cascade of Bleabeck Force just beyond, and Summerhill Force tucked into its wooded glade at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees.
Carry on to the wild moorland border with Cumbria for Cauldron Snout, one of the longest cataracts in the land. Nearby, little Huggill Force hides in a gorge near Bowes for those who enjoy a bit of a hunt.
Turn south instead and the Yorkshire Dales open up, with Richmond Falls spilling through the middle of its market town and Orgate Force on Marske Beck tucked away in quiet Swaledale. Some are roadside easy and others need a walk over rough ground, so bring boots and check the forecast.
Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Durham.
Summerhill Force
Photo: G Laird via Geograph.org.uk
Summerhill Force West of Durham in Upper Teesdale, Summerhill Force is a waterfall in a wooded glade near Bowlees, dropping over a rock lip into a pool in a spot known as Gibson's Cave. The cave is really a hollow worn back under the overhanging rock behind the water rather than a true cavern.
You reach it on a woodland path of about three-quarters of a mile from the Bowlees visitor centre. Local tradition holds that a sixteenth-century outlaw named Gibson once hid in the recess, which lends the quiet glade a little intrigue.
Low Force Waterfall
Photo: William Metcalfe via Geograph.org.uk
Low Force Waterfall Just below the falls a chain suspension footbridge, the Wynch Bridge, crosses the River Tees, the present span dating from 1830. The water itself drops around five and a half metres over rock ledges into wide pools, and those pools draw cold-water swimmers.
This is a set of low cascades in Teesdale, County Durham, a short way downstream of the taller High Force. The Pennine Way runs along the river here, and you reach the falls on a footpath from the Bowlees visitor centre nearby.
Pair it with a walk on to its bigger neighbour for a fuller day.
High Force Waterfall
Photo: Steve Daniels via Geograph.org.uk
High Force Waterfall Further up the Tees in Upper Teesdale, High Force is a powerful waterfall where the river drops around seventy feet in a single fall over a band of hard dark dolerite. By the sheer volume of water coming over in spate it ranks among the biggest falls in England, though it is not the tallest.
A paid woodland path on the north bank leads down to a viewpoint facing the fall, while a free but longer route follows the Pennine Way on the south bank. The water thunders into a deep pool below the rock face, a genuinely stirring sight after rain.
Huggill Force
Photo: Paul Gregory via Geograph.org.uk
Huggill Force A short drive further into Teesdale, near Bowes, Huggill Force is a small waterfall on Hug Gill, hidden in a steep gorge. The beck drops through a wooded cleft that stays out of sight until you are almost upon it, reached on a short walk over open ground.
This is a genuinely obscure fall, little written about beyond a handful of photographs, with rough moorland country all around. For anyone who likes seeking out the overlooked corners of the Pennines, it makes a rewarding little find well off the usual Teesdale trail.
Bleabeck Force
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Bleabeck Force Just upstream of the busier High Force, Bleabeck Force is a quiet waterfall on Blea Beck in Upper Teesdale. Where High Force thunders, this is a gentler thing: the beck slides and steps down over ledges of rock in a series of small cascades, close to where it joins the River Tees.
Most visitors to Teesdale stop at High Force and turn back, so this smaller fall a little further on stays peaceful. It is reached on the riverside walk up from Bowlees, over fields and along rocky paths beside the Tees, with the open moors of the high Pennines rising all around.
In winter it can freeze into sheets and columns of ice.
Richmond Falls
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Richmond Falls South of Durham, Richmond Falls is a series of natural waterfalls on the River Swale right in the middle of the town of Richmond in North Yorkshire, just below the castle on its rock. The river spills over stepped ledges, gentle in dry weather and a powerful, roaring cascade after rain, with riverside paths running along both banks.
There is parking, toilets and a play area nearby, plus a viewpoint over the falls close to the car park, making this one of the easiest spots to reach on the whole list, right in the heart of the town.
Marske Beck
Photo: Andy Waddington via Geograph.org.uk
Marske Beck Orgate Force must be one of the least-known cascades in the Yorkshire Dales, a modest but pretty fall a short way upstream of the village of Marske in Swaledale. The beck that feeds it runs down to the River Swale, and because it drains only a small patch of ground the fall is at its best after wet weather and can dwindle to little in a dry spell.
You reach it on foot on the circular walks out of Marske, passing through woodland below limestone cliffs. There are no facilities at the fall, so pack a flask and take your time.
Cauldron Snout
Photo: steven ruffles via Geograph.org.uk
Cauldron Snout tumbles for some two hundred yards down a staircase of dark dolerite rock, not a single plunge but a long, roaring descent that ranks among the longest cascades in England. It carries the upper River Tees down the fellside below the dam of Cow Green Reservoir, out on remote open moorland where Durham meets Cumbria.
The Pennine Way runs right alongside it and crosses the Tees at its foot, so walkers pass within a stone's throw of the water. This is wild, exposed country, and reaching it is half the point.
FAQs
Which is the biggest waterfall near Durham?
High Force in Upper Teesdale, west of Durham, is one of the biggest falls in England by sheer volume, dropping around seventy feet over dark dolerite into a deep pool below.
Can you visit a waterfall without a long walk from Durham?
Yes. Richmond Falls sits right in the middle of Richmond in North Yorkshire, with parking, toilets and a viewpoint close by, making it one of the easiest falls to reach for a day out from Durham.
Are these falls all in County Durham?
No. While many lie in Teesdale, Richmond Falls and Orgate Force on Marske Beck are over in the Yorkshire Dales, and Cauldron Snout sits on the moorland border between Durham and Cumbria.
Conclusion
Few places in England pack in as much falling water as the country west and south of Durham. Teesdale alone strings together Summerhill Force, Low Force, High Force, Bleabeck Force and the long staircase of Cauldron Snout, while the little-visited Huggill Force hides away near Bowes.
Head south into the Yorkshire Dales and you swap the high Pennine moors for the gentler charms of Richmond Falls in its market town and Orgate Force on quiet Marske Beck. Some are roadside easy and others reward a proper walk over rough hill ground, but all of them repay the effort with the sound and spectacle of water on the move.
Whether you want a stroll or a longer ramble, these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Durham.
