Best Waterfalls Near York
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best waterfalls near York are Valley of Desolation Waterfall, Nelly Ayre Foss, Mallyan Spout Waterfall, Goit Stock Waterfall, Thomason Foss, Deep Gill Force, Blea Gill Waterfall and Ogden Waterfalls.
York is a city of ancient walls and winding streets, but it sits in flat, low country with no waterfalls on its doorstep. The good news is that the falls of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors lie within a day's drive, so a little motoring opens up some real gems.
Head northeast into the Moors around Goathland and you will find a cluster on West Beck and Eller Beck: the tall Mallyan Spout, the highest in that national park, along with quieter Nelly Ayre Foss and Thomason Foss near Beck Hole. Swing west into Wharfedale for the cascades of the Valley of Desolation on the Bolton Abbey estate, and further into the Dales for the hidden Deep Gill Force near Jervaulx Abbey and lonely Blea Gill on Great Whernside.
Over in West Yorkshire, Goit Stock Waterfall hides in ancient woodland near Bingley, while Ogden Water offers an easy family loop north of Halifax. Each is a proper outing rather than a quick stop, but well worth the drive.
Here are eight waterfalls to seek out near York.
Valley of Desolation Waterfall
Photo: Anthony Parkes via Geograph.org.uk
Visit the Valley of Desolation A drive west into Wharfedale brings you to the Valley of Desolation, a wooded valley on the Bolton Abbey estate where Posforth Gill runs down in a series of small waterfalls and cascades. Its bleak-sounding name comes from a great storm in 1826 that tore the valley apart, though it is green and calm today.
A footpath climbs past the falls and out onto Barden Fell moorland, rising toward Simon's Seat at 485 metres. The estate charges for parking, and dogs are not allowed in this part of it.
Some fifty-two kilometres from York, it makes a fine day-trip into the southern Dales.
Nelly Ayre Foss
Photo: John Ryles via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Nelly Ayre Foss Out in the North York Moors near Goathland, Nelly Ayre Foss is a small, wide waterfall on West Beck, the quieter cousin of the better-known falls nearby. The water spills over rock ledges in a wooded valley, and it is often taken in on a walking circuit with Mallyan Spout and Thomason Foss.
It lies a couple of kilometres upstream of Mallyan Spout, reached on foot from Goathland, with the final drop to the water a steep and slippery scramble. This is a peaceful, little-visited spot.
Around fifty-two kilometres from York, it rewards a drive north into the Moors for a good half-day walk.
Mallyan Spout Waterfall
Photo: Anthony Foster via Geograph.org.uk
See Mallyan Spout On the western edge of Goathland in the North York Moors, Mallyan Spout is a tall, thin waterfall where West Beck drops around seventy feet over a mossy ravine wall. It is the highest fall in that national park.
A footpath beside the Mallyan Spout Hotel drops down to the beck, then follows a rocky ledge along the ravine to the falls, a short but slippery walk in places. It runs at its fullest after heavy rain and can be a mere trickle when dry, so time a visit for after a wet spell.
Some fifty-four kilometres from York, it is the pick of a day-trip into the Moors.
Goit Stock Waterfall
Photo: habiloid via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Goit Stock Waterfall Over in West Yorkshire, Goit Stock Waterfall drops around twenty feet on Harden Beck, in the ancient woodland of Goitstock Wood near Harden, west of Bingley. The fall runs into a plunge pool among the trees, reached only on foot by a walk of about a mile through the wood, with no parking inside it.
Local people look after the wood, which has been up for sale in recent years. Swimming in the pool is not allowed and has proved dangerous, so admire it from dry land.
Around fifty-four kilometres from York, it is a woodland ramble best folded into a day out west.
Thomason Foss
Photo: steven ruffles via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Thomason Foss Near Beck Hole in the North York Moors, close to Goathland, Thomason Foss is a waterfall on Eller Beck set in a wooded, rocky ravine. The beck drops into a dark, enclosed plunge pool, a well-liked wild swimming spot, reached on a walk of about twenty minutes from the bridge by the Beck Hole pub, following the beck upstream and scrambling over boulders at the end.
It is a quieter, smaller fall than nearby Mallyan Spout, tucked away in the trees, and runs fuller after rain. About fifty-five kilometres from York, it pairs neatly with the other Goathland falls on a Moors day-trip.
Deep Gill Force
Photo: Colin Gregory via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Deep Gill Force Tucked away near East Witton, on the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales close to Jervaulx Abbey, Deep Gill Force is a small waterfall in a wooded valley. The beck drops around twenty feet above a small stone arch bridge, among trees and forestry plantation.
It is little known and rarely visited, with no marked route to it, so a map and some patience help. This is a modest fall in a quiet, out-of-the-way gill rather than a headline attraction.
Around fifty-six kilometres from York, it suits a leisurely drive into the Dales for those who enjoy tracking down the obscure.
Blea Gill Waterfall
Photo: Richard Spencer via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Blea Gill Waterfall High on the moors above Grimwith, on the flanks of Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales, Blea Gill Waterfall is a genuinely little-known fall. It lies out on rough grouse moor, on a gill draining the high ground, in a spot that sees very few visitors and has almost nothing written about it.
The surrounding ground is open heather moorland, wild and empty, and the fall is awkward to reach across land that is not easy to cross. What waits is the beck dropping over dark rock in a lonely upland setting.
Some fifty-seven kilometres from York, it is a fall for those who go looking.
Ogden Waterfalls
Photo: Gordon Hatton via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Ogden Waterfalls Ogden Water is a Victorian reservoir set in woodland and moorland about five miles north of Halifax in West Yorkshire, a country park and nature reserve with a small waterfall on one of its feeder streams. An easy path of about a mile and a half loops around the water, through conifer and broadleaf woodland, past a dam and a car park with open Pennine views beyond.
It is a well-used spot for family walks, dog-walking and wildlife. The falls run on a stream above the reservoir and are liveliest after rain.
Around fifty-eight kilometres from York, it is the gentlest outing of this set.
FAQs
How far are the nearest waterfalls from York?
The closest, such as the Valley of Desolation on the Bolton Abbey estate and Nelly Ayre Foss near Goathland, lie around fifty-two kilometres from York, so all of these falls mean a drive into the Dales or Moors.
Which waterfall is best for a family visit?
Ogden Water, north of Halifax in West Yorkshire, has an easy mile-and-a-half loop past a dam and through woodland, making it the gentlest of these outings for families travelling from York.
Can you swim at any of these falls?
Thomason Foss near Beck Hole in the North York Moors is a popular wild swimming spot, though swimming is not allowed at Goit Stock near Bingley, where the pool has proved dangerous.
Conclusion
None of these falls sit close to York, but that is the nature of a city ringed by flat, low farmland. Treat them instead as the excuse for a grand day out.
The North York Moors around Goathland offer the richest cluster, letting you link Mallyan Spout, Nelly Ayre Foss and Thomason Foss on a single walk, while Wharfedale and the wider Dales hide the cascades of the Valley of Desolation, Deep Gill Force and lonely Blea Gill. West Yorkshire adds the woodland of Goit Stock and the easy loop at Ogden Water.
Pack boots, check the forecast, and remember that all these falls run at their best after rain. Drive out into the Dales and Moors, and these are the waterfalls to seek out near York.
