Top Waterfalls Day Trips from York
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from York include 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 itself has no waterfalls to speak of, but the city sits within a day's reach of some wonderful falls scattered across the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the Pennine hills to the west. Head east into the moors around Goathland and you will find a trio worth a full day: the tall Mallyan Spout, the wide Nelly Ayre Foss and the swimmable Thomason Foss near Beck Hole.
Strike west instead into Wharfedale for the cascades of the Valley of Desolation on the Bolton Abbey estate, or push deeper into the Dales for the lonely Blea Gill above Grimwith and the little-known Deep Gill Force near East Witton. Over in West Yorkshire, Goit Stock Waterfall tumbles through ancient woodland near Bingley, while Ogden Water offers a gentle stroll and a small fall north of Halifax.
From wild moorland gills to easy family paths, there is plenty to fill a day. Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from York.
Valley of Desolation Waterfall
Photo: Anthony Parkes via Geograph.org.uk
Valley of Desolation Waterfall The grim name is a leftover from 1826, when a violent storm tore this valley apart, though nothing in the green, gentle scene today would let you guess it. Posforth Gill runs down through the wooded ground of the Bolton Abbey estate in Wharfedale, breaking into a series of small waterfalls and cascades.
A footpath climbs past them and keeps going, out onto the open moor of Barden Fell and up toward Simon's Seat at 485 metres, so a short stroll can grow into a proper hill walk. The estate charges for parking, and dogs are not allowed in this part of it.
Nelly Ayre Foss
Photo: John Ryles via Geograph.org.uk
Nelly Ayre Foss Most walkers fold this small, wide fall into a circuit that also takes in Mallyan Spout and Thomason Foss, and it is the quieter cousin of those better-known cascades. The water fans out over rock ledges in a wooded valley on West Beck, in the North York Moors near Goathland.
It lies a couple of kilometres upstream of Mallyan Spout, reached on foot from Goathland, with a steep and slippery scramble for the final drop down to the beck. Peaceful and little-visited, it rewards anyone happy to stitch several falls into one good day out on the moors.
Mallyan Spout Waterfall
Photo: Anthony Foster via Geograph.org.uk
Mallyan Spout Waterfall 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 the 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 walk that turns slippery in places. It runs at its fullest after heavy rain and can be a mere trickle when the weather is dry, so pick a wet spell if you want to see it at full force.
Goit Stock Waterfall
Photo: habiloid via Geograph.org.uk
Goit Stock Waterfall West of Bingley in West Yorkshire, Goit Stock Waterfall drops around twenty feet on Harden Beck, in the ancient woodland of Goitstock Wood near Harden. 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 it is a fall to admire rather than swim in, on a woodland day out from York.
Thomason Foss
Photo: steven ruffles via Geograph.org.uk
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 the nearby Mallyan Spout, tucked away in the trees, and it runs fuller after rain. For a peaceful moorland dip, it is hard to beat.
Deep Gill Force
Photo: Colin Gregory via Geograph.org.uk
Deep Gill Force On the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales near East Witton, Deep Gill Force is a small waterfall in a wooded valley close to Jervaulx Abbey. The beck drops around twenty feet above a little stone arch bridge, among trees and forestry plantation.
It is barely known and rarely visited, with no marked route to it, so finding it is part of the appeal. This is a modest fall in a quiet, out-of-the-way gill, a rewarding find for anyone happy to explore off the beaten track on a day out from York.
Blea Gill Waterfall
Photo: Richard Spencer via Geograph.org.uk
Blea Gill Waterfall High on the moors above Grimwith, on the flanks of Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales, Blea Gill Waterfall is a little-known fall out on rough grouse moor, on a gill draining the high ground. It sees very few visitors and has almost nothing written about it.
The ground around is open heather moorland, wild and empty, and the fall is awkward to reach, tucked away on land that is not easy to cross. What is here is the beck dropping over dark rock in a lonely upland setting, with the long swell of the moors all around.
It is a fall for those who go looking.
Ogden Waterfalls
Photo: Gordon Hatton via Geograph.org.uk
Ogden Waterfalls About five miles north of Halifax in West Yorkshire, Ogden Water is a Victorian reservoir set in woodland and moorland, 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, with a dam, a car park and 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, making a gentle end to a day out from York.
FAQs
Are there any waterfalls in York itself?
No, York has no waterfalls on its doorstep. The nearest are a full day trip away, around 52 kilometres out into the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, such as Mallyan Spout near Goathland.
Which is the tallest waterfall near York?
Mallyan Spout, on the edge of Goathland in the North York Moors, is the highest fall in that national park, dropping around seventy feet, and it makes a good day trip from York.
Can you swim at any of these falls?
Yes. Thomason Foss near Beck Hole in the North York Moors has a popular plunge pool, though swimming is banned at Goit Stock Waterfall near Bingley, where the pool has proved dangerous.
Conclusion
None of these falls sits right beside York, so each one makes a proper day out, but the reward is a wonderful spread of scenery across the Dales, the Moors and the Pennines. Some, like Ogden Water and Nelly Ayre Foss, suit an easy family ramble, while the remote Blea Gill above Grimwith is a fall for determined walkers only.
Check the weather before you set off, since almost all of these run at their best after rain and can dwindle in dry spells, and mind the slippery ground on the moorland scrambles. Whether you are drawn by the swimming pool at Thomason Foss or the storm-carved Valley of Desolation, there is a route to match the day.
From gentle strolls to wild upland gills, these are the waterfalls for a day trip from York.
