[All photos and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. All links are non-affiliated. All prices were correct at time of writing. Prices may vary at time of reading.]

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a beautiful place, which at first glance only looks full of rolling hills. However, the Yorkshire Dales is home to a large number of waterfalls, particularly in the south of the national park. Located within gorges or inhabited by fairies, these waterfalls will blow you away. Here are the 8 best waterfalls worth seeing in the Yorkshire Dales.

1. Gordale Scar

Whilst Gordale Scar itself is a gorge rather than a waterfall, the stream Gordale Beck runs down the gorge creating two waterfalls. It is popular with tourists during the summer and a footpath from Malham Cove to Malham Tarn takes you up the side of the waterfall itself. It's worth a visit and a lot of fun just to climb up the waterfall! And don't worry, you don't need special equipment to climb it - it has some natural hand and foot holds which help!

It's good fun climbing this one!

Just make sure you go when it's not too rainy, so that you can safely climb up the rocks. If you want to avoid the crowds I'd recommend arriving before 9am - at this time in early September we had the entire gorge to ourselves for over an hour! These two waterfalls are entirely free to visit and probably my two favourites.

The nearest car park is in the village of Malham, which is approximately a 40-minute walk from Gordale Scar along the stream Gordale Beck and via Janet's Foss (see below). It's also possible to do a longer walk starting at Malham Tarn and going past Malham Cove before heading onto Gordale Scar but this takes approximately 2-3 hours. I'll make a more detailed post about this hike in the near future.

Cost: Free

Waterfall number two at Gordale Scar

2. Janet's Foss

It's believed that fairies inhabit a nearby cave...

Located about a 10-minute walk from Gordale Scar, Janet's Foss is another waterfall worth visiting. It's connected by the same stream as the waterfalls at Gordale Scar and even has a small pool at the bottom where it's possible to swim. It's found in a secluded area of woodland; however, it can get very crowded during the summer months and once again, it's recommended to go early.

As with Gordale Scar, the nearest car park is in Malham. Just follow the stream Gordale Beck to reach the waterfall.

Cost: Free

3. Scaleber Force

Scaleber Force, a 12m waterfall near the town of Settle

Located near the town of Settle, Scaleber Force is a hidden waterfall that's accessible on foot or by car. There is a small amount of space for parking on the road but this is limited. It's possible to walk from Settle in under an hour. The waterfall is completely free to visit and generally quite empty compared to the others on this list.

Cost: Free

4. Catrigg Force

Catrigg Force is 6m high

One mile from the village of Stainforth is Catrigg Force, another secluded waterfall. It can get reasonably busy here, even on a rainy day as the pool beneath the falls can be used for swimming. It's not accessible by car but you can arrive on foot from Stainforth, which takes about 20 minutes.

Cost: Free

5. Stainforth Force

Another popular waterfall near Stainforth is Stainforth Force. This can get very busy during bank holidays and weekends but at other times is nice to visit. It's possible to walk here in about 10 minutes from Stainforth and in the autumn it's possible to see salmon jumping out of the water as they migrate upstream to spawn. Nearby is an old packhorse bridge that was built in 1675.

Cost: Free

6. Ingleton Falls

Pecca Falls

The Ingleton Falls Trail is probably one of the most popular set of waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales. The 7km trail takes you along the River Twiss and River Doe, through ancient woodland and past 6 different waterfalls - Pecca Falls, Hollybush Spout, Thornton Force, Beezley Falls, Rival Falls and Snow Falls. It's a stunning walk that typically takes between 2 and 4 hours. These waterfalls are really accessible with a relatively large car park but it's worth arriving early to make sure you can get a space as the car park can fill up very quickly.

Cost: £7 for adults, £3 for children (under 16)

Thornton Force

7. Aysgarth Falls

The Upper Falls

Situated on the River Ure, the Aysgarth Falls are a popular set of waterfalls located near Hawes. There are three parts to these waterfalls - the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls. There's a National Trust car park for these falls, making it more accessible. The Upper Falls are located a 5-minute walk upstream from the car park, whereas the Middle and Lower Falls are a 5 to 10-minute walk downstream in the opposite direction.

Cost: Free entry but need to pay for the National Trust car park (unless you're a member)

The Lower Falls

8. Hardraw Force

Hardraw Force is 30m high

As England's highest single-drop waterfall, it's no surprise that Hardraw Force is another popular waterfall in the area. A short trail takes you around the waterfall and to the top of it, so you can view it from multiple angles. Red squirrels are also occasionally seen nearby. The waterfall can be a bit difficult to find but it's located within the grounds of the Green Dragon Inn. You can either park at the inn or on the road nearby.

Cost: £4 for adults, £2 for children aged 5-16, free for children under 5.

Hardraw Force

I loved all of these waterfalls when I visited them but I definitely recommend visiting at off-peak times to truly enjoy them. If you're visiting the Yorkshire Dales, then I do hope this has been helpful and you have the chance to visit at least one of these magnificent waterfalls. I've embedded a map below with the locations of all the waterfalls mentioned in this article to help with planning your trip. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!