One walk, eight waterfalls. A ~4.3-mile (8km) loop through two wooded gorges near Ingleton — past Thornton Force, Pecca Falls and more — and the cornerstone of a brilliant Yorkshire Dales day out from the eastern Lakes. Here's the honest version: the falls in order, how long it takes, what it costs, and where to park.
This is a paid, ticketed walk — not a free one. The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail crosses private land and has charged admission since 1885. Admission is £11.00 per adult (16 & over) and £5.50 per child (under 16), with no free route around the falls themselves. We say so up front because "can you do it for free?" is the question everyone asks. Parking is free for ticket holders (but limited, first come first served), payment is by card only, and there's no need to pre-book — just pay on the day at the ticket office. Prices can change seasonally; check the official trail site before a special trip.
The walk & the falls
The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is a circular walk through two wooded river valleys on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, just over the boundary from Cumbria. It follows the River Twiss up one side — past Pecca Falls and the showpiece Thornton Force — crosses the high ground at Twisleton, then drops back down the River Doe past Beezley Falls, the Baxenghyll Gorge and Snow Falls. In a single ~4.3-mile (8km) loop you pass roughly eight named waterfalls, which is why it has drawn visitors since it first opened to the public in 1885.
It's a moderate walk, not a stroll: the path is well-maintained but there are a lot of steps, some steep rocky sections, and stretches that get slippery after rain. Allow 2.5–3.5 hours and wear proper footwear. It's not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs, and there's no shortcut once you're committed to the loop — but a reasonably fit family with older children does it comfortably, and the constant payoff of the next fall keeps younger legs going.
Crucially, it's a managed, ticketed attraction rather than open-access fellside — you pay at the entrance, where there's a car park, a ticket office, toilets and usually a café. We cover the honest cost picture in the tickets & parking section below.
The distinctive bit
Walking anticlockwise up the Twiss and back down the Doe — the order most people follow from the main entrance. The photos are our own from the trail; honestly, once you're in the gorge few people can tell one fall from the next, so just enjoy them as they come.
The first real drama on the walk — a tumbling staircase of falls where the Twiss pours over a band of harder rock. The Twin Falls below are the classic two-stage cascade. The steps here are steep and can be greasy; there's a refreshment hut nearby for the climb ahead.
The showpiece — a ~14-metre (46ft) curtain of water that drops clean over an overhanging limestone lip into a broad pool. It's also a famous spot in geology: the lip marks a 300-million-year gap in the rock record (the "Unconformity"), where young limestone sits straight on top of ancient tilted slate. The most photographed waterfall in the Dales, and the natural turning point of the walk.
Over the high ground at Twisleton and down the other valley, the River Doe puts on the second half of the show. Beezley Falls is a powerful triple drop; just below, the Rival Falls and the narrow rock cleft lead the river into the gorge.
A footbridge hangs over the deep, narrow Baxenghyll Gorge — the most dizzying viewpoint on the trail. Snow Falls is the last named fall before the path climbs out and returns through fields and lanes to the entrance. (Other falls people name along the way include Hollybush Spout — the order and signage are clear on the ground.)
The honest logistics
The trail is a privately managed attraction, so unlike the free Lake District caves there's an admission charge: £11.00 per adult (16 and over) and £5.50 per child (under 16). There's no family ticket — those are the two rates. Parking is free for ticket holders but limited, on a first-come-first-served basis, and payment is by card only. You buy your ticket at the Broadwood entrance, where the car park, ticket office, café and toilets all sit together — park and start the walk in one place. There's no need to pre-book; just pay on the day on arrival.
Opening times are seasonal — roughly 9am–7pm in summer (April–August), 9am–4pm in spring and autumn (March, then September–October), and 9am–2.30pm in winter (November–February). The trail can also close in spate or high winds when the gorge paths are unsafe, so check before travelling, especially after heavy rain.
Getting here: the entrance is at Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Broadwood Entrance, Ingleton, Carnforth LA6 3ET — well signposted from the A65 Skipton–Kendal road, and easily reached from Leeds and the M6. It's about 25 miles (around 40 minutes) from Kendal, making this an easy day out from the eastern Lake District. There's no station in Ingleton itself, so most visitors drive; once parked, the whole walk starts from the entrance.
Make a Yorkshire Dales day of it
The falls, a show cave and a viaduct all sit within five minutes' drive of each other on the B6255 — easily one varied day out from the Lakes. Do the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail in the morning, drop into White Scar Caves for an underground hour out of the weather, then finish at the Ribblehead Viaduct for the late light and the story of its lost navvy village.
~6 miles up the B6255 — a free, open-access walk to one of Britain's great railway landmarks, and the lost navvy town that built it. You walk under and around it, not over.
Ribblehead Viaduct walkAbout 2 miles away on the B6255 — Britain's longest show cave, a guided ~80-minute tour underground. Paid and ticketed; perfect if the weather turns.
White Scar CavesWhere it all is
All three stops line up along the B6255 between Ingleton and Ribblehead.
Pins (for your plan): Ingleton Waterfalls Trail · White Scar Caves (B6255, ~2mi NE) · Ribblehead Viaduct (~6mi NE). Open each in Google Maps from its own section.
Common questions
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