Barns in Ingleborough National Nature Reserve with swimming
Pitch below the Yorkshire Dales’ biggest peaks to see rewilding in action and go waterfall watching.
- Ingleborough National Nature Reserve
Popular camping styles for Ingleborough National Nature Reserve
Barns in Ingleborough National Nature Reserve with swimming guide
Overview
Ingleborough is the second-highest summit in Yorkshire Dales National Park, popularly climbed as part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, along with nearby Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent. Yet Ingleborough is also an NNR extending north and east of the peak—this area drives an impressive rewilding project seeking to restore the beautiful limestone grasslands and peat bog-spattered moor. The best NNR access point is Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the east side, sporting a campsite and pub. South of the NNR, the moorland rises to Ingleborough summit, best approached from Ingleton. Campers come mainly for hiking, but also to go caving and check out Ingleton’s eye-catching waterfalls.
Where to go
Horton-in-Ribblesdale
A stop on the super-scenic mainline railway, Horton-in-Ribblesdale is among the most important Yorkshire Dales trailheads, with Ingleborough off west and Pen-y-Ghent east. The two are commonly hiked from here as part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, and the village centre’s camping options heighten its popularity. Access the NNR to the west of the village—the out-and-back hike to Ingleborough summit is nine miles long.
Ribblehead & Chapel-le-Dale
The northern and western edges of the NNR are respectively flanked by Ribblehead (with a station on the Settle to Carlisle line) and Chapel-le-Dale. The station has a pub and café-cum-visitor centre, plus access onto the northern end of the NNR. To the southwest, however, Chapel-le-Dale has the area’s only campsite, another pub, and better access to the NNR’s western side and up to Ingleborough summit.
Ingleborough Common & Ingleborough
South of Ingleborough NNR is the area’s knockout scenery—picture the summit of Ingleborough wrapped in the expansive, crag-dotted moorland of Ingleborough Common. Potholes and caves riddle this speleologist’s heaven, while gaping Ingleborough Cave and White Scar Cave can be toured. Camp around Ingleton or Austwick to take trails running onto the common and then north onto Ingleborough NNR.
Ingleton & Around
Enchanting Ingleton has long been accustomed to being a tourist draw. The fabulous walks to Ingleton Waterfalls visit several cascades that churn through steep-sided wooded valleys, while to the north, White Scar Cave is another attraction. Hikers can also head up onto barren Ingleborough Common and Ingleborough summit via the Pennine Way trail, and from here continue north or east to explore Ingleborough NNR. Campsites can be found close to the Ingleton Waterfalls trail and southeast of Ingleton.
