Walk · North Yorkshire

Leeds and Liverpool Canal: Skipton to Gargrave

Skipton · BD23 1LH

5MILES

2hON FOOT

15mCLIMB

Linear — plan the returnSHAPE

The route A-road B-road Lane Track Path Water Woodland

Off-road 95% 5% shares tarmac with cars

Lane & track 95%Road with traffic 5%

Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill. Off-lead information here is what walkers reported or what signage allows — never our advice. Whether and when a dog is off the lead is the owner’s decision and legal responsibility; keep dogs under control near livestock and follow signs on the day.

Starts at

BD23 1LH

Directions to the start →

Five flat miles of towpath from Skipton to Gargrave along the lock-free summit level of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, about two hours each way, on a firm surfaced path that stays walkable when the fells are under water. Start at Skipton canal basin off Coach Street and finish at Gargrave, where the hourly 580 bus and the Leeds-Morecambe train will both get you back to Skipton so you need not walk it twice. There is not a single stile on the whole route and no livestock on the towpath, which makes it the obvious choice for a big dog or an old one, but keep leads on: the water is deep with steep stone edging, cyclists come through fast, and moored boats have their own dogs aboard.

THE SMALL PRINTLeads on the towpath - deep water with steep stone edges, shared with cyclists, and moored boats along much of the route.

REGION · NORTH YORKSHIRE

GRID · 53.9615, -2.0175

SOURCE · HTTPS://CANALRIVERTRUST.ORG.UK/THINGS-TO-DO/WALKING/CANAL-AND-RIVER-WALKS-NEAR-ME/GARGRAVE-TO-SKIPTON-WALK

Know one we have missed?

Tell us the pub we have not walked into yet.

Local knowledge beats desk research every time. Name the place and we will check it properly — the venue's own policy, confirmed, then stamped and dated like every other listing.

Wagfinder Members

Your patch, watched for you.

£4.99 A MONTH · OR £48 A YEAR

Restriction alerts for your saved beaches — know before the ban starts, not at the slipway sign.

New-place notifications in your area, the day we stamp them in.

Member perks at claimed venues across Britain.

Become a member

ENTER DOG OF THE MONTH · RESTRICTION ALERTS · CANCEL ANY TIME

Leeds and Liverpool Canal: Skipton to Gargrave

A taste of Thailand

Aagrah Restaurant

Ackroyds Wine Bar

Dog-friendly cottages you can book

Tell us the pub we have not walked into yet.

Get the new stamps first.

Your patch, watched for you.