The 5 Best Expert-Level Hikes in Yorkshire: Epic Challenges for Seasoned Walkers

1. The Complete Lyke Wake Walk (64km)

First completed in 1955, the Lyke Wake Walk traverses the entire breadth of the North York Moors National Park. This is a serious endurance challenge traditionally completed within 24 hours.

This is not a trail for the faint-hearted—it's remote, pathless in sections, and demands expert navigation skills, especially in poor visibility.

2. The Yorkshire Dales High-Level Traverse (45km)

This high-level route connects five major Dales summits (Whernside, Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Dodd Fell Hill, Great Knoutberry Hill), staying consistently above 500m for most of the route.

It's a serious test of mountain fitness and navigation with complex route finding across featureless moorland and scrambling sections.

3. The Howgill Fells Traverse (25km)

The Howgill Fells offer the most dramatic mountain scenery in Yorkshire, with steep-sided valleys and complex ridge systems that feel more like the Lake District than typical Yorkshire terrain.

4. The Dark Peak Yorkshire Circuit (35km)

This route explores the wild, boggy moorlands where West Yorkshire borders the Peak District—some of the most challenging terrain in England for navigation.

This area was used for WWII Commando training because of its difficulty and is still used for Mountain Leader assessments and search and rescue training.

5. The North Sea Coastal Traverse (50km)

This traverse of the Cleveland Way's most demanding sections combines coastal exposure with complex terrain management—Britain's most dramatic coastal walking.