When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to be taken on lots of days out. However, if I’m being brutally honest only a few still shine in my memory now that I’m in my late twenties. And the Ingleton Waterfall Trail is one of them.
So What Is The Waterfall Trail?
Well babycakes, the clue is in the name. The trail follows two rivers and covers around four and a half miles. Whilst the pathways aren’t man-made we went after a week of non-stop rain and found them to be OK. This said, a few areas were boggy and slippery, so maybe don’t wear you box fresh trainers if you want them to stay white.
We saw plenty of people with push chairs, toddlers and babies but be aware that there are quite a lot of hills and steps. There are also generally loads of dogs. If you’re a dog lover, this place is fairly close to heaven when it comes to meeting friendly pooches.
Over the course of the walk there is around six waterfalls, and admittedly some are more impressive than others. With most of the waterfalls you can get up, close and personal and it’s not unusual to see some people swimming in the shallows or climbing under the rocks. Though obviously, I’d recommend not doing so unless you are 100% confident (no matter how good the photo op is.)
What do you need?
I’m just going to go ahead and state the obvious – shoes you can walk in that you don’t mind getting muddy and wet.
The last time we went, it was a spur of the moment decision so we were in jeans and a t-shirt and it was completely fine. If you’re more organised than us though I would recommend leggings/tracksuits etc though you will also see lots of the Seriously Outdoor People in full walking gear, with the pointy little hiking sticks and everything.
Even though this is a nice old fashioned country side walk, take cash. In fact, let me double down on that take cold hard cash, not a card. You have to pay for parking and there is a small shop half way round where you can buy drinks/ice cream/sandwiches etc.
Towards the latter quarter of the trail you’ll find an ice cream van stuck in the middle of nowhere, like a gift from the Gods. Maybe I’m just being tight, but be warned a standard ice-cream from here is nearing £4.00 and if you power through for just a bit longer the trail will end outside a fish and chip shop that will have your mouth watering.
Also, the coins come in handy as there are ‘money trees’ dotted around the trail where you can use rocks to push a coin into the tree for good luck.
If you’re taking a dog I’d recommend taking a towel for the car, because they will get muddy and wet.
Top Tip: Get there as early as you can.
This views on this trail are truly wild and untamed, making you forget about all of the trappings of the modern world and really help me feel connected to the earth. Both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense.
However the Ingleton Waterfall Trail is immensely popular so I would recommend getting there as early as you can. Otherwise you may find yourself caught up in families and coach groups. Plus the earlier you get there, the less likely it is you will end up queuing to get that Instagram shot.