From rolling hills to striking waterfalls and unique limestone formations, the Yorkshire Dales are a special landscape shaped by human and natural activities. Dotted with distinctive drystone walls, field barns and charming towns and villages, the Dales comprise a variety of semi-natural habitats including patchwork farmland, moorland and meadows.
The Park is vital for many limestone-loving plants and the wildlife they support. Over a quarter of England’s upland hay meadows are found in the Dales, providing a home for nationally important populations of ground nesting birds like the black grouse, alongside rare orchids and other grassland species.
Did you know? There is a species of moss in the Yorkshire Dales that grows nowhere else in the world.
Designated: 11/1954
Habitats: Hay meadows, farmland, moorland
Common wildlife: Waders, including lapwing and curlew
Star spots: Black grouse, red squirrels
Notable towns and cultural sights: Richmond, Fountains Abbey, Wensleydale railway
Notable nature sights: Caves, The Pennine Way, Malham Cove
Popular activities for visitors: Hill climbing, hiking, cycling, rock climbing
Highest peak: Whernside at 736 meters above sea level
Annual visitor numbers: 4.7 million in 2019
Threats: Increasing pressures from farming, climate change
