The walk to Catrigg Force takes you between dry stone walls and rolling green hills - classic Yorkshire Dales scenery. You’d never think as you’re walking along that you were about to descend into a little patch of woodland and arrive at one of the most atmospheric waterfalls in the country. Catrigg Force is incredible; a double drop cascade with towering gorge walls that give it a wild and mysterious feel.
It would be beautiful at any time, but if you go after some decent rainfall I can almost guarantee your first glimpse of the falls will leave you in awe. The pool at the base of Catrigg Force makes for one of Yorkshire’s best wild swimming spots, there’s something very special about staring up at the falls and high cliff walls from inside the water.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Catrigg Force via the shortest walking route.
The shortest walk to Catrigg Force
The stats
Distance: 1 mile (1.6km) each way
Elevation gain: 140m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Summary: The walk to reach Catrigg Force is not flat, but the path is well maintained and has good terrain right the way into the gorge. If you want to see the falls from the base or swim in the pool, you’ll have to negotiate a short but narrow section of rocky terrain - walking along the side of the gorge.
Alternatively you could take your boots off and simply walk through the water (which is very shallow at this point even after rain), although it is stony underfoot.
Starting the trail
From the car park in the village of Stainforth (details below) you turn right and walk along the pavement, following the sign for Catrigg Force.
After 80m you’ll reach a junction and head right. You’ll cross over a pretty little bridge and can then take the footpath on the left, which follows the river.
After 50m you’ll leave the footpath and take a left, arriving at the village green (there’s no parking available here, which is why you have to use the main car park).
From the village green, you’ll bear right and begin heading uphill on a stony path, you’ll see a sign for the falls as you start the climb. The wide stony path is relatively steep, but easy to walk on.
As you climb the views behind you get better and better, with those classic scenes of rolling hills and small rocky outcrops.
It was quite windy along this stretch on our visit, but happily down at the falls the woodland shields you from the wind, which was very welcome.
Arriving at the gorge
There are a few flat sections along the way, but for most of the walk to the falls it’s all uphill. When the gradient slackens you’ll soon notice a gate on the left, this is 1.3km into the trail. It’s signposted as Catrigg Force and from here you will begin descending towards the gorge.
The next 150m are on a good gravel path, so the descent is quite easy. You’ll then pass through a gate and into some pretty woodland.
The next 100m are spent descending on a dirt path further into the gorge, it wasn’t muddy or slippery despite the fact we were visiting after weeks of heavy rainfall.
However, the very last bit does get muddy and a bit slippery. It’s only a 50m section and not too bad, but we did have to watch our step - although it’s probably fine when it hasn’t been too wet.
You’ll come to a large log, which was a coveted spot for people wanting to sit and admire the falls without having to do the last little bit through the gorge to get to the pool (this is 1.5km into the trail). The view is nice from here, but it’s nothing on what’s to come if you walk less than 50m further on.
Reaching the bottom of Catrigg Force
The next little bit of the walk to reach the base of the falls is not difficult, but if wet it can be a touch slippery. You have to walk over a few big rocks and then along a rocky platform.
Depending on water levels the very last bit can involve some rock hopping, which requires a good leg stretch - however as I tend to be quite clumsy, it was easier to take off my boots and walk in the water.
Even after heavy rain the water level was only at ankle height and it was easy to walk through. You’ll then arrive at the base of the falls where there are plenty of large rocks to sit on, on both sides of the river.
We saw lots of people on the log debating this last stretch and some didn’t go for it, but honestly it is quite easy (especially if you take your boots off) so I would highly recommend going for it as the view is just fantastic.
When you’re ready to leave the falls, after the first little bit walking up and out of the wood, the trail is all downhill or flat, so it’s a very quick stroll back to the car park.
Swimming at Catrigg Force
Catrigg Force is a fabulous wild swimming spot. The pool is large and the gorge walls give it a dramatic feel. It’s from inside the water that you can really see into the upper falls, with several cascades and a mossy cliff wall.
I love swimming in rivers and lakes, but there’s something about these canyon waterfall pools that just feels special. Wild and adventurous, despite the fact it’s so easy to access.
To get into the water you have to walk over a few rocks, but not many, and once inside the pool it’s pretty unobstructed; I didn’t bump into any rocks at all.
The water is cold (even in summer), but the pool is big enough to swim, so you quickly warm up. Despite the huge flow in the falls, the current wasn’t too bad at all - much lighter than at some smaller waterfall pools I’d been to recently.
The one thing that may put some people off is the colour of the water. It’s full of tannins, so it’s basically tea coloured. However, though that does slightly spoil the aesthetic, the water is clean and great for swimming.
If the water coming over the falls is muddy brown, then it will be flood water and not good for swimming, but if the pool is tea coloured, that’s tannins.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for Catrigg Force
The best place to park for Catrigg Force to follow our route is the Main Road car park in Stainforth (near Settle), postcode BD24 9PQ. The car park isn’t huge, but even when we visited in the summer holidays there was plenty of space.
The parking charges at time of writing are £3.50 for up to 2 hours and £5.50 for more than 2 hours. Two hours was just right for us, which included plenty of time for swimming.
There are toilets available at the car park, but nowhere else along the trail.
Getting to Stainforth
Stainforth is a 20 minutes from Ingleton, 35 minutes from Skipton and just under an hour from Lancaster.
There’s very limited public transport options, but there is a bus that runs from Settle to Stainforth three times a day (at time of writing the number 11 bus departs Settle at 9.18am, 11.28am and 2.13pm, approximately 15 minutes long). You can also get a bus back from Stainforth three times a day (9.44am, 11.59am and 2.39pm).
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