Dales Trail 2025

The trail takes you around the perimeter of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and across large areas of uninhabited upland terrain as well as through small villages in Malhamdale to the south, Swaledale to the north, Cumbria to the west and Nidderdale to the east.

The Dales Trail event on the 6th – 8th September 2025 is a fixed route, single stage, self supported bikepacking event over three days across 320kms (200 miles) of remote moorland, steep valley slopes, bogs, fords, streams, rock gardens, bothies, onto remote pubs, village cafes, castles, abbeys, Coop mini stores and a few welcome stretches of tarmac on narrow lanes. 9am group start in Settle at 3 Peaks Cycles. The event is kindly supported by RESTRAP.

The route is unmarked and there is no outside assistance. Expert navigation skills and experience of riding ‘rough stuff’ terrain are required. The route is approximately 75% ‘off-road’ with three Control Points.

The reward is a unique embroidered cloth badge made in Leeds.

Highlights of the route include: Moorland singletrack through Bowderdale in the Howgill Fells, Miners tracks to Blakethwaite Smelt Mill in Swaledale, Limestone track on the slopes of Ingleborough, Quiet lanes across the Westmorland Dales, Double track to Dent’s Houses, Apedale, Cam High Road and Ribblehead Viaduct, Clapper bridge at the edge of Feizor, Drovers Lanes in Malhamdale, Podgill Viaduct, Eden Valley, Descent from Tan Hill, Fremington Edge, and Skyreholme Bank.