Dalton Hill

The walk up Dalton Hill rewards you with proper views across North Yorkshire moorland - the sort of vistas that make you understand why people bother with peaks in the first place. It's not a bruising climb, which is exactly the point. From Leeds it's an easy enough drive out to the base, and the ascent takes most people an hour or so depending on fitness and how often you stop to catch your breath.

What you get is moorland underfoot, decent sightlines to the valleys below, and on a clear day the kind of visibility that lets you pick out distant landmarks. It's the walking that matters here rather than a summit building or viewpoint platform - just open ground and the satisfaction of being higher than the start point. Families with kids who are past the "carry them the whole way" stage will find this manageable; experienced hikers might save it for a leg of something longer.

Stay at one of the caravan parks nearby - Haighfield is closest at 2.6 miles, or Moor Lodge at 3.1 miles - and you've got a solid afternoon outing that doesn't demand a full day's commitment. The ground can be boggy after rain, so pick your weather. Free to access, no permits needed, just park sensibly at the base and head up. It's not dramatic or famous, which is partly why it works. No crowds, no fuss, just Yorkshire moorland the way it should be.