Gray's Seat

The walk up to Gray's Seat takes about twenty minutes from the car park near Lancaster, and it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs but not so brutal that you need specialist kit. Once you're up there, you get a proper vista across the Lune Valley - the kind of view that makes you understand why people bothered to name the spot in the first place.

It's essentially a high point with a bench and some breathing space, nothing fancy. The real appeal is what spreads out below: farmland, the river winding through, and on a clear day you can see across to the Pennines. Walkers will appreciate it as a decent half-day outing, especially if you combine it with a stroll around Crook O'Lune Holiday Park's immediate surroundings - the landscape flows nicely between them. Kids won't spend hours here, but they'll get a kick out of the climb and the reward of the view.

Free to visit, no facilities to speak of, so bring water. Spring and autumn are your best bets weather-wise, though summer is fine if you don't mind sharing the path with other people. Winter can be muddy and slick, so check the ground before committing.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Bay View or Hidden Hills are close enough - this makes a solid morning or afternoon activity. It's the kind of place that justifies a park holiday in Lancashire without needing you to travel far. Not revolutionary, but honest and rewarding.