Haw Crag

The walk up Haw Crag rewards you with views that stretch across the Pennines on a clear day - proper lung-bursting stuff, but the payoff is there. It's a modest peak by any standard, nothing dramatic, but that's rather the point. You get the sense of genuine accomplishment without needing mountaineering skills or hours of your day.

This is walker territory, full stop. The scramble to the summit keeps it interesting enough that casual strollers might find it a touch steep for what it is, and children under ten could struggle with the final push. But for anyone wanting a solid morning out from Skipton, it ticks the box. The ridge walk takes maybe two hours return if you're not dawdling, which leaves you time for lunch and a proper look around.

Access is free - you're on fell land - and there's no better time than late spring or early autumn when the weather's kind and the crowds are thinner. Summer weekends can bring a few bodies up here, but nothing like the honeypots further south.

If you're basing yourself at Wood Nook Caravan Park or Deerstone Glamping, Haw Crag makes a cracking morning adventure before settling in for the afternoon. It fits perfectly into a broader walking holiday in the area - combine it with routes across the moorland, and you've got days of proper fell walking without the Lakeland premium prices.