Standard Hill

The walk up Standard Hill from Skipton is the sort of thing you do on a decent morning when the clouds aren't hanging too low over the Dales. It's a proper upland walk - nothing technical, but it will get your heart going if you're not used to the gradients. The view from the top opens right out across Wharfedale and beyond, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Pendle Hill. Worth the effort, that.

There's something straightforward about this hill that appeals to walkers who'd rather skip the tourist circus elsewhere in the Dales. No visitor centre, no car park with facilities, no gift shop. Just moorland, a decent ridge walk, and proper Yorkshire fell scenery. Families with teenagers will find it manageable; younger kids might struggle depending on how fit they are. Allow two to three hours round trip from the base in Skipton.

If you're camping at Howgill Lodge or Bolton Abbey Estate just down the way, Standard Hill makes an excellent half-day venture - close enough that you won't waste half the morning getting there, distant enough that it feels like a proper expedition. The caravan sites at Wharfedale and Draughton Heights are within striking distance too. Come in autumn when the bracken turns golden and the crowds thin out. Spring's nice as well, though the ground can be boggy after rain.