A winter photography adventure through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of England’s most spectacular landscapes. From the remote, windswept summit of Wild Boar Fell to the dramatic Norber Erratics, it’s one of our favourite places to explore.

We’re lucky to have the Dales on our doorstep, just a short journey by direct train from our home in Leeds. After spotting a promising weather forecast during a cold spell in January – heavy snow on Tuesday, followed by bright, cloudless skies on Wednesday – Matt set an early alarm ready to catch the train into the national park for a day of winter hiking.

Last year’s snow-day adventure at Ribblehead had been cloudy and foggy throughout, so the promise of clear, sunny skies was extra enticing. The excitement was justified, with sublime conditions from start to finish. From an early morning at Ribblehead to sunset underneath the slopes of Pen-y-ghent, here are 40 photos from a stunning January snow day in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Yorkshire Dales in the snow hide

1 Arriving at the Ribblehead Viaduct as snow covered the ground

2 Morning trains crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct

3 Ingleborough at its best on a wintery day

4 A distant view of Pen-y-ghent from Ribblehead

5 The snowy roads of the Yorkshire Dales

6 The beautiful Yorkshire Dales barns look magnificent in the snow

7 The snowy sheep of the Yorkshire Dales

8 More beautiful views in the snow between Ribblehead and Pen-y-ghent

9 Arriving at Pen-y-ghent from Ribblehead

10 Distant hikers descending from Pen-y-ghent’s frozen summit

11 A sublime sunset at the end of a snowy day in the Yorkshire Dales

12 The Yorkshire Dales in the snow: how to do it

13 Packing the essentials for a snow day in the Dales

Arriving at the Ribblehead Viaduct as snow covered the ground

My train from Leeds arrived at 9:06am. This was just under an hour after sunrise, so I knew I had missed the best of the morning’s golden hour. However, the low winter sun still cast long, magical shadows across the landscape.

There was barely another soul around. A few workers in bright pink vests milled around the foot of the Ribblehead Viaduct, whilst a couple of hikers wrapped up in full winter gear set off up the snow-covered path towards Whernside.

I made my way over to the viaduct to begin my day.

The B6255 road near Ribblehead in Yorkshire. — Blea Moor Road just after sunrise at Ribblehead.

The Ribblehead Viaduct on a beautiful morning in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. — The Ribblehead Viaduct looked sublime on this wintery morning.

A lone hiker walking underneath the Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire. — A lone hiker made his way through the snowy scene, with the Ribblehead Viaduct in the background.

Snowy scenery visible through the arches of the Ribblehead Viaduct. — The snowy scenes were beautifully framed by the impressive arches of the viaduct.

A wide-angle view of the Ribblehead Viaduct. — The full expanse of the Ribblehead Viaduct on display, with Ingleborough visible in the left of the frame.

Morning trains crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct

Whilst the Ribblehead Viaduct is synonymous with steam trains heading along the world-famous Settle-Carlisle route, there would be no such sights in store on this January morning. Instead, the white and blue of the regular Northern service was a decent substitute, with a couple of trains crossing over the famous railway bridge whilst I explored the snow-covered limestone pavements nearby.

A Northern Rail train crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct. — A Northern service making its way across the Ribblehead Viaduct.

A train on the Ribblehead Viaduct, with Ingleborough in the background. — The flat summit plateau of Ingleborough made for a stunning backdrop as the trains crossed the viaduct.

A train with three carriages on the Ribblehead Viaduct in the snow. — The snow-covered slopes were a sublime sight as the sun shone.

A wide-angle view of the Ribblehead Viaduct, with a train crossing it. — On this beautiful snowy morning, the passing trains made for a spectacular sight.

Ingleborough at its best on a wintery day

Ingleborough, with its perfectly flat summit, is probably my favourite of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Ribblehead is one of the best vantage points for appreciating its full scale, and it looked even better in the snow.

Ingleborough in the snow, taken from Ribblehead — The flat summit of Ingleborough looked magnificent covered in snow.

A Northern rail train providing some scale to Ingleborough. — A Northern service providing some scale to the immense slopes of Ingleborough.

A distant view of Pen-y-ghent from Ribblehead

Having got off the train at Ribblehead, I would be finishing my snow day over at Pen-y-ghent. When viewed from the rocks around Ribblehead, the snowy peak made for a spectacular sight.

Pen-y-ghent in the distance on a snowy day in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. — A distant view of Pen-y-ghent, with rocks above Ribblehead providing the foreground.

Another perspective on a snow-covered Pen-y-ghent taken from Ribblehead. — Another perspective on the snow-covered peak of Pen-y-ghent, seen in the distance from Ribblehead.

The snowy roads of the Yorkshire Dales

Only a handful of hardy cars and vans had headed to the Ribblehead car park. Despite the low numbers of visitors, the roads were in remarkably good condition. I spotted a gritting lorry making its way up and down the route throughout the morning, which would certainly have helped any driver brave enough to venture into the national park after the snowfall overnight.

A beautiful view on Gauber Road near Ribblehead. — A view down Gauber Road towards Pen-y-ghent, just after leaving Ribblehead behind.

Looking back at the snow-covered peak of Whernside from Gauber Road. — Looking back down Gauber Road towards the Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside.

The beautiful Yorkshire Dales barns look magnificent in the snow

Along with drystone walls, the stoic stone barns of the Yorkshire Dales are an ever-present feature of the landscapes. They always make for an interesting sight, but they looked even better on this sunny, snowy day.

A barn in the Yorkshire Dales on a snowy day. — One of my favourite barns in the Yorkshire Dales, taken from the Gauber Road as I headed towards Pen-y-ghent along the Three Peaks route.

A barn next to a river covered in snow in Yorkshire. — A lone barn stood next to a river along the Three Peaks route between Pen-y-ghent and Ribblehead. Whernside provided an impressive backdrop.

A classic Yorkshire Dales barn beneath Whernside on a snowy day. — A distant barn provides some scale, with the snow-covered summit of Whernside looming large.

The snowy sheep of the Yorkshire Dales

It wouldn’t be a trip to the Dales without encountering a flock or two of sheep. About halfway between Ribblehead and Pen-y-ghent, near High Birkwith, I came across a couple of groups looking chilly but content in the bright wintery sun.

A sheep in the snow in Yorkshire. — A lone sheep on the route to Pen-y-ghent, with Simon Fell covered in snow in the background.

A small group of sheep in the snow in the Yorkshire Dales. — A small group of sheep stand in the snow between Ribblehead and Pen-y-ghent, with Ingleborough, Simon Fell and Place Fell in the background.

More beautiful views in the snow between Ribblehead and Pen-y-ghent

For many walkers tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the long section – seven miles or so – between Pen-y-ghent and Ribblehead can be one of the most arduous stretches of the hike. However, on this snowy day, every corner and hill brought a new surprise. From distant views of Whernside’s slopes to the dozens of drystone walls that stood out against the white landscape, each mile was a treat rather than a slog.

Two hikers heading through the snow towards Whernside. — Two hikers heading towards Whernside on the Three Peaks route from Pen-y-ghent.

A signpost for the Yorkshire Three Peaks. — A signpost tells me that I’m on the right track – the Yorkshire Three Peaks route.

A Northern Rail trains goes through the snow in the Yorkshire Dales. — Another Northern service making its way through the snowy landscape of the Yorkshire Dales.

A beautiful view of Whernside above trees in the snow in Yorkshire. — Whernside towering over a small copse of trees, with the Ribblehead Viaduct visible below the snow-covered slopes.

A permissive path sign in Yorkshire on a snowy day. — A sign informing hikers that the path is permissive, meaning it crosses private land. Landowners often close a permissive path for one day each year to prevent any future claims against the path being a continuous public right of way.

Dry stone walls in the snow in the Yorkshire Dales. — Dry stone walls crisscross the snowy landscape.

A fence disappears into the distance of a snow-covered field in Yorkshire. — Fences are also a frequent feature of the landscape as you stroll through the Yorkshire Dales.

A gate and a signpost in the snow in Yorkshire. — A gate and a signpost appear as I draw nearer to Pen-y-ghent and the sun begins to set.

Fields and dry stone walls in Yorkshire, looking out towards Settle. — Fields and drystone walls dominate the landscape as I look out towards Settle from the approach to Pen-y-ghent.

Arriving at Pen-y-ghent from Ribblehead

Eventually, the dramatic cliffs of Pen-y-ghent’s summit appeared on the horizon. It was mid-afternoon and, with sunset at 4:21pm, the low sun had already begun casting long shadows across the landscape. It was a sublime sight.

Dry stone wall and Pen-y-ghent in the background. — A drystone wall provided a wonderful foreground as Pen-y-ghent came into view.

A close-up view of the dramatic slopes of Pen-y-ghent on a late January afternoon. — The dramatic cliffs of Pen-y-ghent made for a stunning sight as the sun began to set.

Another snowy glimpse up at the summit of Pen-y-ghent. — Another view of Pen-y-ghent from the snowy path.

Distant hikers descending from Pen-y-ghent’s frozen summit

With less than an hour to go until sunset, most of the hikers on Pen-y-ghent’s summit started to descend. Some stopped for a while to admire the views, before carrying on down the zigzag path.

Hikers near the summit of Pen-y-ghent on a snowy day. — Hikers near the summit of Pen-y-ghent, looking out at the snow-covered landscape beneath them.

Walking down the path from the summit of Pen-y-ghent. — Descending the zig-zag path from Pen-y-ghent’s summit as golden light hits the slopes.

A sublime sunset at the end of a snowy day in the Yorkshire Dales

I stuck around at the foot of Pen-y-ghent as the light began to fade. The evening was perfectly still. Every so often, there was the faintest hint of a gentle breeze blowing through the long grasses that stuck out of the snow. Otherwise, it was silent.

Every so often, the distant chatter of hikers – remarkably clear despite being hundreds of metres away – punctuated the tranquil scene. The occasional bird call echoed around the hills.

A remarkable glow lit up the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon, setting just to the left of Ingleborough’s summit plateau. Shadows stretched and danced across the landscape as night crept in.

As I made my way back towards Horton in Ribblesdale, I turned to look back at Pen-y-ghent. The summit was ablaze with a warm, pink alpenglow – a perfect sight to end a beautiful snowy day in the Yorkshire Dales.

A beautiful sunset view of Ingleborough. — A beautiful sunset view across to Ingleborough.

The rolling snowy hills of the Yorkshire Dales at sunset. — Shadows play on the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales as the light begins to fade.

A view of Pen-y-ghent at sunset from a gate. — The last light of the day illuminates Pen-y-ghent.

Alpenglow warms the summit of Pen-y-ghent at the end of a snowy day in Yorkshire. — Alpenglow warms the snow-covered summit of Pen-y-ghent as I make my way towards Horton in Ribblesdale to catch my train.

A photographer with a tripod at sunset in the Yorkshire Dales. — A distant photographer stands with their tripod as the sun sets on a beautiful snowy day in Yorkshire.

Sunset glow in Yorkshire. — The final glow at the end of a sublime day.

The Yorkshire Dales in the snow: how to do it

Snow forecast: I had been monitoring BBC Weather for Horton in Ribblesdale, the Mountain Weather Information Service for the Yorkshire Dales and the Mountain Forecast for Whernside in the days leading up to the hike. Everything pointed to this particular day being ideal for a snowy hike in the Dales.

Final confirmation of conditions: For the final confirmation that it would be worth making the journey into the Dales, I checked the conditions on the Ribblehead Viaduct webcam.

Getting there by public transport: Northern runs a regular train service between Leeds and Carlisle that stops at Ribblehead and Horton in Ribblesdale. I caught the 07:48 from Leeds, arriving into Ribblehead at 09:06. On my way back, I caught the 17:49 from Horton in Ribblesdale, arriving in Leeds at 19:08. An off-peak day return costs £19.30, but you can get cheaper deals using advance tickets and railcards.

The route: To get between Ribblehead and Horton in Ribblesdale, I followed the Yorkshire Three Peaks route before dropping off towards Horton in Ribblesdale. The Three Peaks section between Ribblehead and Pen-y-ghent is roughly seven miles (11.2 kilometres), although I covered a greater distance than this, thanks to multiple detours along the way. In all, my tracker tells me I walked for 22 kilometres.

Packing the essentials for a snow day in the Dales

Food: There are no food shops in either Ribblehead or Horton in Ribblesdale – make sure to take a packed lunch, plenty of snacks and generous amounts of water. The Station Inn at Ribblehead is the best pub on the route. There are two further pubs in Horton in Ribblesdale – the Golden Lion is your best bet here.

Clothing: If you’re venturing out into the Yorkshire Dales in the snow, be sure to pack warm. This is particularly true if you’ll be taking breaks for photos, or otherwise moving slowly. I wore two base layers, a warm jumper and a big down jacket. Together with thin gloves and a hat, this kept me warm enough. If the sun hadn’t been shining, I may have wanted an extra layer or thicker gloves. Footwear is also key – waterproof hiking or mountain boots are the best bet in the snow, along with suitably warm socks. You will get wet and keeping your feet dry is a must.

Equipment: Given that I wasn’t planning on hiking to the top of any of the peaks, I opted to leave serious winter gear (ice axe and proper crampons) at home. Instead, I packed some lightweight microspikes that I could put over the tops of my boots if needed. Ultimately, the snow was so fresh that I didn’t need to use them. However, they would have come in handy in icier conditions.