Dales Way: GPX, map & 6 stages
131 km in United Kingdom · 6 stages · 1,690 m ascent · public transport on every stage · best Apr–Oct
Plan Dales Way with the full GPX download, 6 stage GPX files, map, elevation profile, and public transport on every stage. Choose a stage, open it in Planner, or download GPX before you go.
An automatic guide. TrailSplits built it from OpenStreetMap and cut it into 6 stages at roughly even distances, 4 of the 5 breaks at a public-transport stop. They are not the official stages or checked overnight stops, and TrailSplits has not checked the stays, water or closures. Check them with the trail's operator before you go. The trail's own site.
Quick answer: Dales Way is a 131 km long-distance route from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere. TrailSplits built this guide automatically from OpenStreetMap and cut it into 6 stages at roughly even distances, 4 of the 5 breaks at a public-transport stop; they are not the official stages or checked overnight stops. It has the map, elevation profile, full GPX download and public transport on every stage.
131km
Total Distance
6
Stages
1,690m
Total Ascent
208
Transit Stops
Plan Dales Way
Dales Way covers 131 km from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere with 1,690 m of ascent. Use the mapped GPX, stage GPX files, elevation profile, and public transport stops to choose a hiking, trail running, or fastpacking schedule.
- Best season
- April to October· from climate averages
- GPX coverage
- Full route plus 6 stage GPX files
- Transit access
- All 6 stages start or finish by public transport
- Stage options
- 7 days hiking / 3 days trail running / 4 days fastpacking
- Route coverage
- Complete mapped route
- Field use
- Route tools available
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for low point (57 m) and high point (518 m)…
Month by month
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (57 m) and the highest point (518 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Mixed |
| Stages rated good on typical weather | 0/6 | 0/6 | 3/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 4/6 | 0/6 |
| High point, day / night | 4°/0° | 5°/0° | 7°/1° | 10°/2° | 13°/5° | 16°/8° | 17°/9° | 17°/9° | 14°/7° | 10°/5° | 7°/2° | 5°/0° |
| Low point, day / night | 7°/2° | 7°/1° | 10°/3° | 12°/4° | 15°/7° | 18°/10° | 19°/12° | 19°/11° | 17°/9° | 13°/7° | 10°/4° | 7°/1° |
| Rain, mm | 186 | 148 | 130 | 101 | 105 | 119 | 142 | 154 | 148 | 184 | 187 | 206 |
| Snow at high point | Possible | Possible | Possible | Frost | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Possible |
| Daylight | 7 h 52 | 9 h 43 | 11 h 44 | 13 h 59 | 15 h 58 | 17 h 10 | 16 h 43 | 14 h 59 | 12 h 49 | 10 h 39 | 8 h 34 | 7 h 22 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Why transit-optimized?
We present Dales Way as 6 stages with public-transport access, so you can plan the hike without a car.
Take Dales Way offline — free
Most trail guides are just a page to read. TrailSplits is a free app you install straight from your browser — download the whole Dales Way map to your phone and follow the route with no signal, in multi-day battery mode. No app store, no account, no subscription.
- ✓ Offline map for the full route
- ✓ Turn-by-turn navigation
- ✓ Download before losing signal; carry backup power
Long route — you can download it stage by stage to save space.
Download for offline — pick your stages
Save the sections you'll walk, or download the whole route. Each selection saves its map and GPX in My Hikes. Stages are not necessarily overnight stops. Before leaving signal, reopen and test your downloads on this device.
Trail route lab
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Full Trail Map
Route briefing
What comes next
Descents and access in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
Ilkley
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-08-26
About 0 min in
131.4 km remaining
+1690 m remaining
Access
0 m
Ilkley
Train station
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-08-26
About 0 min in
131.4 km remaining
+1690 m remaining
Descent
59.7 km
201 m descent
3.1 km at 6.4% average
Dales Way Association · source 2026-08-26
About 13h 51m in
71.8 km remaining
+845 m remaining
Descent
66.3 km
206 m descent
5.8 km at 3.6% average
Dales Way Association · source 2026-08-26
About 15h 23m in
65.2 km remaining
+721 m remaining
Access
131.4 km
Bowness Pier 1
Station
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-08-26
About 30h 30m in
36 m remaining
+0 m remaining
Access
131.4 km
Bowness Pier 3
Station
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-08-26
About 30h 30m in
36 m remaining
+0 m remaining
Finish
131.4 km
Bowness-on-Windermere
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-08-26
About 30h 31m in
0 m remaining
Stage Directory
Browse the stages — swipe to compare
Ilkley → Linton
Linton → Starbotton
Starbotton → Ribblehead
Ribblehead → Sedbergh
Sedbergh → Grayrigg
Grayrigg → Bowness-on-Windermere
| # | Stage | Distance | Ascent | Time | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ilkley → Linton | 26.2 km | +266m | 5h 49m | 🚌 |
| 2 | Linton → Starbotton | 13.9 km | +229m | 3h 16m | 🚌 |
| 3 | Starbotton → Ribblehead | 23.9 km | +442m | 5h 40m | 🚌 |
| 4 | Ribblehead → Sedbergh | 25.6 km | +213m | 5h 50m | 🚌 |
| 5 | Sedbergh → Grayrigg | 17.3 km | +233m | 4h 02m | 🚌 |
| 6 | Grayrigg → Bowness-on-Windermere | 24.6 km | +355m | 5h 51m | 🚌 |
| Total | 131.4 km | +1,690m | 30h 30m |
Draft day-by-day itinerary
Dales Way grouped at mapped section boundaries. Overnight accommodation and access are not verified. Review each day's effort and book suitable stops before using this as a hiking plan.
4 days in this draft — about 32.9 km/day, 131.5 km and 1,738 m of ascent total.
- Day 1 Stage 126.2 km · +266 m · ~5h 48m
- 1. Ilkley → Linton 26.2 km · +266 m
🚌 Nearby transit: Linton - Fountain Inn (not an accommodation recommendation)
- Day 2 Stages 2–337.8 km · +671 m · ~9h
- 2. Linton → Starbotton 13.9 km · +229 m
- 3. Starbotton → Ribblehead 23.9 km · +442 m
- Day 3 Stages 4–542.9 km · +446 m · ~9h 54m
- 4. Ribblehead → Sedbergh 25.6 km · +213 m
- 5. Sedbergh → Grayrigg 17.3 km · +233 m
🚌 Nearby transit: Primary School (not an accommodation recommendation)
- Day 4 Stage 624.6 km · +355 m · ~5h 54m
- 6. Grayrigg → Bowness-on-Windermere 24.6 km · +355 m
🚌 Nearby transit: Burnside Hotel (S bound) (not an accommodation recommendation)
Want a downloadable GPX for each day, or a different number of days? Open the Multi-Day Itinerary Builder →
How Long Does It Take?
Comfortable pace with time to enjoy the scenery. 7 days.
Elevation Profile
Transit Stops Along the Trail
Bus and train stops within 2 km of the trail, sorted by distance along the route. Tap a stop to see it on the trail map or get directions.
Dales Way is a 131 km long-distance hiking trail in United Kingdom. This guide includes 6 suggested planning stages with route access, distance, elevation and a separate GPX for each day.
Dales Way — frequently asked questions
How long is Dales Way?
Dales Way is a 131 km long-distance route from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere, presented as 6 stages with map, full GPX download, elevation profile, Planner handoff, and public transport on every stage.
How many days do you need for Dales Way?
The distance-based examples cover 3-7 days for 131 km. They are not verified overnight itineraries. Choose days around your ability, ascent, accommodation and current conditions, not distance alone.
When is the best time to hike Dales Way?
Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on Dales Way is usually best from April to October. December is the wettest. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them and current conditions for your dates.
Can you reach Dales Way by public transport?
This page lists public transport on every stage in United Kingdom as planning references. Nearby stops do not guarantee a walkable connection. Check access paths, operating dates and current timetables before relying on public transport.
Can I download GPX files for Dales Way?
Yes. TrailSplits has a full GPX and 6 stage GPX downloads for Dales Way — load them on a Garmin, Suunto, COROS, or your phone, or open any stage in the Planner.
How hard is Dales Way?
Dales Way is rated epic: 131 km with roughly 1,690 m of total ascent, with a high point near 518 m. The elevation profile, per-stage climb, and surface breakdown on this page help you judge each section.
Ready to hike Dales Way?
Pick your first stage below and download the GPX. Every stage includes transit notes.
More long-distance trails to explore
🗂️ Open data source: Dales Way on OpenStreetMap (relation 29302). Transit stops from OSM. Official site: https://www.dalesway.org.