Fall in love with Falling Foss, a scenic waterfall and woodland walk in the North Yorkshire Moors.
If you're looking for a beautiful and scenic walk during your road trip to the Yorkshire coast, you should definitely add Falling Foss Waterfall to your itinerary. Nestled in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, the Falling Foss waterfall is a stunning sight to behold, and the surrounding woodland provides an enchanting stroll. Follow this blog post to learn more about this remarkable natural wonder and discover why it should be included in your next Route YC adventure to the Yorkshire Coast.
Getting There
As you travel on the Whitby leg of Route YC, Falling Foss is located around six miles from the town in the North Yorkshire Moors, and it's an easy detour to reach.
Start by heading out on the A171 and turning off at the sign for May Beck. Then, follow the road into the moors until you reach the Forestry Commission car park, where parking is free. Once you have parked up, don't head over the bridge but up the incline and left to a narrow path going up the hillside, where you will begin your adventure.
Check out our video above and see the sights and sounds that you'll find on this great woodland walk.
The Woodland Walk
Spanning around two miles, this easy circular walk should take around an hour and a half to complete (or longer if you take a stop in the tea room!)
It's perfect for all weather, especially if the sun is strong, as the trees provide excellent shade. However, walking boots or shoes are required as it can be muddy in parts, and dogs must be kept on leads in some sections due to free-roaming sheep and sheer cliff edges.
The woodlands contain a variety of trees and plants, with several types of mushrooms on display in Autumn and many species of birds to admire too.
(c) Route YC
(c) Route YC
(c) Route YC
(c) Route YC
The Falls
Carved from an enormous boulder, Falling Foss is an impressive 30ft waterfall which can be viewed both from ground level or the forest trail high on the hillside. The falls run into May Beck, which winds its way beside you on the remainder of this walk.
Besides the waterfall is a beautiful woodland cottage called Midge Hall which offers a fantastic tea garden offering food and drinks to walkers and families exploring the area from April to October. It was initially built in the eighteenth century as a gamekeeper's cottage and abandoned in the 1960s; since the new owners took over in 2008, they have cherished this ideally located tea room and cottage back to its former glory.
The tea room offers toilets and outdoor seating, some of which are covered. There is also a small play area for children. Offering hot and cold food and an array of cakes, it's tough to walk past!
For those who don't wish to venture far from the tea room and waterfall, an alternative car park is located at Falling Foss itself.
