Hiker, biker, and writer, author Cían Byrne loves all things outdoors. Find him at home in Ireland or off exploring somewhere he's never been before.
Welcome to The North. Yorkshire, a county in England nestled between the Pennines and the North Sea, is a place where you come for the people, the landscapes, and the trails. Dominated by three national parks—including the Peak District, a renowned hiking and climbing destination—and three designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (great title), Yorkshire is a part of the world where the wilderness rules supreme, where hikers come to experience the elements, and where everyone finishes off the day with a cup of proper Yorkshire tea or pint of local ale down the pub. It’s more laid back up here, it’s friendlier, it’s wilder, it’s Yorkshire.
The city of York along with Leeds and Sheffield boomed in the Industrial Revolution and the remains of the mighty steel industry can still be seen across the landscape today. The region has a pottery heritage in the towns of Harrogate and Hornsea that’s second to none. But it’s once you step outside into the natural beauty that Yorkshire truly grips you.
Lace-up those hiking boots and pack your rain jacket—you’ll definitely be needing it—and set a course for the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, or the Peak District for miles of trails, wide-open remote rolling landscapes, and villages so eye-achingly quaint that you won’t want to leave. Rain is pretty consistent in this part of the world, but that all adds to the moody, misty atmosphere. For the best chance of dry, sunny periods, plan your trip for the summer months between mid-May and mid-September.
