Special Qualities | Yorkshire Dales National Park

Watch this video to find out what makes the Yorkshire Dales National Park such a special place.
There’s stunning limestone scenery, like Malham Cove, and the rugged rock formations around Ribblehead Viaduct, built for the railway in the 19th century and still in use today.
Its famous peaks and dales have been shaped over thousands of years by ice and water … waiting to be explored with friends, with family… or just all to yourself to recharge and renew!
Heather moorlands reveal industry long since left behind, an important place for wildlife, plants and the [vast amounts of] carbon they store as peat.
Overhead the night sky is one of the darkest in the country, recognised internationally as the Yorkshire Dales National Park Dark Sky Reserve.
There are spectacular waterfalls to discover which roar into life after rain.
Farming has supported families here for generations, with distinct sheep breeds like Dalesbred and Swaledale, and a strong tradition of cattle rearing, from which Wensleydale Cheese has become famous around the world.
The pattern of barns and dry-stone walls in Swaledale is recognised as being one of the most distinctive landscapes in Western Europe, cared for by the people who farm here.
Underground, the most extensive caving area in the UK waits to be explored, including the incredible Gaping Gill cavern.
Some of the best cycling in the world can be enjoyed here. The Tour de France set off from the Dales in 2014, and the World Cycling Championships were held here in 2019.
There are miles without stiles and increasingly accessible routes opening right across the National Park.
A quarter of all England’s upland hay meadows are here - rich with wildflowers! And keep an eye out for nationally important bird populations like curlew, lapwing, and black grouse.
Over 23,000 people call this place home. Close knit communities each with their own special character.
Together, nature and people have created a landscape of immense beauty and character, a landscape with its own unique special qualities for everyone to enjoy.
This is the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
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