Special Places

North Yorkshire’s protected landscapes are places of rare beauty — wild, vast, and shaped by time. These are areas where nature leads the way, where rugged moorland, rolling dales, ancient woodland, and dramatic coastline are carefully looked after to preserve their character for generations to come.

In these cherished places, you’ll find peace and perspective. Wander along heather-lined trails or limestone valleys where the only sound is the call of curlews overhead. Discover remote villages where life moves at a gentler pace, or lose yourself in star-filled skies where the night remains truly dark, revealing constellations in dazzling clarity.

These landscapes are not only protected, but celebrated — for their wildlife, their heritage, and the sense of freedom they inspire. Whether you’re here to walk, cycle, paddle or simply breathe, you’ll find space to do it all, surrounded by views that stretch for miles.

Look closely and you’ll find stories in the stone walls, echoes in the abbey ruins, and wonder in every weathered hill. In North Yorkshire, the land is not just scenery — it’s part of the experience, protected not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing place to explore, respect, and fall in love with.