Autumn Adventures for all the family
Autumn Sun, Outdoor Fun
- Stories & Inspiration
- Autumn Adventures For All The Family
Autumn has arrived
So now is the perfect time to explore the great outdoors with all the family. Think leaves on the ground just waiting to be crunched by little ones, warm autumn sun on your face and pumpkin patches.
From exciting outdoor attractions and gardens to beaches, walks and cycle rides, you can find the best way to have lots of fun in the autumn sun and make the most of this wonderful time of year.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden near Ripon is beautiful at any time of the year, but especially in autumn. The many trees in the water garden and deer park turn stunning hues of yellow, orange and red as the leaves change.
Walk through the deer park and listen to the sound of the deer rut. Take in the vista from Surprise View and as you walk back to the abbey, see the ruins bathed in autumn sunlight.
Children will enjoy running in the magnificent grounds and making leaf angels before having fun in the playground.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr near Harrogate is ablaze with colour in the autumn months and there are lots of plants, flowers and shrubs to see.
Children will love playing in the Craggle Top Tree House and on the Log Ness Monster and families can explore the gardens with the ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ Trail.
Little ones can try to bounce as high as Little Nutbrown Hare and look for the different colours and textures around the garden as they learn about nature and the changing seasons.
Humble Bee Farm near the beautiful Yorkshire coast is a family-fun working farm. Visit this autumn for their annual Pumpkin Festival on selected dates in October. Children can pick their own pumpkin before carving it out in the spooky barn. Visit for the day or stay for longer and book one of their lovely cabins or lodges.
The grounds of Castle Howard, near Malton are perfect for children young and old to explore and during the autumn months, the trees in the one thousand acres of parkland are a rich golden colour.
Follow the many woodland paths and see the temples, fountains and lakes.
Pick up fallen leaves to take home, why not make an autumn collage with them?
Hire a bike and explore the many cycle tracks in Dalby Forest in the North York Moors National Park.
Adderstone and Ellerburn trails are both suitable for family cycling while Ellerburn is perfect for smaller children who are learning to cycle.
The trail is multi-use so if you are also looking to enjoy a family walk this is the one for you.
Finish the day with a hot chocolate and a slice of cake at The Courtyard Cafe where you can sit outside and make the most of the autumn sunshine.
Explore the grounds and gardens at Beningbrough in the autumn months when the grounds and garden are full of colour including the giant beech trees and you can see colourful gourds, pumpkins and apples in the walled garden.
Children can burn off energy in the wilderness play area and have lots of fun on the swings, slides and climbing frames.
For children who prefer to be on two wheels, balance bikes for under 5s can be used in the gardens, while larger bikes can be used in the parkland.
Newby Hall and Gardens near Ripon is a great place to visit in early autumn. Explore the many different gardens as the seasons change.
Children can have lots of fun in the adventure playground with its bridges, climbing frames, an aerial slide and swings.
Follow the sculpture trail around the gardens and grounds and see if you can find them all before you take a ride on the miniature railway.
Note: Newby Hall and Gardens closes for the season on 28 September
The Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail is a great walking trail through beautiful woodland towards Ingleborough Cave.
As you follow the paths you pass a pretty lake and walk along a high river valley. Visit Ingleborough Cave and explore the underground caverns or walk by the cave entrance to continue your walk.
You can decide how far you want to walk, whether you just want to circle back round to Clapham, or enjoy a challenging walk up Ingleborough, one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
You can fuel up at The Sawmill Cafe at the start of the nature trail.
Head to the Yorkshire coast this autumn and explore the many beautiful beaches. Visit picturesque coastal villages Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay and enjoy looking in rockpools or hunting for fossils before eating fish and chips.
Or enjoy a day out at Whitby, Scarborough or Filey with sandy beaches – perfect for a game of bat and ball or frisbee.
Wrap up and walk out to Filey Brigg and look out for the wildlife that live there, build sandcastles and explore Scarborough Castle or Whitby Abbey.
There are many pretty parks, gardens and public spaces in North Yorkshire with areas for ball games and picnics, exciting play parks.
Play pitch and putt golf in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate or Peasholm Park in Scarborough. Be rad on the skateboard park at Aireville Park in Skipton and spot autumn colours at Bebra Gardens in Knaresborough.
The Stray in Harrogate is a great place to fly a kite in the autumn wind and find lots of conkers as they fall to the ground.
Find out more about great family attractions on our family pages and tag us in all your autumn photos.
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