Top places for autumn colour
Woodland walks, wildlife encounters, misty valleys and dusking
- Stories & Inspiration
- Top Places To See Autumn Colour In North Yorkshire
Autumn is easily the most atmospheric season, and you can sense the seasonal shift across North Yorkshire before you even see it.
You know it’s arrived when the purple heather of summer fades into rich coppers and bronzes up on the moors, the crisp cool air brings a distinctive earthy scent, colourful crunchy leaf piles form on the floor, and misty valley vistas roll in.
Wrap up warm, lace up your boots, and explore the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness", as famously quoted from "To Autumn" by John Keats.
Golden canopy walks around the North York Moors
As woodlands shed their old growth, they put on the most vibrant display of the year. Here are some of the top places to see autumn colour in North Yorkshire:
Home to thousands of trees from around the world, Castle Howard Arboretum is the perfect spot to watch the changing colours – a truly autumnal sensory experience.
Over in the North York Moors, Dalby Forest offers miles of cycling and walking trails beneath towering conifers and ancient hardwoods. Challenge yourself to find the shiniest looking conker!
Clamber up to Rievaulx Terrace, overlooking the dramatic ruins of Rievaulx Abbey. Be immersed in beautiful sweeping valley views of the landscape – it's a perfect spot to watch the sun go down.
Hedgerows come to life with wild berries in September and October - hawthorn berries, rosehips, sloes, wild crab apples line the country lanes. It’s foraging season, look out for hazelnuts and sloes, or head to the famous heritage orchards of Ampleforth Abbey where you can pick your own apples!
Ancient woodland trails of the Yorkshire Dales
Take a wander through Hackfall Woods, near Masham, with amber toned beech trees lining the steep gorge and mystical looking follies and grottos dotted around the site; it’s a magical place to explore at this time of year.
For ancient woodlands, Freeholders’ Wood, next to Aysgarth Falls, transforms in autumn, and it’s the best time of year to see the falls in full flow. This short, fully accessible section of woodland also features a dark skies constellation trail. Grass Wood Nature Reserve near Grassington, is one of the largest broadleaved woodland areas in the Dales, perfect for strolls along the River Wharfe and wild mushroom spotting.
Tucked away near Pateley Bridge, Fishpond Wood, is a true hidden gem offering peaceful paths circling around a large pond, with the sounds of nature all around. Deeper into the Nidderdale National Landscape you can find Guisecliffe Woods, an area spanning over 50 acres of ancient forest, and a haven for wildlife and birdwatching.
Autumnal wildlife encounters
In October, head to Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal to hear the echoing sounds of the red deer rut. Visitors can spectate from a safe distance as the stags clash their antlers in their annual performance.
Stainforth Foss on the River Ribble is one of the most renowned places to spot one of autumn’s most remarkable events – the leaping salmon. Driven by autumn rains, adult salmon return from the ocean to the rivers where they were born. Watch them launch themselves up rushing waterfalls. Top tip: the conditions need to be just right, it’s best to visit after the rain and when the river is not at full flow.
Autumn is peak whale watching season: along the Yorkshire Coast in places like Whitby, minke whales, harbour porpoises, and seabirds gather in high numbers close to shore as they follow migrating herring shoals.
North Yorkshire skies turn to a flight path as summer visitors like swallows gradually depart, starling murmurations swarm the sky, and arctic geese are welcomed for the winter, arriving in their arrow-like formations, though you’ll no doubt hear them before you see them!
Misty valley vistas and welcoming the dark
Cooler nights combined with clear, warm mornings create stunning, atmospheric cloud inversions. High-altitude spots such as Sutton Bank or the dramatic limestone amphitheatre of Malham Cove offer a great standpoint to watch low-lying mist roll in across the Dales.
As the days shorten and the light dims, early evenings bring a chance to embrace ‘dusking’, the art of welcoming the dark.
The dark brings starry sights! Both the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales are officially designated International Dark Sky Reserves. North Yorkshire also hosts a number of Dark Sky Discovery Sites which are accessible locations to view celestial activity in the night sky. These clear autumn nights are ideal for spotting the Milky Way, constellations, and shooting stars, and listening out for nocturnal wildlife, such as tawny owls.
So, this autumn take a moment to slow down, embrace the changes around, and get out and explore. There’s still so much to see and do at this time of year - it will make the feeling of coming home to hunker down by the fire with a hot drink even cosier!
Header image: Kilnsey Crag, credit Wendy McDonnell
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