Yorkshire Dales National Park

Yorkshire Dales National Park
Protected Area
National park entrance sign, near Skipton
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Counties	North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire
Highest point
- location	Whernside
- elevation	736 m (2,415 ft)
Area	2,178 km2 (841 sq mi)
National Park of England	1954
IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Location and extent of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as of August 2016

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a 2,178 km² (841 sq mi) national park mostly located in the county of North Yorkshire, with small areas in the northwest of the Park in the counties of Cumbria and Lancashire, England. The park was designated in 1954, and was extended in 2016. Over 20,000 residents live and work in the park, which attracts over eight million visitors every year.

The park is 50 miles (80 km) north-east of Manchester; Leeds and Bradford lie to the south, while Kendal is to the west, Darlington to the north-east and Harrogate to the south-east. The national park does not include all of the Yorkshire Dales. Parts of the dales to the south and east of the national park are located in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

In 1954, an area of the then county of Yorkshire West Riding was designated as a new national park.

A westward extension of the park into Lancashire and Cumbria encompasses much of the area between the previous boundary of the park and the M6 motorway. This increases the area by nearly 24% and brings the park close to the towns of Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby-in-Westmorland.

The area has a wide range of activities for visitors. For example, many people come to the Dales for walking or other exercise. Several long-distance routes cross the park, including the Pennine Way, the Dales Way, the Coast to Coast Walk and the Pennine Bridleway. Cycling is also popular and there are several cycleways.