Brimham Rocks Walk
Brimham Rocks is a National Trust owned site with a collection of fascinating rock formations. You can explore the labyrinth of paths while enjoying fabulous views over Nidderdale.
This circular walk starts from the on site car park where you can pick up trails heading around Brimham Moor where there's pretty heather to see. The trails will take you around the ancient rocks which are hundreds of millions of years old. It's also great for wildlife with a number of bird boxes attracting Blue Tits and Redstarts to nest in the area.
The site is located near Pateley Bridge and on the Nidderdale Way walking route so there is scope for continuing your walk through the Nidderdale AONB.
Postcode
HG3 4DW - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Brimham Rocks Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Brimham Rocks Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Brimham Rocks OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Brimham Rocks Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
There's an on site cafe where you can pick up some refreshments after your exercise.
Dog Walking
The site is dog friendly and there are usually plenty of dog owners with their pets. You may need to keep them on leads depending on the time of year and the nesting wildlife.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Head west from the site along the waymarked Nidderdale Way and you could pick up the Pateley Bridge Circular Walk. This will take you north to the expansive Gouthwaite Reservoir where there is a lovely waterside trail to pick up.
For cyclists the epic Way of the Roses and National Cycle Network Route 688 pass through the site. You could follow the signed route from Pateley Bridge to the rocks.
Just to the south there's the worthy villages of Summerbridge and Dacre Banks. There's some nice river walks along the River Nidd and a fine 18th century pub to visit in this area.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Nidderdale Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Climbers on the rocks. The National Trust site says there is "Rock climbing for the more experienced" - these climbers look very relaxed.
The area encompasses both dry and wet heathland, each supporting distinct plant communities. In the dry heathland, visitors can observe species such as wavy hair-grass, bilberry, bell heather, and ling, with occasional oak, rowan, and silver birch trees. The wet heathland areas, characterized by shallow peat soils, are home to plants like wood horsetail, marsh thistle, water blinks, marsh violet, and notable colonies of bog asphodel. Additionally, the site supports uncommon species such as cowberry and chickweed wintergreen.
'The Dancing Bear', Brimham Rocks, in the snow. Several of the rocks at Brimham have fanciful names. Some [like the Idol] are easily spotted, whilst some imagination is required to find the less obvious ones. The names largely date from Victorian times when the rocks became a popular excursion from Harrogate.
The rocks known as the turtle and eagle.
The fauna at Brimham Rocks is also diverse. The heathland provides habitat for ground-nesting birds, including meadow pipits and red grouse. Raptors such as red kite, buzzard, and kestrel are frequently observed soaring above the rocks. The area also attracts house martins and swallows during the summer months. Mammals like red deer, roe deer, and sika deer inhabit the surrounding moorland. In terms of invertebrates, the heath supports species such as the green hairstreak and holly blue butterflies, as well as the green tiger beetle and the solitary bee Colletes succinctus.
Sleeping dinosaur
Brimham Rocks
Brimham House. Now the visitor centre.
Benches and footpath with a view over Nidderdale from the site.
Trig Point