How Stean Gorge
How Stean Gorge, Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 5SF
Grab A Hard Hat At the ticket desk, you’ll be given a map to help you explore every nook and cranny of this natural hidden gem.
We advise you to arrive in wellies and have a torch handy to help you explore the deep dark caves and tunnels. Grab your hard hat at the entrance and follow the trails around this leafy ravine. There are interpretation panels highlighting the history and interesting legends of that particular location. You can look down into the gorge and see the water flow over the unusual rock formations. Gorge walkers are often seen scrambling below too.
Explore the Deep Dark Caves Switch your torch on. Trust the steely ‘snake’ by the wooden carved oak lion to take you down into the shallow water. This is where your journey into How Stean Tunnel begins… Follow the tunnel around the corner. Here’s an opportunity to whoop and holler and hear the echos! You’ll finally come out into the light. Return to the lion and follow the path towards the entrance ready for Tom Taylor’s Cave. Squeezing through the narrow cave you’ll eventually come out in the middle of the car park!
Wildlife Watch Look out for: trout in the stream, bats in the caves, birds in the trees, and fossils in the rocks. Orienteering Trail and New Activity Pack Get ready to try our orienteering course (free). There’s 10 punches to find, they are bright orange, you’ll have to hunt high and low to spot them. The Activity Pack (£6.99) includes magnifying glass, activity sheets, plant a tree kit & more..
Timings & Tours
- Monday 09 September:
- 0900-1700
- Tuesday 10 September:
- 0900-1700
- Wednesday 11 September:
- 0900-1700
- Thursday 12 September:
- 0900-1700
Location & directions
How Stean Gorge, Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 5SF
- Directions:
- Please follow the brown and white tourism direction signs from Masham or Pateley Bridge. If you have any problems please call our team on 01423 755666
- Contact on day:
- 01423 755666
- Telephone number:
- +441423755666
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
As How Stean Gorge is a natural wonder and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, therefore paths and steps are naturally uneven and slippy by the water's edge. You will have to clamber through the caves and the natural rock formations. Visitors will need a torch and wellington boots to explore every nook and cranny of the Visitor Attraction. The cafe is fully accessible with toilets and ramp to the main front door.
Additional information
The visitor attraction is open all year and normally there is an admission charge, however, as part of the Heritage Open Days, we are allowing free access to visitors on Monday 9th until Thur 12th September 2024. There is a cantilevered cafe with glass walls and a partial glass floor overhanging the gorge so visitors can look straight down into the gorge at the activities below and also across the Nidderdale, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are also instructor-led outdoor activities available in the gorge (booking essential).
