Gastack Beck Waterfall: The Ultimate Visitor’s Guide

Gastack Beck Waterfall is a lesser-known yet picturesque waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting Gastack Beck Waterfall. Other than providing practical tips to help you plan your visit, we’ll show you some awesome photos of the sublime waterfall.

Gastack Beck Waterfall: A Hidden Waterfall in Yorkshire

When it comes to waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales, Gastack Beck Waterfall is definitely one of the lesser-known waterfalls. Tucked away in Deepdale, in between Sedburgh and Ingleton, lies this uber serene two-tier waterfall. If you’re on the hunt for hidden waterfalls in the Dales, then you’ll want to add this one to your list. Not many people visit this waterfall, so it’s likely you’ll enjoy a quiet waterfall chasing experience without the crowds.

A great nearby attraction is Yordas Cave

Things to Know Before Visiting Gastack Beck Waterfall

We’ll now look at some important things to know before visiting. Let’s start by looking at exactly where Gastack Beck Waterfall is located.

Where Is Gastack Beck Waterfall?

Gastack Beck Waterfall is located near the village of Dent in Deepdale in the Yorkshire Dales. To help get your bearings, please click on the image below to access an interactive map of the area.

Gastack Beck Waterfall postcode: LA10 5RA

How to Get to Gastack Beck Waterfall

The only way to visit Gastack Beck Waterfall is to drive there yourself. If you don’t have your own set of wheels, then we recommend hiring a car using DiscoverCars.com. You’ll find a wide variety of cars on Discover Cars for very reasonable prices. Also, the website is user-friendly and booking online is super easy. Have a look at car hire from Manchester.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Admittedly, driving to the waterfall is a little on the hairy side of things. The roads accessing the waterfall are single track roads. From Dent, you’ll drive along Deepdale Lane, which, for the most part, is a narrow and winding single track lane. From Ingleton, you’ll first drive along Thornton Lane, which is wider. But, there are a number of gates that you’ll need to open and close to progress further to finally reach Deepdale Lane, the road on which the waterfall is located.

Essentially, as long as you drive slowly and cautiously, the drive should be more than manageable. Perhaps, try to visit early or late in the day to avoid traffic on the road. Although, even when Beck and I visited during the early afternoon on the weekend, we didn’t encounter many cars at all. But, by visiting early or late in the day, you’ll unlikely come across many (if any) other vehicles.

Below, we’ll look at details for parking at the waterfall.

Gastack Beck Waterfall Parking

One of the key things to know about visiting this waterfall is that it’s conveniently located by the side of the road (Deepdale Lane). Indeed, there is no Gastack Beck Waterfall Walk as such. You’ll simply park on a layby that’s literally located next to the waterfall. You can even see the waterfall from the layby. So, you could simply admire it from the car. But, of course, we recommend getting out of the car and exploring the waterfall and its beautiful surroundings.

At the layby next to the waterfall, there is only room for two or three vehicles, depending on how thoughtfully visitors park their vehicles. Certainly, another reason to visit early and late in the day is to ensure that you get a parking spot. Because we arrived early afternoon, there was only one car spot available when we arrived. So, we were lucky!

Thankfully, if parking is full next to the waterfall, there is another option for parking. Located a little further down the road, there is another layby with enough space for one vehicle, maybe two at a push. This other parking spot is located here. Admittedly, if both of these parking spots are full, there really aren’t any other places to park. So, again, make sure to avoid busier times when you visit, just in case.

Public Transport

There is no public transport going to Gastack Beck Waterfall. This waterfall is located in a fairly remote area of the Dales, where there is no public transport running.

​​​​​​​Exploring Gastack Beck Waterfall

Once you’ve parked the car next to Gastack Beck Waterfall, it’s time to explore it! Beck and I wandered to the base of the falls by walking along the rock platforms. Bear in mind that the rocks are very slippery. So, take care when exploring around the waterfall. We simply admired the drop from the edge of the rock platforms, soaking in the gorgeous waterfall and the peaceful ambience.

You’ll find that Gastack Beck Waterfall continues to flow under the road, creating other waterfalls downstream. Unfortunately, these waterfalls and cascades are inaccessible.

The waterfall is also a popular place for wild swimming. So, if you’re feeling in the mood, why not take a dip?

Other Waterfalls in Yorkshire Dales

Of course, the Yorkshire Dales have plenty of awesome waterfalls to see. Below, we’ve listed other waterfalls worth visiting in the Dales.

• Hardraw Force: one of the most famous waterfalls in the Dales located near Hawes.
• Cotter Force: a splendid waterfall near Hardraw Force.
• Aysgill Force: this is a lesser-known waterfall to see near Hardraw Force that’s absolutely worth the visit.
• Ingleton Waterfalls Trail: some of the most famous waterfalls in Yorkshire are seen along the Ingleton Falls Trail.
• Aysgarth Falls Walk: another well-known waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Keld Waterfalls Walk: another exceptional waterfall walk that passes seven waterfalls!
• Cray Gill Waterfalls Walk: a lesser-known waterfall walk that explores many stunning cascades along Cray Gill near Buckden.
• Settle Caves and Waterfalls Walk: you’ll visit a couple of waterfalls and caves during this circular walk from Settle.
• West Burton Falls (AKA Cauldron Falls): an impressive waterfall located near Aysgarth Falls.
• Bolton Abbey Waterfall (Posforth Gill Waterfall): an epic waterfall located in the Valley of Desolation near Bolton Abbey.
• Malham Cove Walk: after seeing Malham Cove, explore Gordale Scar Waterfall and Janet’s Foss.
• Cautley Spout: England’s highest waterfall above ground, can be seen on a walk around Howgill Fell.
• Hull Pot: an amazing waterfall located next to Pen-y-ghent.
• Force Gill Waterfall: a superb waterfall found near Whernside – the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
• Rat Hole Waterfall: see the highest continuous single-drop underground waterfall in the UK at Gaping Gill.

Other lesser-known waterfalls worth visiting in the Yorkshire Dales include Buckden Beck Waterfalls and Cow Close Gill Waterfall as well as Mill Gill Force and Whitfield Gill Force (Askrigg Waterfalls).

Read more: The Top 48 Waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales (includes a Yorkshire Dales waterfalls map)

What to Wear and Take

These are our five gear essentials for visiting Gastack Beck Waterfall.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Best Villages to See in the Yorkshire Dales

• Grassington: Everything You Need to Know About Grassington
• Hawes: The 16 Best Things To Do In Hawes
• Ingleton: 10 Awesome Things To Do In Ingleton
• Masham: Everything You Need to Know About Masham
• Buckden: The 5 Best Things To Do In Buckden, Yorkshire
• Keld: The 5 Best Things To Do in Keld, North Yorkshire
• Clapham: The Top 13 Things To Do During A Visit to Clapham, Yorkshire
• Ribblehead: 15 Awesome Things To Do In Ribblehead

Bonus Tips

• Bring pooch: this waterfall is certainly a dog-friendly location.
• Gastack Beck Waterfall swimming safety: if you decide to go for a wild swim, be aware that waterfalls can be dangerous and water levels will vary from season to season.
• Other Yorkshire waterfalls: not all of the best waterfalls in Yorkshire are found in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The best waterfalls in Yorkshire that aren’t located in the Dales include Bronte Falls, Wensley Waterfall, Harmby Waterfall, Richmond Falls, Folly Dolly Falls, Lum Hole Falls and Goit Stock Waterfall (guides coming soon). For more information, read our best Yorkshire Waterfalls Guide (coming soon – includes a Yorkshire waterfalls map)
• Explore other nearby national parks in the northwest of England: don’t just stop at the Yorkshire Dales. Head to the beautiful Lake District (guides coming soon), Peak District, Forest of Bowland and North York Moors National Park.

Read about the best 42 walks in the Yorkshire Dales.