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Gyms in North Yorkshire

Spa towns, seaside towns and market towns, with the Dales and the Moors between them. Here's where to train in North Yorkshire, from Harrogate and Skipton to Scarborough and Whitby, and who to train with.

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Towns in North Yorkshire

From the spa town of Harrogate to the fishing harbour at Whitby, each with its own page.

Training in North Yorkshire

A county of market towns, two national parks and a long stretch of coast.

Since 1 April 2023 one council has run North Yorkshire, from County Hall in Northallerton, after its seven district councils were abolished. It is a county of towns rather than one city: the old Harrogate district grew 3.0% to around 162,700 people in the ten years to 2021, while the Scarborough district and Craven, around Skipton, both have a median age of 50. In 2024/25, 68.4% of adults here did 150 minutes or more of activity a week, against 64.5% across England.

Inland, the council's Active North Yorkshire hubs have 25 m pools in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Skipton and Northallerton. On the coast, Everyone Active runs Scarborough Sports Village, with an eight-lane pool and a 60-station gym, plus Whitby and Norton. In between sit charity-run pools at Helmsley, Ingleton, Settle and Tadcaster, a bouldering wall in Harrogate, and CrossFit boxes from Ripon to Scarborough.

Then there's the ground outside: the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the Cleveland Way along the cliffs, the mountain bike trails in Dalby Forest and the reservoirs of Nidderdale. Gymist helps you find the gyms near you and the people who train like you do.

Where to train in North Yorkshire

The council's hubs first, then the coast's Everyone Active centres, the community pools, and climbing, strength and fight gyms.

Council leisure centres (Active North Yorkshire)

Coast and Ryedale (Everyone Active)

Community and open-air pools

Climbing, CrossFit and combat

Find a training buddy in North Yorkshire

A lane partner at the Harrogate hub, a bouldering partner at Hornbeam Park, someone to walk the Three Peaks with: find people near you who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a North Yorkshire training group

A Saturday crew for parkrun in Dalby Forest, a weekend walking group on the Cleveland Way, a summer swim group at Helmsley's open-air pool: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in North Yorkshire.

  • Yorkshire Three PeaksPen-y-ghent (694 m), Whernside (736 m) and Ingleborough (723 m) in one 37.5 to 42 km circuit, usually from Horton-in-Ribblesdale; many walkers aim to finish inside 12 hours.
  • Cleveland Wayopened in 1969 as England's second National Trail, from Helmsley over the Moors to the coast, then along the cliffs past Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough to Filey.
  • Dalby Forestgreen to black mountain bike trails and a slope-style area on the Moors' southern slopes, plus a free 5k parkrun every Saturday at 9am from Low Dalby.
  • Nidderdale National Landscape600 km² around Pateley Bridge, with Brimham Rocks and the Gouthwaite, Scar House and Angram reservoirs.
  • The Stray, Harrogate200 acres of open grass created in 1778, protected so that any land taken from it has to be replaced.

Getting around

Rail lines into the towns, the Dales and the coast.

Rail: north to south

  • the East Coast Main Line stops at Northallerton and Thirsk
  • Northern's Harrogate line runs half-hourly to Leeds and York

Rail: the Dales

  • the electrified Airedale line links Skipton with Keighley, Bradford Forster Square and Leeds
  • the Settle–Carlisle line calls at Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Ribblehead, by the 24-arch viaduct

Rail: the coast

  • TransPennine Express runs hourly from Scarborough to York
  • the Yorkshire Coast Line runs from Scarborough to Hull, calling at Seamer and Filey

Who trains here

What the census and Active Lives say about the people you'll meet in the pool, on the fells and on the coast path.

  • 68.4%Adults active 150+ min a weekAhead of England's 64.5%, and only 21.3% of adults here do less than 30 minutes a week.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 50Median age in Scarborough and CravenUp from 46 and 47 in 2011. Plenty of people looking for a steady swim, walk or class partner.Census 2021
  • 3.0%Harrogate district's growth since 2011To around 162,700 people, while Richmondshire's population fell 4.2%.Census 2021

North Yorkshire gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in North Yorkshire?

Gymist lists 903 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across North Yorkshire, from the council hubs and Everyone Active centres to independent gyms, CrossFit boxes, fight gyms and village sports grounds. York has its own page.

Who runs the leisure centres in North Yorkshire?

North Yorkshire Council runs its centres as Active North Yorkshire, with leisure and wellbeing hubs in Bedale, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Northallerton, Pateley Bridge, Richmond, Ripon, Selby, Skipton, Stokesley, Tadcaster and Thirsk, plus Starbeck Swimming Pool. On the coast and in Ryedale, Everyone Active manages Scarborough Sports Village, Whitby Leisure Centre and Derwent Swim and Fitness Centre in Norton in partnership with the council. Catterick Leisure Centre is managed by 3d Leisure on behalf of the MOD.

Where can I swim in North Yorkshire?

Scarborough Sports Village and the Harrogate hub both have eight-lane 25 m pools, and Knaresborough, Ripon and Skipton have six-lane 25 m pools. Richmond's pool is closed for repairs due to finish by the end of 2026, though its gym stays open. Outdoors, Helmsley has a 25 m heated open-air pool run by a charity, and volunteers run the outdoor pool at Ingleton, with cold-water sessions at weekends.

Where can I train outdoors for free in North Yorkshire?

The Yorkshire Three Peaks circuit of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough is 37.5 to 42 km depending on route, and most people start from Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The Cleveland Way runs from Helmsley to Filey by way of Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough. Dalby Forest has a free 5k parkrun every Saturday at 9am, and Harrogate's Stray gives you 200 acres of protected grass in the middle of town.

How do I get around North Yorkshire to train?

The East Coast Main Line stops at Northallerton and Thirsk. Northern runs half-hourly Harrogate line trains to Leeds and York, and the electrified Airedale line links Skipton with Keighley, Bradford and Leeds. TransPennine Express runs hourly from Scarborough to York, and the Yorkshire Coast Line runs from Scarborough down to Hull through Filey.

How do I find a gym buddy in North Yorkshire?

Join Gymist free, add the gyms you use and when you train, and browse members in your town. If there isn't a group for your kind of training nearby, you can start one.

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