Discover the North of England's Wild Summer
Find your perfect day out at an RSPB nature reserve
Whether you’re a family planning a day out, a solo traveller seeking a scenic escape, or an avid birdwatcher looking for new locations, RSPB reserves will make you very welcome. And after your adventures, head to the café for a bird-friendly coffee or a proper Yorkshire brew and visit the shop to browse locally-made gifts, and a chance to try those binoculars you always wanted; and of course, everything you buy helps the nature you love.
Let’s take you on a journey through five of the North’s best wildlife RSPB destinations…
RSPB Bempton Cliffs: The Coast’s Most Spectacular Summer Show
Towering chalk cliffs, sweeping sea views and the exhilarating sight of hundreds of thousands of seabirds make Bempton Cliffs one of the UK’s unmissable natural spectacles. Summer is prime time to witness the energy of the cliffs as puffins, gannets, guillemots and razorbills crowd the ledges, dance in the updrafts and plunge into the waves below.
It’s impossible not to feel inspired as you wander along the cliff‑top paths. Spacious viewpoints let you get breathtakingly close to the action, and friendly volunteers help visitors spot the stars of the show. The sense of scale – cliffs rising 100 metres above the sea and thousands of birds around – makes it an amazing experience. Out at sea, pods of dolphins regularly pass by and July and August often bring minke whales to feed on the abundant shoals of fish offshore.
Families can explore with children’s activities, easy routes and accessible paths, while photographers can capture dramatic moments with gannets and kittiwakes. For many visitors, this becomes a highlight of their summer, a place that sparks awe and connects them deeply with the wild beauty of the Yorkshire coast. Late summer sees migrant birds, from Goldcrests to geese, on the move, both at sea and on land.
Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills leave the cliffs by mid-July, but hundreds of Kittiwakes remain until August, and the magnificent Gannets are with us until October. RSPB Cruises take place over summer where we take you on a cruise beneath the cliffs or feed the gannets, getting you amazingly close.
Find out more about Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, East Riding of Yorkshire.
RSPB Saltholme: A Summer Playground for Nature Lovers
Just outside Middlesbrough lies Saltholme, a vibrant wetland reserve where summer bursts into colour. This is a place designed for discovery: easy trails guide you through pools, reedbeds and meadows where wildlife thrives under the warm sun. This is wild nature in a landscape of industrial history.
Kids will love the wild play area, while the grown-ups can unwind with panoramic views from the hides or the visitor centre’s gallery windows. Juvenile birds paddle through sparkling pools, dragonflies dart like jewels in the air, and wildflowers create splashes of colour along the pathways.
With family-friendly facilities, hands‑on activities like pond dipping, and wide-open skies that make every walk feel uplifting, Saltholme is a fantastic choice for parents, grandparents and curious young minds who want a close encounter with nature.
Designed to put you at the heart of the action, the nature reserve has four wildlife viewing hides, along with viewing screens and a viewing gallery in the visitor centre, to help you get closer to wildlife. But that’s not all – from early spring to mid-summer, plants and flowers bloom in the walled garden, designed by award-winning garden designer and TV presenter Chris Beardshaw.
Out on the reserve, reedbeds are the beating heart of Saltholme. Here, Water Rails, Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers thrive. Elsewhere you can explore pools, wet grasslands and a meadow, teeming with life.
Find out more about Saltholme Nature Reserve, Cleveland.
RSPB Old Moor: A Summer Escape for All Ages
In the heart of the Dearne Valley lies Old Moor, a transformed landscape and now a welcoming wetland reserve that’s perfect for families, first‑time nature explorers and seasoned birdwatchers alike. Summer transforms the meadows into a colourful tapestry of orchids, butterflies and wildflowers, making even a gentle stroll feel magical.
Old Moor is wonderfully family‑friendly – think adventure playgrounds, fun trails, pond‑dipping areas and discovery zones that keep children entertained for hours. The hides and pathways are easy to access, offering peaceful views across reedbeds and lakes dotted with wildlife.
There’s a great café with plenty of seating and a shop to buy gifts or splash out on those new binoculars.
Find out more about Dearne Valley Old Moor Nature Reserve.
Lower Aire Valley (Fairburn Ings & St Aidan’s): Yorkshire’s Wild Wetland Oasis
The Lower Aire Valley brings together two remarkable landscapes – Fairburn Ings and St Aidan’s – each offering its own flavour of summertime magic. These former industrial sites have blossomed into vibrant wetlands where nature thrives in extraordinary ways.
Fairburn Ings offers peaceful lakes, riverbanks and viewing spots ideal for quiet wildlife watching or leisurely family wandering. Tall reedbeds shimmer in the breeze, summer wildflowers brighten the paths, and the reserve feels full of life as birds call across the water and butterflies drift through the grasses.
Just a short drive away, St Aidan’s opens into vast, dramatic landscapes shaped by history and reclaimed by nature. Gentle hills, sweeping meadows and expansive wetlands create a feeling of freedom, making it a favourite for long summer walks, picnics, photography and spotting birds of prey gliding overhead.
Together, these two reserves offer relaxing strolls, wildlife encounters, cycling routes, family activities and wide-open viewpoints that make you feel miles away from the everyday world.
RSPB Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay: Lancashire’s Wetland Paradise
Situated in the heart of the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, Leighton Moss’s sweeping wetlands are home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Famous for Bittern, Marsh Harrier Bearded Tit and Otter, the diversity of species is remarkable.
Boardwalks weave through the reedbed edged by wildflowers creating a sense of adventure and anticipation of what you may spot. Climb the nine-metre-high Skytower for far-reaching views across the reserve, with the backdrop of birdsong from our summer visitors; reed warbler, sedge warbler and maybe the distinctive grasshopper warbler. Head to the coastal hides just five minutes' drive away to marvel at the eye-catching Avocets which breed here in the summer.
Summer brings an array of dragonflies and damselflies zipping past as you explore. From the comfort of any of the five bird hides look out for these amazing insects being pursued by one of our smallest birds of prey – the incredibly quick and agile Hobby. Keep an eye out for visiting Osprey. Whilst they don’t currently nest on the reserve, these spectacular birds come over the border from South Cumbria to fish from the pools.
For families there are easy trails to follow, or you can hire pond dipping kits to search for fascinating creatures that lurk in the pond. The well-maintained trails are suitable for all abilities; there are off-road mobility scooters for hire as well. This award-winning reserve that’s nestled between Lancashire and Cumbria has an excellent café and shop to enhance your day out, and anything you buy helps keep nature here.
Find out more about Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay Nature Reserves.
