Parks and playgrounds in Harrogate

Valley Gardens, Harrogate: the town’s playground

Valley Gardens is a 17-acre park in Low Harrogate. The council lists a children’s playground and a children’s boating pool, and no entry charge for the gardens. They are open all year.

• Paddling pool: free, but summer only. The council’s 2026 season ended on Sunday 27 September 2026, and no 2027 dates were published on 12 November 2026.
• Skate park: for skateboards, BMX bikes and scooters. The council does not recommend it for very young children, especially at peak times, as it could be dangerous.
• Paid games: crazy golf, disc golf and table tennis cost £3.80 for adults and £2.90 for a child or concession.
• Snacks: the games pavilion opens on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, school holidays and bank holidays, 10am to 5pm. It may close at short notice in bad weather or when short-staffed.
• Toilets: on Cornwall Road, open 8am to 6pm from 1 November to 31 March, with disabled facilities. The council’s listing does not mention baby changing.
• Parking: street disc zone parking around the gardens. Display a disc and check the time plate for the maximum stay.

Pinewoods, Harrogate: woodland next to the playground

Pinewoods is about 96 acres of semi-natural woodland beside Valley Gardens, with a permanent orienteering course. The council lists no entry charge and no opening hours.

• No play equipment is mentioned on its page, and no toilets or café. Pair it with Valley Gardens next door.
• Underfoot: the council says the wood is typically wet at its lowest points in winter.
• Parking: available off Crag Lane, at the wood’s south-western corner. The council gives no charges for it.

The Stray, Harrogate: open grass for kites and ball games

The Stray is 200 acres of open grassland and verges around Harrogate’s old town. The council lists no entry charge and names picnics, kite-flying and outdoor games as popular here. Its Stray page does not mention play equipment or a café.

• Safety: parts of the Stray are laid out as carriageway, so keep young children close near roads. The byelaws ban bathing or wading in any pond or stream on the Stray.
• Toilets: Stray Ponds toilets on York Street open 8am to 6pm from 1 November to 31 March, with disabled facilities. Their page does not mention baby changing.
• Parking: not allowed on the grass or verges, except in marked areas at organised events. Our Stray page lists nearby paid car parks.

Conyngham Hall Grounds, Knaresborough: an adventure trail by the river

Conyngham Hall Grounds has parkland, woodland and riverside walks by the River Nidd. The council lists a small adventure trail but gives no age range or equipment details. A Wind in the Willows sculpture walk sits in the woodland near Bond End. The grounds are open all year, with no entry charge listed.

• Water: the car park is at the riverside and the woodland walks run close to the river, so keep little ones within reach.
• Access: the entrance is a long gentle slope, and there are steep steps in some places.
• Toilets: at the car park entrance, with baby changing and disabled facilities, open 8am to 6pm from 1 November to 31 March.
• Parking: council pay and display in the grounds. From 1 November to 28 February it costs £0.70 for 1 hour, up to a £2.70 maximum. Motorcycles and disabled users park free.

Bebra Gardens, Knaresborough: a summer paddling pool on a slope

Bebra Gardens is a small council park near Knaresborough Castle, built on quite a steep slope. The council lists no entry charge and says the gardens are open all year. The official pages do not mention play equipment.

• Paddling pool: free, summer only. Council pages end the season in the first week of September or on 27 September, so it is not open in winter. There are no lifeguards, and an adult must supervise children at all times.
• Way in: access is fair from Brewerton Street. From Waterside, the route is up steep steps.
• Toilets: in Castle Yard, with baby changing and disabled facilities. Winter hours differ between official pages, so plan for 8am to 6pm.

Jacob Smith Park, near Knaresborough: a nature trail, not a playground

Jacob Smith Park is 30 acres of walled parkland off Scriven Road. The council lists no entry charge and says it is open all year. Its nature trail map sends children looking for veteran trees, rooks and ponds. The council page does not mention play equipment.

• Underfoot: mown grass paths and steep slopes can become muddy.
• Safety: keep children outside the wooden fences around some veteran trees, where branches may fall. Stay close by the ponds.
• Facilities: the official pages list no toilets, café or car park. The council mentions limited on-street parking nearby.

Paid woodland play

RHS Garden Harlow Carr, on the edge of Harrogate, has woodland play areas, including the Logness Monster and the Craggle Top Tree House.

• Prices: under 5s free and children aged 5 to 16 £6. Adults pay £18.40 on the day, or from £13.60 online.
• Times: from November to February, 9.30am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. Closed on Christmas Day.
• House rules: garden toys such as scooters and balls are not allowed, and only assistance dogs may come in.
• Safety: paths can be muddy, steep and uneven, and the RHS asks visitors to take care around water. Parking is free.

Stockeld Park, near Wetherby, has a 1.5km forest trail with adventure playgrounds.

• Closed: 12 to 20 November 2026, says the park’s calendar, and on 25 and 26 December.
• Christmas tickets: from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the Illuminations, Forest and Maze ticket starts at £18.50 per person. A £2 booking fee applies per transaction.
• Booking: you must book online for December weekends and the week before Christmas after schools break up. Official pages give different opening times, so check your ticket.
• Supervision: everyone under 16 must be with an adult aged 18 or over at all times, including in the forest and maze.
• Indoor Playhive: it costs extra, and every child needs an adult with a Playhive ticket.

Not for play this winter: Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough has an adventure playground. Its venue page says there is no playground access during the Christmas event or the quiet season.

Which place suits your family?

• A free playground: Valley Gardens, then a walk into Pinewoods next door.
• Baby changing listed: the toilets at Conyngham Hall Grounds, or in Castle Yard near Bebra Gardens.
• Kites and a picnic: the Stray, on a dry day.
• Muddy nature hunting: Jacob Smith Park, in boots, with snacks from home.
• A bigger paid play day: RHS Garden Harlow Carr, or Stockeld Park from 21 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which Harrogate parks have a playground?

Valley Gardens has a children’s playground. Conyngham Hall Grounds in Knaresborough lists a small adventure trail. RHS Garden Harlow Carr and Stockeld Park have paid woodland play.

Are the paddling pools open in winter?

No. The Valley Gardens and Bebra Gardens pools are summer only, and both seasons ended in September.

Which parks are free?

The council lists no entry charge for Valley Gardens, Pinewoods, the Stray, Conyngham Hall Grounds, Bebra Gardens and Jacob Smith Park. Parking and some games cost extra.

Can you take a scooter to RHS Harlow Carr?

No. The RHS does not allow garden toys such as scooters and balls.

Where are the toilets?

Valley Gardens, Conyngham Hall Grounds and Bebra Gardens have council toilets nearby, closing at 6pm in winter. The official pages list none at Jacob Smith Park.

Checked on 12 November 2026 against the official websites, through our Harrogate venue pages. Prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.

Photo: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).