Spinning Racer
New for 2026, a family coaster with rotating cars that is now the park's strongest ride.
Stefan Scheer — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anthony Foster — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jordan Wilson - George2001hi (English Wikipedia) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jordan Wilson - George2001hi (English Wikipedia) — CC BY-SA 3.0
For most of the 1990s the longest rollercoaster on the planet ran through these woods: The Ultimate, more than two kilometres of steel track plunging between the trees. It closed after the 2019 season and was finally demolished in 2023, the other big thrill rides went with it, and from the 2022 season the place relaunched as a «Family Adventure Park». That is the sentence that settles your decision. Lightwater Valley today is a park for children of roughly three to twelve, and anyone arriving with thrill-hungry teenagers will leave disappointed. What it actually offers is over 35 rides and attractions spread across 175 acres of North Yorkshire countryside: the Caterpillar and the Ladybird, two gentle first coasters; the Lightwater Express train circling the grounds; wooden play areas among the trees; adventure golf; water slides, a small farm and an indoor soft-play barn; and, new for 2026, the Spinning Racer, a family coaster with rotating cars that is now the strongest thing in the park, plus the Lightwater Wheel, an observation wheel that looks out over the whole site. The lawns are wide, pushchairs roll easily, picnics on the grass are encouraged, and there is a free baby-care centre. Food is standard theme-park cafe fare, so bringing your own is the smarter move. The practicalities matter here. A standard ticket is £22 online or £25 at the gate for anyone over 90 cm, online booking closes at midnight the day before, and quieter dates drop to £17 or £18 with early-bird offers. Under-90 cm children go free, and everyone above that pays the same whether aged five or fifty. The season runs from late March to the end of October, but the gates open only on weekends and school holidays plus scattered days in between, so check the calendar before setting out. Hours are 10:30 to 17:00 at peak and 16:00 on quieter days, and the year ends with the Frightwater Valley Halloween event in October. From York it is about 50 km and roughly an hour north-west by car via the A59 and A1(M) towards Ripon, with free parking. There is no sensible public transport from York; train and bus involve several changes and more than two hours. The park is entirely open-air, so a wet Yorkshire day ruins it, and in the summer holidays be at the gate for opening to enjoy two hours before the queues build.
New for 2026, a family coaster with rotating cars that is now the park's strongest ride.
The Caterpillar, the Ladybird, the Lightwater Express and the woodland play areas are pitched squarely at ages three to eight.
175 acres of countryside with free parking and a baby-care centre; bring food and spread out on the lawns.
North Stainley, Ripon HG4 3HT
No. The Ultimate closed in 2019 and the other thrill coasters have gone, and the park is now aimed at children up to about twelve. For teenagers head to Flamingo Land north-east of York instead; younger children will happily fill a whole day here.
Yes, tickets are sold at the admissions booths on arrival, but £3 above the online price (£25 instead of £22); the cheaper online booking closes at midnight before your visit, and summer-holiday dates can reach capacity. Book ahead, and check first that the date is actually an open day on the calendar.