It is 90 miles (140 km) long and runs from Saltaire in West Yorkshire to Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, roughly parallel to the line of the Settle and Carlisle Railway.

The Dales High Way starts at Saltaire, a World Heritage Site model village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, built by Titus Salt on the River Aire.

[1] The total ascent in the 90 miles of the route is 4,268 m (14,003 ft)[2] The route is roughly parallel to the Settle and Carlisle Railway, so walkers can walk sections of the path while using the railway stations at Saltaire, Ilkley (on the line to Bradford), Skipton, Gargrave Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent (some 5 miles (8 km) from and 400 feet (120 m) above the village of that name), Garsdale (for Sedbergh), Kirkby Stephen and Appleby.

[1] The path was conceived by husband and wife Tony and Chris Grogan in 2007, as a high-level alternative to the established Dales Way which runs from Ilkley to Windermere largely along Wharfedale and other valleys.

[4] Since March 2014 the route has been shown on Ordnance Survey leisure maps,[4] and it is recognised by the Long Distance Walkers Association.