Harrogate sits at the edge of some of the best countryside in England, making it an excellent base for day trips. Ripon, with its medieval cathedral and the nearby ruins of Fountains Abbey, is 12 miles to the north. York is 20 miles east and accessible by train in 40 minutes. The Yorkshire Dales National Park begins within 20 minutes' drive west of the town — Wharfedale, Nidderdale, and the limestone scenery around Malham are all easy half-day excursions.