The Lake District is one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. It’s a hiker’s paradise, with miles of walks with stunning views. Here’s my ultimate guide to the best walks in the Lake District.
The Lake District is one of my favourite parts of the UK. This region is home to the highest mountains in England, as well as beautiful lake scenery. The best way to explore the UK’s Lake District is by walking. There are miles of hiking trails, which take you to some beautiful views and secluded areas. There’s a huge variety of walks in the Lake District, from lakeside paths, walks past impressive waterfalls, and steep climbs up to amazing viewpoints. My best walks in the Lake District will give you a taste of all these different types of walks and more.
What to pack for the best walks in the Lake District
If you’re planning to head out on any of these best walks in the Lake District, make sure you’re fully prepared for your day out. The weather in the Lake District can be changeable at any time of the year. make sure you check the weather forecast and that you’ve got everything packed and prepared to deal with the weather conditions of the day. The five most important things to make sure you pack are:
1. Waterproof coat, trousers and warm layers
Winter in the Lake District can be cold, with frost and snow. Or it can also be wet, with a lot of rain. Even in spring and summer, you should expect to have some rain in the Lake District. Make sure you have a good waterproof coat with you at all times, and waterproof trousers as well on the wetter days. Even if there’s no rain forecast, it’s a good idea to have a waterproof coat in your backpack. The higher peaks can be colder and windy, so make sure you have an extra layer or two if you’re planning to climb up higher.
2. Good hiking boots
Good walking boots are also essential to be able to enjoy any of the best walks in the Lake District. You’ll definitely need waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, so you can safely explore the rocky paths.
3. Map and compass
A map and compass are also essential for these walks. Don’t just rely on your phone for navigation, as phone signal is very unreliable in many places in the Lake District. Make sure you’ve got a good map and know how to use it with a compass.
4. Food and drink
If you’re planning a full day walk, make sure you take plenty of food and drink with you. You can buy food and drink in the villages, but many of these walks go far from any villages or pubs. So you’ll need your own food and drink.
5. Sun protection
And don’t forget your sun cream, sunglasses and sun hat. The sun can be strong, with little shade on many of these walks.
As long as you’re properly prepared with the basics, you’ll have all of the equipment you need to enjoy the best walks in the Lake District. Keep reading for my selection of my favourite walks in the Lake District.
1. Catbells
My favourite walk in the Lake District is the walk up Catbells from Derwentwater. It really is one of the best walks in the Lake District, with amazing views from the top.
The Catbells circular walk is about 5-6miles long, includes an elevation gain of about 450m.
Boat from Keswick to Hawes End
The footpath up Catbells starts at Hawes End, on the edge of Derwentwater lake. There’s a very small car park here – it can take up to 10 cars. And the car park gets full very early – I’ve heard reports of it being full before 8am on weekends. So unless you want to be getting to the Hawes End car park at around 7am, the best option for the Catbells walk is to get the boat across Derwentwater from Keswick.
You can park at the Lakeside Car Park in Keswick. It’s a large car park, so you’ll find plenty of space in the mornings. The car park is right next to the lake, where the boats go from.
The Keswick Launches offer boat trips around the lake. They offer a shuttle boat from Keswick to Hawes End, which is specifically for walkers who want to climb up Catbells. You can take one of these shuttle boats, and it only takes 10 minutes to cross the lake from Keswick to Hawes End. I took the 9.45am boat from Keswick, and was ready to start the walk at Hawes End by 10am. You can look up the boat times and prices here.
The views from the boat in the calm mornings are amazing. I really enjoyed the boat trip across the lake, and seeing all the reflections.
Walking up to the summit of Catbells: The steep initial climb
After you get off the boat, the climb up to Catbells begins. The path is well signposted, and it’s a popular walk so you’ll likely be following other walkers as well.
The path almost instantly starts climbing quite steeply. It can be hard work to climb up. But it’s not long before you start getting rewarded with stunning views down to Derwentwater.
The views of the lake are the reason why this walk is my favourite walk in the Lake District. The steep uphill climb really feels worthwhile when you’re rewarded with such stunning views of the lake.
You can get views of the tall mountain called Skiddaw. It’s on the north side of the lake – to your left as you’re climbing up Catbells.
As well as the views across the lake, you also get amazing views the other side as well of the surrounding mountains
The path flattens for a while…
After a long climb uphill, the footpath flattens out for a while. You walk along the top of the ridge, with amazing views both sides.
The ridge is wide, so it feels very safe to walk along it. It’s not like the scary Striding Edge that goes up Helvellyn! It’s a great place to take more photos, and enjoy the slightly easier section of the walk.
The final ascent and scramble up to the top of Catbells
The final ascent up to the top of Catbells is a bit more challenging. As well as beign steeply uphill, the rocky path involves a bit of ‘scrambling’. This means that you’ll need to use your hands, and think about where you put your hands and feet to get up the rock.
It’s a manageable scramble, for anyone who has a decent level of fitness. And some older children were managing it as well. But it’s hard work, using a lot of muscles that you wouldn’t normally use on a hike! It can take some time to get up the rocky scramble sections, so take your time and don’t rush.
But once you get up to the top, the summit of Catbells is worth it. The views are just amazing. Take some time to look around, take photos, and take in the view. And the top of Catbells is a great picnic spot as well, if you’re visiting on a sunny day without much wind.
Continue your walk downhill
You can continue your circular walk down Catbells, without needing to retrace your steps. Just continue on the path that goes downhill, the opposite way to the way you came. There’s a very small section of scramble on the way down at first, but then the path becomes much easier to just walk down.
It’s definitely a lot easier walking downhill than it was walking uphill! Although it’s still worth taking your time to walk down. The stones on the path can be slippery, especially if it’s went. And the path is uneven so it’s easy to trip over. So take your time and continue to enjoy the views.
Take the path to the left to walk parallel to Derwentwater
At a fork in the paths, take the path that’s a sharp left. This will take you on a well-marked footpath that runs parallel to the edge of Derwentwater. You’ll be walking with the lake on your right.
I did this walk in spring, and I loved seeing the yellow gorse bushes on the path. This path is fairly flat, with a few gentle uphill and downhill sections.
Hawes End back to Keswick
When you get towards the top of the lake, you’ll reach a signpost that will show you the path down to Hawes End. It’s a clearly marked path on your right. You can follow this path back down to the Hawes End pier.
From Hawes End pier you can take the boat back to Keswick. The boats run regularly, so you shouldn’t need to wait too long for the next boat. Then you can enjoy a well-earned sit down on the boat after your walk!
Ice cream on the beach at Keswick
When you get back to Keswick, reward yourself with an ice cream on the beach. There’s a cute little ice cream shop right next to the beach when you get off the boat. It’s the perfect end to one of the best walks in the Lake District.
2. Aira Force and Gowbarrow Fell
The second of my best walks in the Lake District is the walk from Aira Force up to the summit of Gowbarrow Fell. This walk is about 5 miles long, with an elevation gain of about 400m.
You can find a detailed guide for this walk here.
Aira Force Waterfall
Start your walk by exploring Aira Force waterfall. You can park at the National Trust car park at Aira Force, which is directly off the main road that snakes its way around Ullswater lake. From the National Trust car park, follow the signs uphill to the Aira Force waterfall.
As you follow the path up, you’ll quickly get some great views of the Aira Force waterfall. It’s most impressive after heavy rain, but it’s still a great waterfall all year round.
You can get really close to the waterfall, and you can take some great photos from a viewing platform at the bottom of the waterfall. And you can then follow the path up next to the waterfall to a bridge that looks down over the top.
Continue walking uphill, up the river
Continue your walk following the riverside path uphill. You’ll see some cute mini waterfalls throughout the river. It’s a nice, gently uphill climb through the trees.
After a while, you’ll start to emerge from the trees and start to be rewarded with beautiful views down the valley.
The climb up to Gowbarrow Fell summit
Take the path to your right that’s signposted to Gowbarrow Fell summit. This path follows the dry stone wall on your left, and climbs steeply up to the top of Gowbarrow Fell.
It’s a steep climb, but not particularly technical. The path is clearly marked and easy to follow, and there aren’t any scramble sections. But there are sections that are a steep uphill climb. Take plenty of breaks to enjoy the views. And the views are just amazing.
The higher you climb, the better views you get down to Ullswater lake. I just loved the views from this walk.
The summit of Gowbarrow Fell has the best views on the whole walk. Climb up to the trig point that marks the summit of Gowbarrow Fell. And enjoy the views. It was super windy at the top when I visited, even though it hadn’t felt windy at all down by Aira Force waterfall. The strong wind made it feel quite cold, so I was very glad I’d packed a couple of extra warm layers to wear at the top. But the views made up for the freezing cold wind!
Walk back down, along the path parallel to Ullswater lake
Retrace your steps down from the trig point, and then continue on the well marked path on your right that descends downhill. The path descends quite gradually, and then turns so you are walking parallel to Ullswater, with the lake on your left.
It’s a well marked path again, and as you get further down you’ll hopefully be able to escape from the cold wind at the summit. And again, the views of Ullswater are spectacular. You can see the tall mountain called Helvellyn just at the end of Ullswater lake in front of you.
This clear path takes you all the way along Ullswater, and back towards Aira Force. Once you get back to the waterfall, you can retrace your steps from the beginning of the walk to get back down to the car park.
3. Ullswater Way
If the weather isn’t great on one of your days in the Lake District, but you still want to do a walk and enjoy the scenery, then you can walk the Ullswater Way around Ullswater lake. This walk is one of the best walks in the Lake District for a rainy day, because it doesn’t involve any climbs uphill. It’s also a great option for any snowy or icy days in the Lake District in winter. I visited the Lake District in December one year and had some beautiful sunny days, but it was frosty and icy everywhere. I didn’t want to risk climbing up the high mountains and fells on slippery, icy paths. So I decided to walk the Ullswater Way.
The Ullswater Way is a footpath that follows the edge of Ullswater. There are some small sections of the walk that end up being on the road, particularly between Glenridding and Aira Force. But the majority of the path is off the road and next to the lake.
You can take frequent detours on this walk down to the lake. There are lots of little beaches that you can walk down to. These little beaches give some of the best views across the water. The views across the lake to the mountains, with the mountains reflecting in the lake, are just beautiful.
The entire Ullswater Way walk is about 20 miles. So for most people, it’s too much to do in one day. You can just walk a section of the path, and then turn back. Alternatively, there’s a boat trip service on Ullswater Lake that stops at various points along the lake. So you can walk a section of the path, and then get the boat back to where you started. Check out the boat times and the places it stops here. The Ullswater Steamers are great boats, and you get beautiful views from the boats as well.
4. Grasmere to Easedale Tarn
The walk from Grasmere village to Easedale Tarn is one of my favourite walks in the Lake District. It’s just over 5 miles, and involves an elevation gain of about 450m.
Grasmere village and Gingerbread
Start your walk by exploring the pretty village of Grasmere. It’s best to park in the Stock Lane car park. It’s the biggest car park in Grasmere, and the first car park you come to when you turn off the A591.
From the Stock Lane car park, walk on the pavement into the village. Grasmere is a really cute village, so it’s worth taking your time to walk through the village. There are some cute shops, as well as tea rooms and pubs which you can look forward to enjoying at the end of your walk.
Grasmere is also famous for its gingerbread shop. Right next to the church is a tiny little shop that sells traditional gingerbread. This Sarah Nelson’s traditional gingerbread is only made and sold here. The shop opens early, so you can pop in to the shop to buy a supply of gingerbread to take with you on your walk.
Start the walk from Grasmere
After exploring the village, you can start your walk up to Easedale Tarn. The path is well signposted from the village.
At first, you walk up a quiet road. But it’s not long before the footpath leaves the road, so you won’t need to walk on the road anymore. The footpath takes you next to a cute river, and also through a field of sheep. I last did this walk in the spring, and I loved seeing the lambs with the sheep in the fields.
At this point in the walk, the footpath is fairly flat. It’s definitely worth taking your time to enjoy the river views, and also enjoy the views up to the mountains ahead of you.
From this part of the walk, you start to get views of the impressive waterfall up ahead. This waterfall is called Sour Milk Ghyll. You’ll get to go up close to this waterfall later in the walk.
The well-marked footpath continues, and starts to climb uphill a bit more steeply. It’s not too difficult to climb, but you’ll definitely notice the uphill gradient.
But the views are just spectacular. The views from this section of the walk really are some of my favourite views in the whole of the Lake District.
Sour Milk Ghyll waterfall
The path continues right up to the waterfall called Sour Milk Ghyll. You can get up close to this impressive waterfall. If you want to get even closer, you can climb over the rocks – but be careful as they can be very slippery!
I enjoyed seeing the waterfall up close. And the views from the top of the waterfall down the valley were just spectacular. It’s hard to put into words just how beautiful the views here are.
Continue walking up to Easedale Tarn
The path continues uphill, climbing fairly steeply. You turn a corner, away from the views of the valley. But this part of the walk is just as beautiful. It starts to feel like you’re high up in the mountains.
The mountain peaks surround you on every side, with stunning views. These photos are from April, where the ferns and bracken are still orange-brown from the winter. This walk would be stunning in the summer as well, when you’d be surrounded by lush greenery on all sides.
Easedale Tarn lake
After some hard uphill walking, you’re rewarded with views of Easedale Tarn lake. The lake suddenly appears in front of you. And it’s a beautiful lake, high up in the mountains with the high peaks all around.
Easedale Tarn is a great spot for a picnic. It’s lovely to sit by the water after the steep climb and enjoy the views. And of course, enjoy some of the Grasmere gingerbread that you’ve carried!
I really enjoyed spending some time relaxing by the lake. You can also walk around the lake, which gives more amazing views.
Walk back down to Grasmere
The walk from Grasmere to Easedale Tarn isn’t a circular walk. So to get back down to Grasmere, you’ll need to retrace your steps and walk back down the same path. The walk downhill is easier, but you’ll still need to be careful at times on the loose rocks on the path.
The views on the way down are just as stunning. I couldn’t stop myself taking hundreds more photos on the way down. The walk from Grasmere to Easedale Tarn really is one of the best walks in the Lake District.
5. Lake Windermere lakeside path
Another of the best walks in the Lake District for a bad weather day is to walk around Lake Windermere. Lake Windermere is the biggest lake in England, and one of the most popular spots in the Lake District.
You can park either at Bowness-on-Windermere, or at the top of Windermere lake at Ambleside. Both of these places have lots of parking, and you instantly get great views. I parked at Bowness-on-Windermere on my last visit.
Walking the lakeside path next to Lake Windermere is easy. The lake is far too big to walk the whole way around in one day, so you’ll need to choose a section of the lake to walk. I often walk from Bowness in the direction of Ambleside, but other walks are just as nice.
Lake Windermere has lots of ducks, geese and swans to keep you company on your walk. You can buy duck food from lots of places in Bowness if you want to feed the ducks and encourage them to get even closer.
And you get stunning views across Lake Windermere to the mountains. The highlight of the view here is the view to the Landale Pikes. This collection of 3 peaks is easy to notice, and is great for some photos.
Boat trips on Lake Windermere
As well as walking around Lake Windermere, you can also do a boat trip on the lake. The boat trips on Lake Windermere are a great way to see the views. The boats are great in any weather. If it’s sunny, you can sit outside.
But if it’s cold or raining, you can sit inside and still see the views.
I’ve done these boat trips in the spring and also the winter. And both times, I’ve really enjoyed it. The ‘red’ route goes from Bowness to Ambleside and back again. The ‘red’ route is my favourite, as it gives the best views of the Langdale Pikes at the north of the lake.
You can combine some time walking around Lake Windermere with a boat trip on the lake, to fully enjoy your time on England’s biggest lake. And the village of Bowness-on-Windermere is a nice place as well, with the Beatrix Potter attraction and lots of pubs and tea rooms.
Keep reading on the next page for more of the best Lake District walks, including the famous Ashness Bridge, Skelwith Force and Castlerigg Stone Circle.