The Lake District, in the North West of England, is one of my favourite places in the UK. It’s a hiker’s paradise, with a huge range of walks and hikes for all abilities. Here’s my pick of my four best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South).
The Lake District is so beautiful. You can do some fantastic hikes here all year round, ranging from gentle strolls next to a lake, to full-day steep mountain scrambles. There really is something for everyone. There are stunning walks all over the Lake District National Park. But if you’re staying in the south of the Lake District, in places like Kendal, Ambleside or Windermere, you can find some stunning walks in the south of the Lake District. The Lake District can get really busy in peak times, and there can be queues and delays on the narrow and winding roads. So if you’re staying in the south, and don’t want to battle the traffic, then I recommend doing some of these best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South).
The south of the Lake District is no more or less stunning than the rest of the region. There are just as many beautiful lakes and mountain views. So you can stay in the south and still enjoy the best of the region.
Remember, if you’re going hiking in the Lake District, be prepared for the weather and the terrain. You’ll need proper walking boots, especially for the longer climbs. And you’ll also need a good Ordnance Survey map. Waterproofs are essential, as is sun cream and a sun hat. Check the weather before you go to make sure you’re prepared.
And then you can enjoy the best moderate hikes in the Lake District (south).
1. Grasmere, Rydal Water and Loughrigg Fell
The first of my best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South) is the walk around Grasmere lake and Rydal Water, with an extension up Loughrigg Fell. It’s one of my favourite walks in the whole Lake District.
Park in Grasmere village, and start your day with a walk into the village. There’s an amazing gingerbread shop here, near the Church. Grasmere Gingerbread is only made in this small, traditional shop that dates back to the 1800s. It’s delicious, so make sure you stock up with some before your walk.
Walk above Rydal Water to Rydal, and Rydal Cave
Continue your walk by turning towards Rydal Water. You’ll climb uphill to what is known as the ‘coffin route’. But don’t worry, you’re unlikely to see any coffins! Instead, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views down to Rydal Water from this slightly higher path.
You’ll reach Rydal village. It’s a really small village, but it’s cute. The Church is particularly nice. And you can also walk through Dora’s Field. It’s a small, scenic woodland area in Rydal, renowned for its spring daffodils, planted by poet William Wordsworth in memory of his daughter, Dora, after her death in 1847. This whole area has close links to the poet William Wordsworth, as he lived and wrote his poetry here.
After walking through Rydal Village, turn back along the other side of Rydal Water lake. You have a choice of two paths here. You can either take the lakeside path, at the lower level next to the lake. Or you can take the higher path that goes past Rydal Cave. I recommend taking this path. Rydal Cave is huge, and really impressive.
The bluebells in spring time
Continue from Rydal Cave towards Grasmere lake. This part of the walk is absolutely stunning in springtime, when the bluebells are out.
There are huge areas of bluebells along the side of the fells, like a blue carpet that flows down to the lake. It’s a stunning area, and I spent a lot of time here taking photos of the bluebells.
Climb up Loughrigg Fell
You’ll soon reach the end of Rydal Water, and start to see Grasmere lake. And here, you can choose to extend your walk by walking up Loughrigg Fell. Loughrigg Fell is a 335m summit, known as one of the Wainright summits.
It’s a fairly steep path up to the top. But the path is easy to follow, with no real scrambling sections. So it’s a fairly easy climb – at least by Lake District standards! And you’ll see more bluebells in springtime on the side of the fell.
The view from the top is definitely worth the climb. You’re rewarded with the most stunning views over Grasmere lake. On a clear weather day, it’s just stunning.
Walk down and back to Grasmere
After enjoying the views from Loughrigg Fell, walk back down and pick up the path alongside Grasmere Lake. You can walk right down to the lake, and enjoy some of the lakeside path. It’s very satisfying looking back up to Loughrigg Fell, knowing that you just climbed up there.
Continue following the lakeside path along Grasmere, until it meets a quiet road, and then walk along this road back to your car in Grasmere.
2. Elterwater, Skelwith Force, and Loughrigg Tarn
The second of my best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South) is a bit easier than the walk up to Loughrigg Fell. I often do this walk when the weather isn’t quite so good, because you don’t climb too high. So you can still enjoy the views in the rain, without risking getting lost in a cloud.
Walk from Elterwater village to Elterwater Lake
Start at your walk at the car park in Elterwater village. Follow the wide, clear path along the river towards Elterwater lake. Right from the start of the walk, you get nice views of the river, and also up to the surrounding mountains. It’s a great place to see birds, as well as lots of lambs in the spring time.
You’ll get to Elterwater Lake, which has one of the most beautiful views in the Lake District. You can look across the lake to the iconic peaks of the Langdale Pikes. It’s one of the classic Lake District views that you’ll see on postcards. Take some time to stop at the lake and enjoy the views.
Skelwith Force waterfall and bridge
Continue your walk next to the river, towards Skelwith. Here, you’ll find one of the best waterfalls in the Lake District. Skelwith Force is a really impressive, huge waterfall. You can get really close to it.
Nearby, Skelwith Bridge over the river is another popular spot. While it’s not quite as famous as Ashness Bridge near Derwent Water, it’s still a cute place for a photo.
Loughrigg Tarn
From Skelwith, take the path up to Loughrigg Tarn. It’s an easy uphill climb, but feels quite separate and different from the lake at Elterwater.
I really like Loughrigg Tarn. It’s a pretty, small lake, with nice views all around. And it’s another great place to see lots of Lake District sheep and lambs in the spring time.
Walk back to Elterwater
From Loughrigg Tarn, you’ve got a choice for how to get back to Elterwater. You can either retrace your steps, and walk back through Skelwith. Or, you can take a path through the woodland back to Elterwater Lake, and then walk back along the river to your car at Elterwater village.
3. Stickle Tarn and the Langdale Pikes
The third of my best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South) is another of my all time favourite Lake District walks. This walk has a special place in my heart, as it’s one of the first big walks I did as a child. It’s best saved for a day with good weather, as the top of the walk is quite high and can sometimes be covered in cloud. So, to enjoy the views, you’ll want to visit on a clear day, or at least a day when the clouds are high.
Park at the National Trust Stickle Ghyll car park. And then take the path out of the car park towards Stickle Tarn. Stickle Tarn is a lake at the summit of the Langdale Pikes mountains.
Walking (and scrambling) up to Stickle Tarn
The path up to Stickle Tarn is a steep climb, right from the start. For the first two thirds of the walk, the path is well marked and fairly easy. It’s a rocky path, so a lot of it feels like climbing some stone steps. It’s steep, and you’ll feel the burn in your legs!
But the views are just stunning. And they keep on getting better, the higher you climb. You can see for miles down Langdale Valley.
The path follows alongside Stickle Ghyll, the river. At various points on the walk, you’ll see some small waterfalls in the river.
As you get closer to Stickle Tarn, the path gets more challenging. There are several areas that will require scrambling – where you need to use your hands to help climb up steep parts of the rock. It doesn’t feel too daunting, because there aren’t steep drops next to the path. But it is still technically a bit challenging, and takes a fair amount of strength and concentration to work out where to put your hands and feet. But it’s really rewarding when you get up a difficult section!
And the views from near the top are beautiful. You stop being able to see Langdale Valley, and instead you can look across to the mountain ranges at your level. It really feels like you’re high up in the mountains here, with views across the peaks.
Stickle Tarn lake
At the top, you’ll be rewarded with views of Stickle Tarn lake. It’s a beautiful area.
The steep cliffs above Stickle Tarn are really impressive. This is the summit of Pavey Arc, one of the peaks of the Langdale Pikes. Unfortunately, you can’t actually walk up to the actual summit of Pavey Arc. The only way you can get up is with proper climbing equipment and experience – it’s a complicated, steep rock face so only suitable for serious climbers. There were a few out on the day I last visited, and it was nice to watch them climb.
But even without getting ropes and karabiners involved, you can still enjoy being at the top of the mountains. The reflections in the water of Stickle Tarn can be stunning.
Take your time enjoying the lake and the mountain peak views from the top. Then, it’s time to head back down. Make sure you’ve got plenty of energy left for the descent – although the downhill walk won’t make you out of breathe, you’ll still definitely have some aching muscles by the end!
4. Coniston lakeside walk
The last of my best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South) is the lakeside walk around Coniston. This is a fairly easy walk – it’s definitely on the easier side of moderate. There aren’t any significant hills. But Coniston is a big lake so you can walk a long way, so it still feels like a proper walk.
Park in one of the lakeside car parks on the north of Coniston, and head over to the lake towards the pier where the Coniston boat trips go from. There’s a nice sort-of beach here, with some ducks and geese. If you like, you can take a boat trip from here. Or you can walk along the lake instead.
Follow the lakeside path along the west bank of the lake, heading south. You’ll get some great views up to the peak of the Old Man of Coniston, the biggest mountain in the area. You can see the history of slate mining here, with the dark workers’ cottages lining the hillside.
Walk through fields of sheep, enjoying spring time lambs. And just follow the path along the lakeside. You can see some boats on the lake, and you’ll also be able to spot the Coniston Steamer – a historic steam boat that does trips around the lake.
The scenery around Coniston is really nice and green. From the lakeside path, you look across to Grizedale Forest. There aren’t many buildings, so the green of the trees is uninterrupted.
The lakeside path goes through some wooded sections, especially around Tiver Common.
You can walk as far down the path as you want. You could turn back at Tiver, or choose to take the boat back from Tiver Pier. Or you can continue down the the south of the lake, where you’ll be able to see Wild Cat Island.
It’s a really pretty lakeside walk, and a great way to end your time enjoying the best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South).
Hope you enjoyed my pick of the best moderate hikes in the Lake District (South)! Make sure you also check out my other guides to the Lake District, including the best views in the Lake District, visiting the Lake District in winter, and the best dog walks in the Lake District. Or head over to the nearby Peak District for the top things to do in the Peak District.
