The Lake District has some of the best views in the UK. There are lots of amazing viewpoints, both on long hikes and more accessible viewpoints as well. Here’s my guide to the best views in the Lake District, with the top walks and viewpoints.
The Lake District is such a beautiful part of the UK. It has the highest mountains and the biggest lakes in England. With cute villages as well, it’s no wonder that the Lake District is one of the most popular parts of the UK for people to visit. Whether you want a hiking weekend, or a more relaxed week of sightseeing, the Lake District has something for everyone. And there are so many ways to enjoy the best views in the Lake District.
Hiking is one of the best ways to enjoy the best views in the Lake District. There’s a huge number of walks and hiking trails in the Lake District. These range from gentle strolls next to the lakes, to full-day hikes up to the summits of the fells and mountains.
If you’re planning on going hiking in the Lake District to enjoy the best views, make sure you’re fully prepared. Check the weather forecast before going, and take waterproofs with you even if there’s little chance of rain – you never know when the weather might turn. Hiking boots are essential as well. For a more detailed list about what to take on hikes in the Lake District, check out my guide to the best walks in the Lake District here.
If you’re not a hiker, there are still lots of ways you can enjoy many of the best views in the Lake District. There are good roads that cover a lot of the Lake District, and many car parks. So you can drive to many of the best views in the Lake District – or at least drive nearby and only walk for a short while. You can also enjoy the best views in the Lake District by boat. It’s so lovely just sitting and relaxing on a boat while you enjoy the scenery. So here are the top views in the Lake District, with the top walks and viewpoints.
1. Catbells
The first of my best views in the Lake District is the view from the top of Catbells. This fell is 451m high, and overlooks the beautiful lake of Derwentwater. From the top of Catbells, you’ll have amazing views over Derwentwater, with the tall mountain Skiddaw in the background. The 360 degree views from the top of Catbells fell are just stunning.
The walk up Catbells is considered a moderate hike in the Lake District. The walk starts from Hawes End, next to Derwentwater. There’s a small car park here, but it’s easier to park in Keswick and get the boat from Keswick to Hawes End. From Hawes End, it’s a steep uphill climb for a couple of hours to reach the summit. Near the top, there are a few sections that require some scrambling, where you’ll need to use your hands to climb up the rock. It’s a good walk if you like a challenge, and the views are just stunning.
2. Castlerigg Stone Circle
Another of the best views in the Lake District is the view from Castlerigg Stone Circle. This ancient stone circle dates back between 4000-5000 years. It’s near to the town of Keswick in the north of the Lake District. You can walk up to Castlerigg Stone Circle from Keswick in a fairly easy 4 mile circular walk. Or alternatively, you can drive and park near Castlerigg Stone Circle in the small roadside car park near the top.
Castlerigg Stone Circle was built on a natural plateau, giving it stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. The views of the stone circle are great as well. It’s a beautiful place to visit all year round – especially in the winter when there might be snow on the surrounding mountains.
3. Gowbarrow Fell
Gowbarrow Fell is a 481m fell that sits above the lake Ullswater. It’s a moderately challenging climb to walk up to the top, but the views from Gowbarrow Fell are just amazing.
To walk up to the top of Gowbarrow Fell, start at the Aira Force waterfall. This impressive waterfall is right next to Ullswater. You can then follow the footpath up next to the waterfall, and then continue to climb to the top of Gowbarrow Fell. It’s a fairly steep climb, especially towards the end. But the views are more than worth it. From the trig point at the top of Gowbarrow Fell, you get amazing views of the surrounding landscape and Ullswater lake.
You can follow the circular path back down to Aira Force, which runs parallel to Ullswater for most of the descent. From this path, you get more amazing views of Ullswater with the impressive mountain called Helvellyn at the end of the lake.
4. Ashness Bridge
The view of Ashness Bridge in the Lake District is one of the most famous views in the Lake District. It’s instantly recognisable from the postcards and tourist brochures of the region.
There’s a small car park next to Ashness Bridge, so it’s easily accessible if you don’t want to walk. However, the car park is small and the road up is very narrow, with few passing places. I much prefer to park near Derwentwater, such as in the National Trust Great Wood car park. From here, it’s a pleasant 40 minute walk up to Ashness Bridge. You can enjoy the views from the walk without the stress of driving up narrow roads and not being able to find a parking space when you get there.
Ashness Bridge is a really beautiful place. It’s a really cute, small stone bridge over the river with stunning mountain views behind. I last visited in winter, when it looked amazing with the icy frost on the ground. It’s a lovely place in summer as well, when the gentle stream is busy with children playing in the water.
5. Skelwith Force
For views of the most impressive waterfall in the Lake District, head to Skelwith Force. There’s a car park near the waterfall, so you’ll only need to walk about 600m from the car park to get to the viewpoint over the waterfall.
Skelwith Force is most impressive after heavy rain. The volume of water that gushes over the waterfall is truly impressive. For even better views, you can climb over the rocks next to the waterfall to get up close to the water. It’s a great stop for Instagram selfies.
6. Easedale Tarn
Another walk with great views in the Lake District is the walk from Grasmere up to Easedale Tarn. This walk is about 5 miles (there and back), and involves an elevation gain of about 400m. It’s a moderate walk, but not too challenging. And the views are amazing.
As soon as you start climbing uphill out of Grasmere, you’re rewarded with stunning views back down the valley towards Grasmere. On a sunny day, the views in the Lake District really don’t get better than this.
Easedale Tarn is a small lake, high up in the mountains. It’s a beautiful lake, surrounded by mountain peaks. It’s the perfect place to stop for a picnic after walking up.
7. Ullswater
Ullswater is one of the prettiest lakes in the Lake District. So if you’re looking for the best views in the Lake District, you need to head to Ullswater. There’s a road that snakes its way around Ullswater, with plenty of parking options just off the road. You can pick any of these small car parks and head down to the lake.
The Ullswater Way is a 20 mile long footpath that goes all the way around Ullswater. It’s a bit far for most people to do in one, day, so you can choose a section of the path to walk. It’s a great walk with great views, no matter what the weather is doing. I visited Ullswater on a cold and icy morning and the views were lovely.
You can also take a boat trip on Ullswater to enjoy the lake views even more. The Ullswater Steamers run regular boat trips through the summer. Check out the boat times and routes here.
8. Surprise View
Surprise View, as its name suggests, is one of the most ‘surprising’ viewpoints in the Lake District. This viewpoint offers beautiful views over Derwentwater.
The viewpoint of Surprise View is just up the road from Ashness Bridge. There’s a narrow road and small car park at Surprise View. But I much prefer walking up to it, from Derwentwater. I find the narrow road up the Surprise View quite stressful to drive! I prefer parking next to Derwentwater and walking up the road to Ashness Bridge and then continuing to walk up to Surprise View.
The viewpoint is just beautiful. It’s a great way to get the amazing views over Derwentwater without having to climb up to the top of Catbells. It’s definitely an Instagram-worthy viewpoint in the Lake District.
9. Lake Windermere
Lake Windermere is the biggest lake in England. It’s one of the most popular spots in the Lake District for tourists.
The small town called Bowness-on-Windermere is a great place to base yourself for a day on Lake Windermere. There’s a small beach here next to the lake, with lots of ducks, swans and geese. You can get great views here of the birds and the lake.
For the best views across Lake Windermere, take a boat trip on the lake. I recommend taking the ‘red’ route, which takes you from Bowness up to Ambleside and back again. Soon after leaving Bowness on the boat, you can get stunning views of the Langdale Pikes across the water. This iconic mountain range makes some great photos from the boat. Taking a boat trip on Lake Windermere is a great way to see some amazing, classic Lake District views without needing to walk much.
10. Sour Milk Ghyll waterfall
Another of the best waterfalls in the Lake District is Sour Milk Ghyll. You’ll need to walk a bit to get to this waterfall, as there isn’t a car park close. But it’s definitely worth the walk.
To get to Sour Milk Ghyll, park in the village of Grasmere. You can then follow the path that’s signposted up to Easedale Tarn. Soon after leaving the village, you start to get views of the waterfall on the side of the mountain.
Continue climbing up the path to get to the waterfall. The footpath takes you right next to the Sour Milk Ghyll waterfall. And if you want to get even closer for some Instagram photos, you can climb over the rocks to get up close to the waterfall.
11. Hawkshead village
Hawkshead Village is one of the prettiest villages in the Lake District. It’s a great place to visit if you want to get views of a cute, classic English village.
I last visited Hawkshead village in the winter. It was really quiet, and the white buildings looked great in the frosty weather. In the summer, Hawkshead village can be really busy with coach tours, and it’s a nice lively place to visit. Wander around the village to get the best views of the cute village.
12. Aira Force waterfall
For more Instagram-worthy photos of waterfalls, head to Aira Force waterfall. This waterfall is right next to Ullswater Lake. You can park at the National Trust car park at Aira Force and walk the gently climbing uphill path to get to the waterfall.
Aira Force waterfall is huge, with a steep drop. There’s a viewing platform near the bottom of the waterfall that gives great views of the whole waterfall. You can also follow the footpath next to the waterfall to the top, and stand on the small bridge over the top of the waterfall for views straight down.
13. Grasmere lake
Grasmere Lake is another really pretty lake in the Lake District. It’s next to Grasmere village, and it’s easy to walk from the village to the lake on the lakeside path. The path around Grasmere lake offers classic Lake District views of the lake and the mountains.
Walking around Grasmere Lake is a great way to see the best views in the Lake District, even on a rainy day. This easy walk can be enjoyed in almost all weather conditions. So even if the weather isn’t good enough to be climbing high into the mountains, you can still enjoy the views on this lake.
14. Ambleside town and pubs
The cute, small town of Ambleside offers the chance for some slightly different Lake District views. The small town is really pretty. So you can take photos of the cute streets. There’s even a tiny house on a bridge over the river that’s super cute in photos.
Ambleside has a great range of traditional British pubs. In the winter, you can sit by the fire in the pubs for a traditional British pub meal. Although it’s not a viewpoint of lakes and mountains, the view of a warm fire in the pub is still one of the classic Lake District views.
15. Helvellyn
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can try climbing one of the taller mountains in the Lake District. Helvellyn is over 900m tall, and it’s a challenging uphill hike. But if you’re an ambitious and experienced hiker, you could give it a try.
The path up Helvellyn from Thirlmere is steep, but do-able for hikers with decent fitness levels. It’s a long uphill climb, but the views are amazing. And the sense of achievement once you get to the top of the mountain is amazing.
If you’re looking for one of the biggest challenges in the UK, you could also try climbing Helvellyn along Striding Edge. This hiking trail walks along the steep ridge of Striding Edge to get to the summit of Helvellyn. It’s not for the faint-hearted, or for anyone inexperienced – you’ll be on your hands and knees, trying to navigate the rocky edge with steep drops on either side. Only attempt this route with proper training and equipment. But if you do manage this route, the views really will be some of the best views in the Lake District.
16. Derwentwater boat trip
The last of my best views in the Lake District are the views from an early morning boat trip on Derwentwater. This pretty lake is just as beautiful from the water as it is from up high. The Keswick Launch offers boat trips from Keswick to various points around the lake. Check out the boat times and prices here.
If you’re lucky to have good weather without much wind, you can see beautiful reflections in the water. The reflections are often at their best first thing in the morning, when there’s likely to be the least wind. It’s really peaceful sitting on the boat and enjoying some of the best views in the Lake District across this beautiful lake.
Hope you enjoy the best views in the Lake District! Make sure you also check out my detailed guide to the best walks in the Lake District, and also my guide to visiting the Lake District in winter. If you’re looking for more scenic walks, check out the nearby Peak District, with the top things to do in the Peak District.
