hikes.guideLake District

Curated, data-backed walking lists — each one live and conditions-aware.

Collections

Walks, hand-picked by theme.

Not sure where to start? These are curated sets — gentle first fells, car-free days, waterfall wanders and big Birkett hauls — each a shortlist you can trust, generated from live data and kept fresh.

Hand-picked ways into the fells, generated from our live data and kept fresh automatically — walks from each town, the fells you can reach by bus, easy & family walks and more. Many lead with the one thing other lists can't: which are good to climb today.

By who it's for

Walks grouped by who they suit. Our easy & family walks keep the climbing gentle and the ground kind — low-level lakeshores, waterfalls and short viewpoints, with honest pushchair, young-kids and underfoot flags. From there the collections step up: walks for moderately experienced fell-walkers comfortable with a real ascent and some rough or steep ground, and routes for experienced hill-walkers — long days with exposure, navigation and scrambling that demand the right kit and judgement. Pick the band that matches the least confident person in your group, not the strongest.

New to the gentle end? Three guides we rate: Lake District Short Walks Made Easy (opens in new tab) (Ordnance Survey), 15 Short Walks: Windermere, Ambleside & Grasmere (opens in new tab) and Lake District Walks: Windermere & Grasmere (opens in new tab) (Cicerone).

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  • Dog-friendly walks

    Walks where our gate-by-gate census found no stiles blocking a dog's way round — honest verdicts, lead advice included.

    67 fells & walks
  • Easy & family walks

    Low-level lakeshores, waterfalls, tarns and gentle viewpoints under 500 m of climb — with honest pushchair, young-kids, view and underfoot flags.

    52 fells & walks
  • Pushchair-friendly walks

    The walks you can genuinely push a pushchair round — a deliberately short, honest list with a clear yes/partly split.

    8 fells & walks

By how you travel

  • Lake District fells you can reach by bus 🔮 Live

    You don't need a car to climb a Lakeland fell. These are the summits with a bus stop close enough to the start to make a car-free day genuinely workable — serve

    68 fells & walks

By the day

Walks chosen for the conditions and the calendar — what’s good to climb today on the mountain-weather model, lower-risk options for poor visibility, and rounds that suit the season.

  • Classic horseshoes & rounds

    The great Lakeland ridge rounds — skyline loops that link four or more summits around a valley or tarn in a single horseshoe.

    75 fells & walks
  • Good walks in poor weather & low cloud 🔮 Live

    Lower-risk routes for low cloud — gentle navigation, low exposure, walked-and-confirmed. Not 'safe' — carry a map and compass.

    32 fells & walks
  • Quick fells — under 3 hours 🔮 Live

    Summits you can climb and be back down in about three hours or less — ideal for a half-day, a late start or an iffy forecast, each with live conditions.

    511 fells & walks
  • Fells to save for a bad day 🔮 Live

    Low fells (all under 400 m) that stay below the cloud — the ones to save for a poor-weather day.

    13 fells & walks

By difficulty & terrain

Walks grouped by how hard the ground is, not just how high. We rate each route across the things that actually catch people out — navigation, exposure, length, steepness and underfoot terrain — and group them from gentle to serious. At the top sit the scrambles and edges, where you use your hands and a slip has consequences: treat these as mountaineering days and choose your weather.

Heading for the scrambles? The two standard guides: Scrambles in the Lake District – North (opens in new tab) (Buttermere, Borrowdale, Patterdale, Blencathra) and Scrambles in the Lake District – South (opens in new tab) (Langdale and the south), Cicerone.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →

  • Scrambles & the edges

    A hand-picked set of routes with real scrambling or serious exposure — for experienced walkers only.

    4 fells & walks
  • Lake District walks by difficulty

    Every route grouped by the size of the day — Easy to Severe — with the walked exposure grade alongside.

    150 fells & walks

By area

Every walk grouped by the seven Lakeland areas — Northern, North-Western, Western, Southern, Central, Eastern and Far-Eastern Fells — so you can focus on one corner of the District.

  • Walking the Northern Fells 🔮 Live

    The Northern Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    24 fells & walks
  • Walking the North Western Fells 🔮 Live

    The North Western Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    29 fells & walks
  • Walking the Western Fells 🔮 Live

    The Western Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    33 fells & walks
  • Walking the Central Fells 🔮 Live

    The Central Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walking the Eastern Fells 🔮 Live

    The Eastern Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    35 fells & walks
  • Walking the Far Eastern Fells 🔮 Live

    The Far Eastern Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    36 fells & walks
  • Walking the Southern Fells 🔮 Live

    The Southern Wainwrights & Outlying fells, with height, round time, bus and live conditions.

    30 fells & walks

By place

Walks grouped by the town or village you’re based in — every route and fell within reach of each hub, ranked nearest first, with the bus where there is one. Use the filter to narrow to your area.

  • Walks from Aira Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Aira Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    24 fells & walks
  • Walks from Ambleside 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Ambleside, ranked, with live conditions.

    29 fells & walks
  • Walks from Angle Tarn (Patterdale) 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Angle Tarn (Patterdale), ranked, with live conditions.

    34 fells & walks
  • Walks by Bassenthwaite Lake 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Bassenthwaite Lake, ranked, with live conditions.

    21 fells & walks
  • Walks from Blea Tarn (Langdale) 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Blea Tarn (Langdale), ranked, with live conditions.

    31 fells & walks
  • Walks from Bowness-on-Windermere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Bowness-on-Windermere, ranked, with live conditions.

    10 fells & walks
  • Walks from Braithwaite 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Braithwaite, ranked, with live conditions.

    31 fells & walks
  • Walks by Brothers Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Brothers Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    36 fells & walks
  • Walks by Buttermere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Buttermere, ranked, with live conditions.

    24 fells & walks
  • Walks by Coniston Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Coniston Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    13 fells & walks
  • Walks from Coniston 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Coniston, ranked, with live conditions.

    15 fells & walks
  • Walks by Crummock Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Crummock Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    31 fells & walks
  • Walks by Derwentwater 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Derwentwater, ranked, with live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walks from Easedale Tarn 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Easedale Tarn, ranked, with live conditions.

    42 fells & walks
  • Walks by Elter Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Elter Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    38 fells & walks
  • Walks by Ennerdale Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Ennerdale Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    10 fells & walks
  • Walks by Esthwaite Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Esthwaite Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    8 fells & walks
  • Walks from Galleny Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Galleny Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walks from Glenridding 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Glenridding, ranked, with live conditions.

    32 fells & walks
  • Walks from Grange-in-Borrowdale 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Grange-in-Borrowdale, ranked, with live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walks by Grasmere (the lake) 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Grasmere (the lake), ranked, with live conditions.

    41 fells & walks
  • Walks from Grasmere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Grasmere, ranked, with live conditions.

    39 fells & walks
  • Walks from Harrop Tarn 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Harrop Tarn, ranked, with live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walks by Haweswater 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Haweswater, ranked, with live conditions.

    28 fells & walks
  • Walks from Hawkshead 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Hawkshead, ranked, with live conditions.

    10 fells & walks
  • Walks from High Dam 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of High Dam, ranked, with live conditions.

    6 fells & walks
  • Walks from Keswick 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Keswick, ranked, with live conditions.

    26 fells & walks
  • Walks by Lake Windermere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Lake Windermere, ranked, with live conditions.

    9 fells & walks
  • Walks from Lodore Falls 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Lodore Falls, ranked, with live conditions.

    26 fells & walks
  • Walks from Loughrigg Tarn 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Loughrigg Tarn, ranked, with live conditions.

    39 fells & walks
  • Walks by Loweswater 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Loweswater, ranked, with live conditions.

    18 fells & walks
  • Walks from Patterdale 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Patterdale, ranked, with live conditions.

    35 fells & walks
  • Walks from Pooley Bridge 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Pooley Bridge, ranked, with live conditions.

    6 fells & walks
  • Walks from Portinscale 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Portinscale, ranked, with live conditions.

    30 fells & walks
  • Walks from Rosthwaite 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Rosthwaite, ranked, with live conditions.

    28 fells & walks
  • Walks from Rydal Hall Waterfalls 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Rydal Hall Waterfalls, ranked, with live conditions.

    36 fells & walks
  • Walks by Rydal Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Rydal Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    36 fells & walks
  • Walks from Scale Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Scale Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    23 fells & walks
  • Walks from Seatoller 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Seatoller, ranked, with live conditions.

    29 fells & walks
  • Walks from Skelwith Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Skelwith Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    34 fells & walks
  • Walks from Stanley Ghyll Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Stanley Ghyll Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    11 fells & walks
  • Walks from Stickle Tarn 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Stickle Tarn, ranked, with live conditions.

    35 fells & walks
  • Walks from Stock Ghyll Force 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Stock Ghyll Force, ranked, with live conditions.

    27 fells & walks
  • Walks from Stonethwaite 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Stonethwaite, ranked, with live conditions.

    29 fells & walks
  • Walks from Tarn Hows 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Tarn Hows, ranked, with live conditions.

    19 fells & walks
  • Walks by Thirlmere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Thirlmere, ranked, with live conditions.

    26 fells & walks
  • Walks by Ullswater 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Ullswater, ranked, with live conditions.

    20 fells & walks
  • Walks by Wast Water 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Wast Water, ranked, with live conditions.

    17 fells & walks
  • Walks from Windermere 🔮 Live

    Routes and fells within about 5 km of Windermere, ranked, with live conditions.

    13 fells & walks