Walks by Derwentwater
The walks you can reach around Derwentwater — the routes that start within about 5 km, and the Wainwright and Outlying fells within the same radius, ranked nearest first. Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Derwentwater guide for parking, buses and where to stay.
0 of the fells here are rated good to climb on 11 September — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score, not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go.
Map
● routes · ● fells within ~5 km
An interactive map of the route start points and the fells within about 5 km. Each marker links to its page; the same routes and fells are listed below.
Walking routes near Derwentwater
- Catbells: the short way up 1.1 km away5.7 km~388 m~1.8 hModerate🏞️ EasyThe friendliest big view in the Lakes. Under 6 km from Hawse End to the shapely little summit above Derwentwater and back — short enough for an afternoon, steep enough to feel like a proper fell, and reachable without a car by launch across the lake or the bus from Keswick.
- Catbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy 1.1 km away13.8 km~824 m~4.1 hEasyA lovely, accessible ridge walk above the western shore of Derwentwater, and a great introduction to the fells. From Hawes End it climbs the shapely little peak of Catbells, then follows the airy but easy ridge south over Maiden Moor to High Spy, with Derwentwater and the Newlands valley spread out below. There are a few easy scrambly steps on Catbells that some guides don't mention, but nothing most people can't manage. A modest, rewarding day with some of the best views in the northern Lakes for the effort.
- Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell 1.6 km away17 km~792 m~4.7 hThe long boggy ridge south from Keswick — five tops in 17 km with 792 m of climbing, hard for both length and steepness but easy for exposure. About 4.7 hours.
- Ashness Bridge & Surprise View 1.6 km away13.4 km~322 m~3.2 h🏞️ EasyA circular of about 8.3 miles along the eastern shore of Derwentwater taking in the iconic Ashness Bridge and the Surprise View over the lake. Mostly low-level (it passes below Walla Crag, not over it).
- Friar's Crag & the Derwentwater shore 2.1 km away4.2 km~43 m~0.9 h🏞️ EasyAn almost-level lakeshore stroll from Keswick to Friar's Crag — Ruskin's favourite view down Derwentwater to the Jaws of Borrowdale — on surfaced paths that suit pushchairs.
- Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick 2.1 km away12.5 km~655 m~3.6 hModerateA proper fell day that starts and finishes on foot from Keswick — no car needed. Walla Crag gives one of the great Derwentwater views for very little effort; Bleaberry Fell behind it is a rougher, boggier, quieter proposition that most people skip. Together they make a satisfying half-day horseshoe straight out of the town.
- Castlerigg Stone Circle (from Keswick) 2.2 km away7.7 km~185 m~1.9 h🏞️ EasyA low-level circular of about 4.8 miles from Keswick out to the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone Circle and back through fields and woods. Gentle underfoot, but a genuine half-day walk rather than the quick roadside visit many expect.
- Watendlath & the packhorse bridge 2.7 km away10.3 km~298 m~2.6 hA roughly 6.4-mile Borrowdale loop up to the hidden hamlet of Watendlath, its tarn and the much-photographed packhorse bridge, returning down the valley. A satisfying low-level half-day.
- Scope End, Hindscarth & Dale Head from Little Town 3.3 km away12.1 km~729 m~3.6 hModerateA proper Newlands mountain day that most walkers drive straight past. The shapely Scope End ridge lifts you out of Little Town onto Hindscarth, then an airy walk along Hindscarth Edge carries you over to Dale Head above the head of the valley before a long descent back to the start. It's about 12 km with 730 m of ascent, with no scrambling — but the pulls are steep and the tops are big and open. Walk it on a day the Catbells car parks are overflowing and you'll have the ridge largely to yourself.
- Scar Crags, Causey Pike 3.3 km away12 km~850 m~3.8 hBarrow, Outerside, Scar Crags, Causey Pike and Rowling End above Newlands — five tops in 12 km with 850 m of climbing. Hard for terrain, navigation and exposure, severe for steepness; about 3.8 hours.
- Ard Crags & Knott Rigg 3.3 km away19.7 km~687 m~5.1 h<AI-GENERATED for planned routes; replaced with Lee's own account once Revised>
- Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End 3.3 km away9.9 km~682 m~3.1 hFour small Newlands tops in 9.9 km, though 682 m of ascent packed into that makes it steeper than the distance suggests, with one stage averaging 16%. Both the terrain and the exposure are rated hard along Causey Pike's knobbly crest. About 3.1 hours.
- Coledale Round 3.8 km away16 km~1108 m~5.1 hHardOne of the great north-western horseshoes, and a properly big mountain day from Braithwaite. From the little car park tucked behind the trees on the Whinlatter Pass road — or straight off the bus — a steady wake-up climb leads up over Kinn and Sleet How before Grisedale Pike shows its hand: a steep, craggy pull the map never quite warns you about, with hands needed on rock near the top. From its rocky summit the round opens out — the airy ridge over Hobcarton Crag to Hopegill Head's tiny, wind-blown perch, the broad sweep to Crag Hill and Sail, then a long, satisfying horseshoe back over the quieter tops of Outerside, Stile End and Barrow. Six Wainwrights, a handful of Birkett tops, and some of the best ridge-walking in the Lakes for the effort.
- Up to Skiddaw Round Trip 4.5 km away12 km~799 m~3.7 hA compact way onto Skiddaw over Lonscale Fell — 12 km and 799 m — keeping off the tourist path for most of the climb. Burnt Horse Ridge is steep and often wet underfoot, the summit plateau is fully exposed to whatever the weather is doing, and the return is a sustained 519 m descent on stone and gravel.
- Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! 4.5 km away19.3 km~1116 m~5.7 hSkiddaw the long way, taking in Lonscale Fell and Bakestall — 19.2 km and 1,116 m, with a 22% lung-buster onto Lesser Man and loose slate underfoot high up. The plateau is fully exposed to the wind, and the round commits you to a 9.7 km walk out from Bakestall.
- Latrigg 4.5 km away2.5 km~103 m~0.7 h🏞️ EasyThe little fell on Keswick's doorstep with an outsized view — a short pull from the Gale Road car park to a grassy top looking straight down on the town, Derwentwater and the Borrowdale fells.
- The Bowder Stone 4.7 km away0.6 km~11 m~0.1 h🏞️ EasyA very short, level stroll to Borrowdale's famous balanced boulder — the house-sized Bowder Stone, with a wooden ladder to climb to the top. Maximum reward for minimum effort, and a guaranteed hit with children.
Fells within about 5 km
- Walla Crag 1.9 km away379 m~2 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inWalla Crag at 379m (1,244ft) is the great rocky escarpment above Derwent Water, its summit giving one of the finest aerial views of the lake in the whole district.
- Cat Bells (Catbells) 2.1 km away451 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inCatbells is one of Alfred Wainwright's great favourites, and his fondness for it shines through in The North-Western Fells — he saw it as a 'family fell,' approachable enough for grandparents and young children to climb together, yet rewarding with shapely, sun-warmed slopes and a genuinely striking position above Derwent Water.
- Barrow 3.1 km away455 m~2 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inBarrow at 455m (1,493ft) is a small, grassy summit above Braithwaite, giving one of the finest views of the Coledale valley and the Causey Pike ridge for its modest height.
- Bleaberry Fell 3.4 km away590 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inBleaberry Fell at 590m (1,936ft) is a broad, heathery summit above Cat Bells and Derwent Water, giving one of the finest aerial views of the lake in the whole district.
- Latrigg 3.9 km away369 m~1.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inLatrigg at 368m (1,207ft) is the little fell above Keswick, its summit giving one of the finest and most accessible viewpoints of Derwent Water and the surrounding fells in the whole Lake District.
- Maiden Moor 3.9 km away575 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inMaiden Moor at 576m (1,890ft) is the broad ridge south of Catbells on the Newlands Horseshoe, giving outstanding views of Derwent Water from its open summit plateau.
- Causey Pike 3.9 km away637 m~3 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inCausey Pike at 637m (2,090ft) is one of the most attractive North Western summits — a pointed, rocky knob visible from across Derwent Water that Wainwright regarded as giving one of the finest low-level views of the lake.
- High Seat 4.5 km away609 m~3 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inHigh Seat at 608m (1,995ft) is the highest summit of the Bleaberry Fell–Armboth plateau above Thirlmere and Derwent Water — a broad, boggy moorland that Wainwright regarded as something of an endurance test, given the extensive wet ground.
- Outerside 4.7 km away568 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inOuterside at 568m (1,864ft) is a small, grassy summit between Causey Pike and the Coledale valley, giving pleasant views of the surrounding North Western Fells.
- Scar Crags 5 km away672 m~3 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inScar Crags at 672m (2,205ft) is a craggy ridge summit above Coledale between Causey Pike and Sail, its rocky profile one of the features of the Coledale Horseshoe.
Distances are straight-line from the centre of Derwentwater — ‘within ~5 km’ means as the crow flies, not that the walk necessarily starts there. Always plan your own route and check the bus before you travel.