Walks by Loweswater
11 routes and 11 fells within about 5 km of Loweswater, nearest first. Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Loweswater guide for parking, buses and where to stay.
Walking routes near Loweswater, by how close they come to the water
Effort is the size of the day, from the distance and the climb; each route’s own page grades the steepness, navigation, exposure and ground underfoot, and names the hardest.
On the shore 4 walks
Each route’s line comes within 50 m of the water’s edge somewhere along it, measured against OpenStreetMap’s outline of the lake.
- Birketts by Loweswater Start 0.6 km away18.69 km~1082 m~5½–7½ hHard effort Hard: distance, steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.3 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)Nine tops above Loweswater, from High Pen and Knock Murton round by Carling Knott — 18.7 km and 1,082 m, with a steepest sustained climb of about 31%. Hard for length, steepness and navigation alike: about 5½–7½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 31%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb Start 0.6 km away14.03 km~764 m~4–5½ hHard effort Hard: distance, steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)Five tops behind Loweswater — Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb and Little Dodd — in 14 km with 764 m of climbing and a steepest sustained pull of about 29%. Hard for length, steepness and navigation alike; about 4–5½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 29%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- Loweswater circuit Start 0.6 km away5.87 km~56 m~1¼–1¾ hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)A nearly-level lap of Loweswater, taking in the lakeshore and the path through Holme Wood. Lovely with a dog.
- Around Loweswater to Fellbarrow and Low Fell Start 0.6 km away10.84 km~446 m~2¾–4 hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)A short north-western round over Low Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Smithy Fell and Fellbarrow — 10.8 km and 446 m, moderate on every axis except steepness, which is severe: the climb onto Low Fell reaches about 43%. About 2¾–4 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 43%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
Within 500 m of the water 3 walks
Each route’s line comes within 500 m of the water’s edge, but not within 50 m.
- Around Loweswater Start 0.6 km away19.13 km~1068 m~5½–7½ hHard effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)The full circuit of the fells around Loweswater — six tops from Darling Fell round to Blake Fell, 19.1 km and 1,068 m, with one early pull a sustained 40% over 250 m. A long day with one steep start: roughly 5½–7½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 35%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- Mellbreak and Crummock Water Start 0.7 km away11.71 km~535 m~3–4½ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)Both Mellbreak tops above Crummock Water — 11.7 km and 535 m, severe for steepness, with one stage averaging 14%. About 3–4½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 42%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- Birketts North of Loweswater Start 1.2 km away10.58 km~655 m~3–4½ hModerate effort Hard: steepness, terrain and navigationPlannedPark: unnamed layby west of Darling Fell · Bus: 77, 4.8 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)A loop of about 10.6 km and 650 m of climbing from the lay-by on the lane north of Loweswater, over seven Birketts on the low fells between Loweswater and the Lorton valley: Darling Fell, Low Fell’s south top, Low Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Smithy Fell, Fellbarrow and Hatteringill Head. Out by a bridleway and a steep pull onto Darling Fell, north along the ridge, and back by old unsurfaced lanes.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%.
More walks within about 5 km 4 walks
Each starts within about 5 km of the lake, and its line stays more than 500 m from the water.
- Dodd & Whiteside Start 3.1 km away7.91 km~682 m~2½–3¾ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Lanthwaite Green (paid) · Bus: 77 at the startTwo tops, 7.9 km and 682 m — and a stage averaging 29%, which is what a short walk with that much ascent in it means. Easy for length, severe for steepness. About 2½–3¾ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 41%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike Start 3.1 km away16.17 km~1161 m~5–7 hHard effort Severe: steepnessWalked August 2026Park: Lanthwaite Green (paid) · Bus: 77 at the startTen tops and the finest ridge walking in the North Western Fells — up Whiteside, along the narrow crest of Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head, over the great whaleback of Grasmoor, then out along Wandope and down the elegant cone of Whiteless Pike to Rannerdale. Sixteen kilometres, a thousand metres of climbing, and views over Crummock Water all the way round.
- The Grasmoor Round Start 3.1 km away16.17 km~1304 m~5¼–7¼ hSevere effort Severe: steepnessWalked August 2026Park: Lanthwaite Green (paid) · Bus: 77 at the startOne of the hardest starts in the Lakes — a gruelling climb averaging 27% over loose scree onto Whiteside — followed by superb high ridge walking over Hopegill Head and Grasmoor. There is a short, hands-on scramble onto Hopegill Head, a broad plateau that disorients in fog, and a narrow descent along Whiteless Edge.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 39%; the steepest descent, about 40% over 250 m. Exposure and terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
- Rannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts Start 3.9 km away6.19 km~394 m~1¾–2¾ hEasy effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: unnamed car park south of Crummock Water, Cinderdale Common (free) · Bus: 77 at the startA loop of about 6.2 km from Cinderdale Common by Crummock Water, with about 390 m of climbing: up the hillside above the car park, down into Rannerdale and up the valley beside Squat Beck, west along the ridge to the top of Rannerdale Knotts, then steeply down to the foot of the valley and back to the car park.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 37%.
Fells within about 5 km
- Low Fell 1.6 km away423 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusDecent · 62 · rated on 27 OctoberDryLow Fell at 423m (1,386ft) above Loweswater is a delightful, craggy little fell giving outstanding views of Loweswater lake and the Grasmoor group above.
- Burnbank Fell 1.9 km away475 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsBurnbank Fell at 475m (1,558ft) is a heathery moorland summit above Loweswater giving fine views of the lake below and the Grasmoor massif above.
- Blake Fell 2.4 km away573 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsBlake Fell at 573m (1,879ft) is a broad, heathery summit above Crummock Water and Loweswater, giving fine views of both lakes from its open top.
- Gavel Fell 3 km away524 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGavel Fell at 524m (1,720ft) is a broad, heathery summit between Ennerdale and Loweswater, giving wide views of the western fells.
- Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell 3 km away416 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusDecent · 62 · rated on 27 OctoberDryFellbarrow at 416m (1,365ft) is a heathery summit above Lorton Vale, giving fine views of the vale and Bassenthwaite Lake.
- Hen Comb 3.2 km away506 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsHen Comb at 506m (1,661ft) is a distinctively shaped ridge above Loweswater, its narrow summit giving fine views of Loweswater and Crummock Water.
- Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top) 3.3 km away511 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsMellbreak at 511m (1,677ft) is a distinctive double-summited ridge above the western shore of Crummock Water, its steep flanks rising directly from the lake edge.Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top) (14 June 2026); they draw on Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team.
- Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) 4.2 km away707 m~2½–3¾ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsWhiteside at 707m (2,320ft) is a long, narrow ridge above Crummock Water, its steep southern flank, Gasgale Crags, falling to Gasgale Gill.Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) (14 June 2026); they draw on Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team.
- Grasmoor 4.7 km away852 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGrasmoor at 852m (2,794ft) is the highest and most massive of the North Western Fells, a great dome of a mountain above Crummock Water that Wainwright described as one of the finest viewpoints in the district — the panorama from Grasmoor's summit takes in the full sweep of the northern and western fells, with the two great lakes of Crummock Water and Buttermere gleaming in the valley far below.
- Rannerdale Knotts 4.9 km away355 m~1½–2 h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsRannerdale Knotts at 355m (1,165ft) is a small, delightful ridge of rocky knolls above Crummock Water, giving some of the finest views of the lake from any fell in the North Western Fells.
- Great Borne 4.9 km away616 m~5–6 h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGreat Borne at 616m (2,021ft) is an isolated, rounded summit above Ennerdale Water, its summit giving excellent views of the lake and the remote Ennerdale valley below.
2 of the fells here are rated good to climb on 27 October — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score, not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab).
Map
● routes · ● fells within ~5 km
An interactive map of the walks and fells in this collection. Each marker links to its page; the same walks and fells are listed on this page.
Distances are straight-line from the centre of Loweswater — ‘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.