Walks by Thirlmere
The walks you can reach around Thirlmere — 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 Thirlmere guide for parking, buses and where to stay.
2 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 Thirlmere
- Helvellyn from Swirls: the walkers’ way up 1.1 km away9.4 km~831 m~3.3 hHard🏞️ EasyThe straightforward way up England’s third-highest fell — no scrambling, no knife edges, just a long, honest climb from Thirlmere up Browncove Crags to the summit plateau, returning over Lower Man and White Side. This is the route to take if Striding Edge frightens you, and there is no shame whatever in taking it: the view from the top is exactly the same.
- Helvellyn & Nethermost Pike via Seat Sandal 1.2 km away15.7 km~1121 m~5 hHelvellyn the steep way — 728 m of climbing inside the first 3.5 km at 21% average, before the ridge eases over Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike and comes back over Seat Sandal. At 1,121 m of ascent it is the biggest day of this group.
- Raven Crag Easy Walk 1.2 km away5.8 km~312 m~1.7 hThe short climb to the crag above Thirlmere — 5.8 km and 312 m with a stage averaging 20%. Easy for length, terrain, navigation and exposure alike; the gradient is the only thing rated hard. Under two hours.
- Birketts North of Thirlmere 2 km away13.8 km~910 m~4.3 hCastle Rock, Wren Crag and the High Rigg tops above Thirlmere — six summits in 13.8 km with 910 m of climbing, and one stage averaging 28%, the steepest in this group. Hard for exposure; about 4.3 hours.
- Brown Crag and Raise 2 km away10.6 km~749 m~3.4 hThree tops on the western flank of the Helvellyn range, Brown Crag through White Side to Raise. 749 m of ascent in 10.6 km with one stage at 15%. Navigation is only moderate here, the paths being clear enough, but exposure is rated hard once you are on the ridge. Roughly 3.4 hours.
- Three Dodds and Calfhow Pike 2.1 km away11.1 km~819 m~3.6 hGrassy, rounded and quick underfoot: Stybarrow Dodd, Watson's Dodd and Great Dodd, with Calfhow Pike tucked between them. 11.1 km and 819 m, one stage at 16%. Exposure is rated hard, there being no shelter anywhere along the ridge. About 3.6 hours.
- Birketts West of Thirlmere 3.8 km away23.1 km~1047 m~6.4 hTen tops on the rough ground west of Thirlmere — Wythburn Fell, Standing Crag and the Coldbarrow Fell saddles among them — in 23.1 km with 1,047 m of climbing and nothing steeper than about 10%. Severe for length; roughly 6.4 hours.
- Standing Crag, High Tove, Armboth 3.8 km away14.3 km~545 m~3.8 hSix tops on the wet watershed between Thirlmere and Borrowdale — Standing Crag, Shivery Knott, Middle Crag, High Tove and Armboth Fell. 14.3 km and 545 m, rated hard for length, steepness and navigation. About 3.8 hours.
- Brown Rigg & Blea Tarn 3.8 km away13.5 km~481 m~3.5 hFour tops on the boggy watershed above Thirlmere — Brown Rigg, Shivery Knott, Middle Crag and High Tove — in 13.5 km with 481 m of climbing. Rated hard to navigate, which is the whole character of this ground. About 3.5 hours.
- Watendlath & the packhorse bridge 4.6 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.
- Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell 4.7 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.
Fells within about 5 km
- Raven Crag 1.2 km away461 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inRaven Crag at 461m (1,512ft) is the dramatic cliff above Thirlmere, its great crag face one of the most impressive roadside crags in Lakeland.
- High Seat 2.2 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.
- High Tove 2.3 km away515 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inHigh Tove at 515m (1,690ft) is a modest, boggy summit on the Armboth plateau between Thirlmere and Borrowdale, its open top giving views across to the Helvellyn range and north to Skiddaw.
- Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top) 2.4 km away475 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inArmboth Fell at 479m (1,572ft) is a broad, peaty summit on the central plateau between Thirlmere and Watendlath, giving adequate views across to the Helvellyn range.
- Bleaberry Fell 3 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.
- White Side 3.1 km away863 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inWhite Side at 863m (2,831ft) is the broad ridge summit between Raise and Lower Man on the northern Helvellyn ridge, its grassy, open top offering good views west across Thirlmere to the Borrowdale fells.
- Watson's Dodd 3.2 km away789 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inWatson's Dodd at 789m (2,589ft) is a smooth, grassy summit on the northern Helvellyn ridge between Stybarrow Dodd and Great Dodd, its open top giving views north towards Skiddaw and east to the Pennines.
- Raise 3.4 km away883 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inRaise at 883m (2,897ft) is the northernmost of the high Helvellyn range summits, a broad, rounded top that Wainwright described as giving outstanding views north to Great Dodd and Clough Head and west to Thirlmere.
- Stybarrow Dodd 3.6 km away844 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inStybarrow Dodd at 843m (2,766ft) is the middlemost of the Helvellyn Dodds, a broad plateau summit above Sticks Pass giving good views in all directions but most notably east across Ullswater to the distant Pennines.
- Helvellyn 4.2 km away950 m~5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inHelvellyn at 950m (3,117ft) is the most climbed of all the major Lakeland summits, and Wainwright devoted more pages to it than almost any other fell.
- High Rigg (Naddle Fell) 4.3 km away356 m~1.5 h🚌 BusDecent · 64DryHigh Rigg at 357m (1,171ft) is a delightful, craggy ridge above St John's in the Vale — one of the most pleasant low-level walks in the Eastern Fells, its heathery knolls giving fine views of Blencathra, Helvellyn and the Vale of St John from multiple viewpoints.
- Great Dodd 4.3 km away857 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inGreat Dodd at 857m (2,811ft) is the highest of the northern Dodds, a broad, grassy summit at the head of the Matterdale valley that Wainwright described as a fell of more interest than its rounded outline suggests — the views north to the Pennines and south along the full Helvellyn ridge are outstanding.
- Catstye Cam 4.3 km away890 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inCatstycam at 890m (2,920ft) is the perfect mountain in miniature — a shapely, symmetrical cone above Red Tarn that Wainwright described as one of the finest summit shapes in Lakeland.
- Grange Fell (Brund Fell) 4.6 km away417 m~2 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inGrange Fell at 415m (1,362ft) is a rough, rocky summit above the village of Grange in Borrowdale, its craggy knolls and heathery terraces giving a charming, varied walk.
- Walla Crag 4.8 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.
- Great Crag (Stonethwaite) 4.9 km away449 m~2.5 h🚌 BusDecent · 70Dry, light windsGreat Crag at 449m (1,473ft) is a small, craggy summit above Watendlath, its rocky top giving fine views of the charming hamlet and tarn below and across to Glaramara and the Borrowdale fells.
- Nethermost Pike 4.9 km away891 m~4 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inNethermost Pike at 891m (2,923ft) is the first of the great eastern summits south of Helvellyn, standing above the head of the Nethermost Cove corrie.
Distances are straight-line from the centre of Thirlmere — ‘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.