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Walks near Whinlatter Forest

10 routes and 17 fells within about 5 km of Whinlatter Forest, nearest first. Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Whinlatter Forest guide for parking, buses and where to stay.

Walking routes near Whinlatter Forest

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.

• Birketts around Grisedale Pike →Start 0 km away11.7 km~750 m~3½–5 hModerate effort Hard: steepnessPlannedPark: Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) · Bus: 77 at the startSeven tops on and around Grisedale Pike, taking in Hobcarton End, Hobcarton Crag and Sand Hill — 11.7 km and 750 m over eight stages, rated hard for steepness. About 3½–5 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 27%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How →Start 0.1 km away7.32 km~261 m~1¾–2¾ hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) · Bus: 77 at the startA sheltered forest loop above Whinlatter, climbing on good tracks through the plantation to a trio of low, easily-missed tops. Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill and rocky little Seat How give sudden, outsized views to Skiddaw, Grisedale Pike and the north-western fells for barely 250 m of climbing. A lower option under the trees when the high tops are in cloud; Forestry England can close the forest in storms and divert paths for felling, so check before you go.Navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
• Coledale Round →Start 2.1 km away16.13 km~1277 m~5¼–7¼ hSevere effort Hard: distance, steepness, navigation and exposureWalked May 2026Park: Kinn car park · Bus: 77, 720 m walk from Braithwaite, at Croft TerraceOne 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 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.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 32%. Exposure: graded by Lee on the ground. Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Grisedale Pike (14 June 2026), Hopegill Head (14 June 2026), Crag Hill (Eel Crag) (14 June 2026) and 1 more; they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
• Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End →Start 2.6 km away10.08 km~692 m~3–4¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked in partPark: Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) · Bus: 77 at the startFour small Newlands tops in 10.1 km, though 692 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 3–4¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 42%. Exposure and terrain: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Ard Crags & Knott Rigg →Start 2.6 km away19.31 km~708 m~5–6¾ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessPlannedOne-way: finishes at Keswick · Start: Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) · Bus: 77 at the start
• Scar Crags, Causey Pike →Start 2.6 km away12.16 km~848 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked in partPark: Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) · Bus: 77 at the startBarrow, Outerside, Scar Crags, Causey Pike and Rowling End above Newlands — five tops in 12.2 km with 848 m of climbing. Hard for terrain, navigation and exposure, severe for steepness; about 3¾–5¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 42%. Exposure, terrain and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Kirk Fell and Broom Fell →Start 3.3 km away7.55 km~486 m~2¼–3¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked in partPark: Spout Force, Whinlatter (free) · Bus: 77, 2.5 km walk from Lorton Winder Hall (near)Four tops in the Lorton fells — Kirk Fell, the Graystones pair and Broom Fell — in just 7.6 km with 486 m of climbing and a stage averaging 20%. Easy for length, severe for steepness; about 2¼–3¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 48%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Whinlatter Loop →Start 3.3 km away13.56 km~712 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked May 2025Park: Spout Force, Whinlatter (free) · Bus: 77, 2.5 km walk from Lorton Winder Hall (near)A north-western round above Whinlatter that opens with a brutal climb onto Graystones, about 56% over its steepest 250 m. After that it is undulating grass and forest over Broom Fell, Lord's Seat and Barf — boggy in places, and Lord's Seat is marked by the remains of an old fence post rather than a cairn.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 48%. Terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Dodd from Dodd Wood →Start 4.6 km away6.26 km~398 m~1¾–2¾ hEasy effort Moderate: steepness and navigationWalked in partPark: Dodd Wood (paid) · Bus: X4 at the startA loop of about 6.3 km from the Dodd Wood car park over Dodd, with about 400 m of climbing: up forest tracks past Long Doors, a path to the top of Dodd, and down by other paths and forest tracks back to the car park.
• Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd →Start 4.6 km away12.41 km~1123 m~4¼–6 hHard effort Hard: steepness and navigationWalked June 2025Park: Dodd Wood (paid) · Bus: X4 at the startA grand horseshoe of the northern Skiddaw group from the forest at Dodd Wood. The walk climbs the clean, shapely ridge over Ullock Pike and along airy Longside Edge to Long Side, then drops to the col by Carl Side before the stiff, loose scree pull onto Skiddaw itself — and one of the great Lakeland summit views, out across the Solway Firth to Scotland. The return crosses back over Carl Side and takes a careful, GPS-checked line down to the wooded little top of Dodd before the drop home through the trees. Five Skiddaw-group Wainwrights — Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side, Skiddaw and Dodd — on a satisfying, varied loop: clean ridge, real summit, forest to finish.Exposure and terrain: graded by Lee on the ground.

Fells within about 5 km

• Whinlatter (Brown How) →1.8 km away517 m~3¾–4¾ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsWhinlatter, whose Wainwright summit Brown How stands at 517m (1,696ft), is the fell above Whinlatter Pass — the broad, wooded ridge between Braithwaite and Lorton — its open summit giving views west to the coast and north to Bassenthwaite Lake.
• Lord's Seat →2.1 km away552 m~3¾–4¾ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsLord's Seat at 552m (1,811ft) is the highest point of the Whinlatter Forest fells, a broad, grassy summit giving outstanding views of Bassenthwaite Lake and the Skiddaw massif.
• Grisedale Pike →2.1 km away790 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGrisedale Pike at 790m (2,593ft) is the most conspicuous of the North Western Fells, a fine, sharp pyramid above Braithwaite that Wainwright described as the dominant feature of the Coledale skyline.
• Barf →2.4 km away469 m~2½–3 h🚌 BusDecent · 60 · rated on 27 OctoberDryBarf at 469m (1,539ft) is one of the most distinctive fells in the North Western group, rising steeply above Bassenthwaite Lake.Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Barf (14 June 2026); they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
• Broom Fell →2.9 km away510 m~2½–3 h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsBroom Fell at 510m (1,674ft) is a grassy summit above Lorton Vale in the north-western corner of the Lake District, giving wide views across Bassenthwaite Lake and north towards the Solway.
• Outerside →3 km away568 m~2½–3 h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsOuterside 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.
• Hopegill Head →3.2 km away770 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsHopegill Head at 770m (2,525ft) is a pointed, airy summit above the head of the Hobcarton valley, its steep sides giving it a dramatic profile from the Whinlatter direction.Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Hopegill Head (14 June 2026); they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
• Barrow →3.3 km away455 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsBarrow 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.
• Causey Pike →3.8 km away637 m~3–3¾ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsCausey 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.
• Scar Crags →3.8 km away672 m~3¾–5¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsScar 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.
• Graystones (Graystones North Top) →3.8 km away450 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGraystones North Top at 450m (1,478ft) is the Wainwright summit of Graystones, above Lorton Vale in the North Western Fells.
• Sail →4.3 km away773 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsSail at 773m (2,536ft) is a rounded summit on the Coledale Horseshoe between Eel Crag and Causey Pike, its attractive profile one of the defining features of the skyline above Braithwaite.
• Crag Hill (Eel Crag) →4.4 km away839 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsCrag Hill at 839m (2,753ft), also known as Eel Crag, is the highest point of the Coledale Horseshoe ridge in the North Western Fells, a broad, rocky summit connecting Grasmoor to Sail and Hopegill Head.
• Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) →4.5 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.
• Dodd (Skiddaw) →4.6 km away502 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsDodd at 502m (1,647ft) is the prominent wooded cone above Bassenthwaite Lake, its open summit — above the Dodd Wood forest — giving a fine view down onto Bassenthwaite Lake.
• Ard Crags →4.7 km away581 m~5–6¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsArd Crags at 581m (1,906ft) is a craggy ridge summit above the head of the Newlands valley, its rocky west face giving the fell its name.
• Ling Fell →4.9 km away374 m~1½–2 h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsLing Fell at 374m (1,227ft) is a small, heathery summit above Wythop Mill near Bassenthwaite Lake, its modest top giving pleasant views across the lake and north to the Solway.

1 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).

Distances are straight-line from the centre of Whinlatter Forest — ‘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.