Walks from Whinlatter Forest
The walks you can reach from Whinlatter Forest — 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 Whinlatter Forest 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 Whinlatter Forest
- Birketts around Grisedale Pike 0 km away11.7 km~598 m~3.3 hSeven tops on and around Grisedale Pike, taking in Hobcarton End, Hobcarton Crag and Sand Hill — 11.7 km and 598 m over eight stages, rated severe for steepness and hard for exposure. About 3.3 hours.
- Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How 0.1 km away7.3 km~243 m~1.9 hEasy🏞️ EasyA sheltered forest loop above Whinlatter — England's highest mountain forest — 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 fine foul-weather or family day when the high tops are in cloud.
- Coledale Round 2.1 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.
- Stile End, Outerside, Causey Pike, Rowling End 2.6 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.
- Ard Crags & Knott Rigg 2.6 km away19.7 km~687 m~5.1 h<AI-GENERATED for planned routes; replaced with Lee's own account once Revised>
- Scar Crags, Causey Pike 2.6 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.
- Kirk Fell and Broom Fell 3.3 km away7.6 km~486 m~2.3 hFour quiet tops in the Lorton fells — Kirk Fell, the Graystones pair and Broom Fell — in just 7.5 km with 486 m of climbing and a stage averaging 20%. Easy for length, severe for steepness; about 2.3 hours.
- Whinlatter Loop 3.3 km away13.6 km~671 m~3.8 hA quiet north-western round above Whinlatter that opens with a brutal 32% climb onto Graystones. 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.
- Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd 4.6 km away12.4 km~1081 m~4.3 hHardA 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, quiet forest to finish.
Fells within about 5 km
- Whinlatter (Brown How) 1.8 km away517 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inWhinlatter at 525m (1,722ft) 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~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inLord'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~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inGrisedale Pike at 791m (2,595ft) 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~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inBarf at 469m (1,539ft) is one of the most distinctive fells in the North Western group, rising steeply above Bassenthwaite Lake.
- Broom Fell 2.9 km away510 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inBroom Fell at 509m (1,670ft) 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~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.
- Hopegill Head 3.2 km away770 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inHopegill Head at 770m (2,526ft) is a pointed, airy summit above the head of the Hobcarton valley, its steep sides giving it a dramatic profile from the Whinlatter direction.
- Barrow 3.3 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.
- Causey Pike 3.8 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.
- Scar Crags 3.8 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.
- Graystones (Graystones North Top) 3.8 km away450 m~2 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inGraystones at 456m (1,496ft) is a small, heathery fell above Lorton Vale, its summit giving pleasant views of Bassenthwaite Lake and the northern fells.
- Sail 4.3 km away773 m~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inSail at 773m (2,536ft) is an elegant, pointed 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~3.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 39Summit likely clagged inCrag 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~3 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inWhiteside at 719m (2,359ft) is a long, narrow ridge above Crummock Water, its steep south face dropping dramatically to the lake below.
- Dodd (Skiddaw) 4.6 km away502 m~2 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inDodd at 502m (1,647ft) is the prominent wooded cone above Bassenthwaite Lake, its open summit — above the Dodd Wood forest — giving one of the finest aerial views of Bassenthwaite Lake in the whole district.
- Ard Crags 4.7 km away581 m~2.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inArd 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~1.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 40Summit likely clagged inLing 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.
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.