Walks from Windermere
The walks you can reach from Windermere — 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 Windermere guide for parking, buses and where to stay.
1 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 Windermere
- Orrest Head 0.2 km away4.2 km~167 m~1.1 h🏞️ EasyWainwright's first Lakeland summit and still the best short introduction to the fells — a steady wooded climb from Windermere to a rocky crown with a sweeping panorama over the lake to the Coniston and Langdale skyline.
- Capple Howe & Sallows 4 km away8.7 km~480 m~2.5 hSour Howes, Capple Howe and Sallows above Troutbeck — three modest tops in 8.7 km with 480 m of climbing and one stage averaging 16%. Rated hard to navigate; about two and a half hours.
- Wray Castle & the Windermere west shore 4.4 km away9.6 km~114 m~2.1 h🏞️ EasyA roughly 6-mile circular taking in the mock-Gothic Wray Castle and the quiet western shore of Windermere. A varied, low-level day — flat underfoot but a fair distance.
Fells within about 5 km
- Orrest Head 0.6 km away238 mOrrest Head at 238m (781ft) is the famous viewpoint above Windermere, the first fell the young Alfred Wainwright climbed when he arrived in Lakeland — and the view that changed his life.
- School Knott 1.8 km away232 mAt 232 m (761 ft), School Knott is a listed Lakeland top in the South Lakeland area — an overlooked summit away from the crowds.
- Grandsire 2.4 km away251 mGrandsire is a low, grassy fell of 251m (823ft) in the gentle country south-east of Windermere, near Ings.
- Unnamed top (School Knott) 2.6 km away247 m
- Brant Fell 2.6 km away191 mBrant Fell at 191m (627ft) is the rocky little top rising directly behind Bowness-on-Windermere, and among the most accessible of all Wainwright's Outlying Fells.
- Claife Heights 3.3 km away270 mClaife Heights at 270m (886ft) is the long, forested ridge on the western shore of Windermere, giving fine views of the lake through the trees.
- High Knott 4.4 km away275 mHigh Knott at 275m (902ft) rises above Staveley in the South Lakeland fells, and appears on some Ordnance Survey maps under the name of the structure on its summit.
- Latterbarrow 4.5 km away244 mLatterbarrow at 244m (800ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Hawkshead, its rocky top — marked by a tall stone obelisk — giving outstanding views of Esthwaite Water and the surrounding wooded country.
- Sour Howes 4.7 km away483 m~2.5 h🚌 BusDecent · 69Dry, light windsSour Howes at 483m (1,585ft) is a broad, grassy summit above Troutbeck with good views south to Windermere.
- Reston Scar 4.7 km away255 mReston Scar at 255m (837ft) is an Outlying Fell on the limestone escarpment above the Winster valley in the South Lakeland group, its rocky scarp edge giving views across the pastoral valley towards Windermere and the Lake District fells.
Distances are straight-line from the centre of Windermere — ‘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.