hikes.guideLake District

489 m · Wainwright — Southern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Southern FellsAlso a Birkett

Green Crag

Green Crag at 489m (1,604ft) is a delightful rocky summit above the Ulpha Fells in Dunnerdale, its small crags and bilberry-covered knolls quite different in character from the high fells to the north.

489 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+7
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Green Crag

489 mWainwright — Southern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+7 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 489 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 17° to 14°C, gusts to 32 mph, 1.7 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
17° / 14°
💨 32 mph
🌧 1.7 mm (90%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 12°
💨 26 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (98%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 8°
💨 29 mph
🌧 2.8 mm (70%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 4°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (73%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 6°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.3 mm (47%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
17° / 9°
💨 20 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 8°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (17%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 489 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Green Crag

Green Crag at 489m (1,604ft) is a delightful rocky summit above the Ulpha Fells in Dunnerdale, its small crags and bilberry-covered knolls quite different in character from the high fells to the north. Wainwright included it in his Southern Fells guide, praising its excellent views south and west to the Duddon estuary and the Cumbrian coast. The ascent from Dunnerdale is short and rewarding, with good views of Black Combe to the south. Often combined with Harter Fell (Eskdale) and Birker Fell for a satisfying Dunnerdale circuit. A genuinely pleasant summit that well repays the modest effort needed to reach it.

Routes up Green Crag

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Alternative Hardknott Round (Green Crag, Harter Fell & Hard Knott)
14.7 km · ~4.5 hr · Hard
A rugged Eskdale round over three characterful, quiet tops — Green Crag, Harter Fell and Hard Knott — through some of the wildest, least-walked country in the Lakes, with the Scafells filling the skyline. Rocky, boggy and lightly pathed: a proper fell day for those who like their hills empty.
Green Crag & Great Whinscale — the wild Birker Fell round
11.9 km · ~3.2 hr · Moderate
A wild, trackless round over the knobbly tops of Birker Fell, in the empty south-western corner of the Lakes that most walkers never reach. From the Birker Fell road it crosses open, boggy moor past Devoke Water — the Lake District's largest tarn — to a cluster of five rocky little summits: Great Whinscale, Crook Crag, then Green Crag, the Wainwright and high point of the day, before Broad Crag and Great Crag on Birker Fell. Under 12 km but genuinely rough underfoot, with proper solitude and a big view over the Duddon, Eskdale and out to the sea.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Southern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
HuMP
489 m
Height
1,604 ft
In feet
SD 2001 9827
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Devoke Water turning, Birker Fell road (verge), about 3.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Green Crag (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.5 km NCrook Crag469 m · Southern
0.7 km SWBroad Crag - Birker Fell372 m · Southern
0.7 km NNWGreat Whinscale427 m · Southern
1.0 km SSEBirker Fell - White How444 m · Southern
1.4 km WSWBirker Fell - Great Crag333 m · Southern
1.6 km NKepple Crag328 m · Southern
2.9 km NEDemming Crag525 m · Southern

Routes over Green Crag

Alternative Hardknott Round (Green Crag, Harter Fell & Hard Knott)Planned
14.68 km · ~957 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6 h · Hard
Summits: Green CragHarter Fell (Eskdale)Hard Knott

✎️ Three wild, quiet Eskdale tops linked into a big round — boggy in stretches (notably north of Green Crag) and rocky underfoot; a dry, clear day makes all the difference.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Late spring to autumn, in dry weather. The ground north of Green Crag is notably boggy and much slower when wet.

⚠️ Warnings: The ground north of Green Crag is boggy — wet, tussocky and slow, and worse after rain. Pick a dry spell and expect to lose time here.; Rough, rocky and only lightly pathed — navigation needs care in poor visibility. Carry map and compass.; A long, remote round (nearly 15 km, 950 m of ascent) with little quick escape; start early and carry food, water and layers.; Livestock on the lower fields; keep dogs under close control.

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Green Crag & Great Whinscale — the wild Birker Fell roundPlanned
11.86 km · ~478 m ascent · loop · ~3–4.5 h · Moderate
Summits: Great WhinscaleCrook CragGreen CragBroad Crag - Birker FellBirker Fell - Great Crag

✎️ Park on the verge at the Devoke Water turning on the Birker Fell road between Ulpha and Eskdale — a narrow, remote fell road, so come prepared and don't rely on a phone signal. It's a long walk in across open moor to the first top.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Best after a dry spell and in clear weather — Birker Moor is rough, boggy and pathless in places, and easy to misread in low cloud.

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Green Crag

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Green Crag36 labelled tops shown (7 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 9 kmBowfell · 9 kmPillar · 14 kmEsk Pike · 10 kmCrinkle Crags · 8 kmGrasmoor · 22 kmScoat Fell · 14 kmSwirl How · 8 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 7 kmHaycock · 14 kmBrim Fell · 7 kmKirk Fell East Top · 12 kmBuck Pike · 6 kmSeatallan · 12 kmLittle Carrs · 8 kmBrown Pike · 6 kmWhite Maiden · 6 kmBlack Combe · 14 kmWhitfell · 7 kmLank Rigg · 18 kmCaw · 5 kmStainton Pike · 6 kmWoodend Height · 5 kmPikes · 5 kmHarter Fell · 2 kmWhite Combe · 13 kmSwainson Knott · 16 kmBirker Fell · 1 kmDawsonground Crags · 4 kmStickle Pike · 6 kmRaven's Crag · 6 kmBirker Fell · 1 kmGreat Bank · 7 kmRough Crag · 4 kmStang Hill · 13 kmDunnerdale Fells · 6 kmIll Crag · 9 kmGreat How · 8 kmStonesty Pike · 8 kmWalna Scar · 6 kmWhite Pike · 6 kmBuck Barrow · 9 kmWhin Rigg · 7 kmStoupdale Head · 12 kmWhite Pike · 6 kmYewbarrow · 10 kmYew Bank · 6 kmEskdale Fell · 5 kmFox Haw · 5 kmThe Pike · 5 kmWhin Crag · 4 kmPonsonby Fell · 15 kmThe Knott · 7 kmWhite Hill · 62 km · clear daysMuncaster Fell · 9 kmIrton Pike · 9 kmCarnedd Llewelyn · 144 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 179 km · a handful of days a yearSnaefell · 81 km · a rare clear daySouth Barrule · 97 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 152 km · a handful of days a yearBeneraird · 133 km · a handful of days a yearWinter Hill · 95 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Green Crag, by direction
  • North: Scafell (8 km), Scafell Pike (9 km), Ill Crag (9 km), Broad Crag (10 km), Esk Pike (10 km), Kirk Fell (12 km), Kirk Fell East Top (12 km), Red Pike (13 km), Scoat Fell (14 km), Black Crag (14 km), Pillar (14 km), High Crag (16 km), Grasmoor (22 km)
  • North-east: Stonesty Pike (8 km), Little Carrs (8 km), Hell Gill Pike (8 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Bowfell (9 km), Pike de Bield (9 km)
  • East: Walna Scar (6 km), Dow Crag (6 km), Grey Friar (6 km), Buck Pike (6 km), Brown Pike (6 km), Brim Fell (7 km), The Old Man of Coniston (7 km), Great How (8 km), Swirl How (8 km)
  • South-east: White Pike (6 km), White Maiden (6 km)
  • South-west: Whitfell (7 km), Burn Moor (8 km), Buck Barrow (9 km), Black Combe (14 km), Black Combe South Top (15 km)
  • North-west: Illgill Head (7 km), Seatallan (12 km), Haycock (14 km), Little Gowder Crag (14 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Carnedd Llewelyn (144 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (179 km, Wales), Snaefell (81 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (152 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (166 km, Wales), South Barrule (97 km, Isle of Man), Moel y Gamelin (152 km, Wales), Cadair Berwyn (166 km, Wales).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Green Crag

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
23Wainwrights in view+1 marginal
140 kmFurthest sightlineCarnedd Llewelyn · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 140 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManW · 81 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterWSW · 36 km in view
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 35 km in view
All 23 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Harter Fell (Eskdale), Dow Crag, Grey Friar, Slight Side, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Illgill Head, Swirl How, Scafell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Scafell Pike, Bowfell, Esk Pike, Yewbarrow, Seatallan, Kirk Fell, Red Pike (Wasdale), Haycock, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Pillar, High Crag (Buttermere), Grasmoor

How Green Crag’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Green Crag

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Devoke Water turning, Birker Fell road (verge) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)
Rough free parking by the bridleway to Devoke Water for the Birker Fell group.
Directions
Dalegarth Station, Eskdale (paid) — 3.4 km from summit (straight line)
Pay & display at the La'al Ratty terminus — Eskdale fells, Harter Fell, Green Crag.
Directions
🚺 Dalegarth Station (263m) — Accessible☕ Fellbites Cafe

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Buses to Green Crag from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (“La'al Ratty”)
Ravenglass (Cumbrian Coast main line) – Eskdale Green – Dalegarth for Boot
Catch it from: Connects from the Cumbrian Coast line (not from Penrith/Ambleside/Windermere directly)
Not a bus, but the only public transport into Eskdale. Wasdale has no public transport at all — car (or a long walk in) is the realistic option for the Wasdale fells.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Navigating Green Crag in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Green Crag compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Green Crag

Maps & guidebooks for Green Crag

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →