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

Wainwright — Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett

Heron Pike (Rydal)

Heron Pike at 612m (2,008ft) is the southern end of the Fairfield Horseshoe ridge above Rydal, its rocky summit giving excellent views across Windermere and south to Morecambe Bay.

612 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+1
Bonus Birkett
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Heron Pike (Rydal)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

612 mWainwright — Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+1 bonus Birkett within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 612 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 13°C, gusts to 41 mph, 14.2 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
15° / 13°
💨 41 mph
🌧 14.2 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
15° / 12°
💨 33 mph
🌧 3.9 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 4°
💨 27 mph
🌧 0.9 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
16° / 4°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 5°
💨 11 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 612 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

Heron Pike (Rydal)

Heron Pike (Rydal), a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Heron Pike at 612m (2,008ft) is the southern end of the Fairfield Horseshoe ridge above Rydal, its rocky summit giving excellent views across Windermere and south to Morecambe Bay. Wainwright described it as a fine viewpoint for the southern fells and the Windermere countryside. The ascent from Rydal is direct and straightforward, and the fell is the natural starting point for the Fairfield Horseshoe from the southern approach. The views across Rydal Water and Grasmere from the descent via Nab Scar are among the classic Lakeland lake views.

Routes up Heron Pike (Rydal)

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

Fairfield Horseshoe
16.9 km · ~4.9 hr · Moderate
One of the classic Lakeland rounds and a fine first big horseshoe. From the car park at Rydal it's a steady, moderate climb with only a minor amount of scrambling — my kids, then 7 and 10, managed it, though they found it a long day. You can easily start from Ambleside instead: stock up at the shops on the way out and finish at the Royal Oak for a well-earned pint. The full round takes in eight tops, with Fairfield's broad summit the high point and Windermere laid out behind you on the descent.
Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside
22.4 km · ~6.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Eastern
Birkett
Synge
Nuttall
612 m
Height
2,008 ft
In feet
NY 3559 0831
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Grasmere village (paid), about 2.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Heron Pike (Rydal) (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.

0.4 km NNEHeron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)621 m · Eastern

Routes over Heron Pike (Rydal)

Fairfield HorseshoeRevised
16.92 km · ~925 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6.5 h · Clockwise · Moderate
Summits: Nab ScarHeron Pike (Rydal)Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)Great RiggFairfieldHart CragDove CragHigh Pike (Scandale)Low Pike

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Any season in good conditions; save the broad, featureless summit for a clear day.

⚠️ Warnings: Fairfield's broad summit plateau is confusing in cloud — carry a map and compass and take a bearing before descending.; A little easy scrambling in places, but nothing obligatory.

Full route guide ↗

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

Long Hike to Fairfield from AmblesideRevised
22.39 km · ~1350 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–9 h
Summits: Red ScreesDove CragHart CragFairfieldGreat RiggHeron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)Heron Pike (Rydal)Nab Scar

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Heron Pike (Rydal)

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 Heron Pike (Rydal)36 labelled tops shown (9 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 14 kmHelvellyn · 7 kmGreat Gable · 15 kmFairfield · 4 kmCrinkle Crags · 11 kmCrag Hill · 20 kmHart Crag · 3 kmHigh Stile · 20 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 13 kmSwirl How · 11 kmGrisedale Pike · 21 kmThornthwaite Crag · 8 kmRed Screes · 4 kmLittle Stand · 12 kmSeat Sandal · 3 kmLow White Stones · 8 kmUllscarf · 8 kmYoke · 8 kmHell Gill Pike · 11 kmHarter Fell · 16 kmHigh Seat · 12 kmDove Crag · 3 kmAllen Crags · 12 kmGreat Rigg · 2 kmBroom Fell · 25 kmIngleborough · 51 km · clear daysWhernside · 47 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 55 km · clear daysThe Calf · 33 km · clear daysSallows · 9 kmWansfell Pike · 6 kmKitty Crag · 11 kmLoughrigg Fell · 3 kmGummer's How · 20 kmBurney · 24 kmGrandsire · 13 kmBowfell · 11 kmBrim Fell · 13 kmHopegill Head · 22 kmCaudale Moor · 6 kmBleaberry Fell · 13 kmBell Crags · 8 kmSergeant Man · 7 kmHeron Pike North Top · 0 kmWhite Stones · 10 kmLow Pike · 2 kmLingmoor Fell · 6 kmBrunt Knott · 15 kmGibson Knott · 4 kmBaugh Fell · 42 km · clear daysSilver How · 4 kmFair Snape Fell · 66 km · clear daysBlack Fell · 7 kmHolme Fell · 9 kmClaife Heights · 11 kmnameless · 14 kmLatterbarrow · 9 kmScout Scar · 21 kmBigland Barrow · 24 kmSnowdon · 171 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 192 km · a handful of days a yearCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 118 km · a rare clear dayYr Eifl · 191 km · a handful of days a yearPendle Hill · 81 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 163 km · a handful of days a yearGreat Whernside · 73 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 98 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 108 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Heron Pike (Rydal), by direction
  • North: Hart Crag (3 km), Fairfield (4 km), Helvellyn (7 km)
  • East: Red Screes (4 km), Caudale Moor (6 km), Stony Cove Pike (6 km), Thornthwaite Crag (8 km)
  • South-west: Wetherlam (10 km), Great Carrs (11 km), Swirl How (11 km), Little Stand (12 km), Great How (12 km), Grey Friar (12 km), Brim Fell (13 km), The Old Man of Coniston (13 km)
  • West: High Raise (8 km), Shelter Crags (11 km), Crinkle Crags (11 km), Crinkle Crags (11 km), Crinkle Crags (11 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (11 km), Bowfell (11 km), Crinkle Crags (11 km), Esk Pike (12 km), Great End (13 km), Ill Crag (13 km), Broad Crag (14 km), Scafell Pike (14 km), Great Gable (15 km), Scafell (15 km), High Crag (18 km), High Stile (20 km), High Stile (20 km), Red Pike (21 km)
  • North-west: Sail (20 km), Crag Hill (20 km), Eel Crag (21 km), Grisedale Pike (21 km), Sand Hill (22 km), Hopegill Head (22 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (171 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (159 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (192 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (167 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (118 km, Scotland), Arenig Fawr (179 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (191 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (178 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 Heron Pike (Rydal)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
65Wainwrights in view+6 marginal
171 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewMorecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 171 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 155 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 68 km distant
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 52 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 46 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 34 km in view
All 65 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Stone Arthur, Low Pike, High Pike (Scandale), Great Rigg, Dove Crag, Helm Crag, Hart Crag, Loughrigg Fell, Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Silver How, Red Screes, Gibson Knott, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Dollywaggon Pike, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Blea Rigg, Baystones (Wansfell), Calf Crag, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Helvellyn, Black Fell, Sergeant Man, Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Ullscarf, High Raise (High White Stones), Thunacar Knott, Thornthwaite Crag, Loft Crag, Holme Fell, Sour Howes, Pike of Blisco, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Wetherlam, Cold Pike, High Tove, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Great Carrs, Swirl How, Allen Crags, High Seat, Esk Pike, Grey Friar, Great End, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Scafell Pike, Grey Knotts, Scafell, Harter Fell (Eskdale), High Crag (Buttermere), Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Sail, High Stile, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Red Pike (Buttermere), Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Lord's Seat, Broom Fell

How Heron Pike (Rydal)’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 Heron Pike (Rydal)

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

Grasmere village (paid) — 2.0 km from summit (straight line)
For Helm Crag, Silver How, the Easedale fells and the Far Easedale round.
Directions
🚺 Grasmere (71m) — Accessible · RADAR key🚺 Stock Lane carpark (425m) — Accessible☕ The Little Inn Coffee Shop☕ Grasmere Tea Gardens☕ Thirteen Valleys Kitchen🍺 1769 Bar & Restaurant🍺 Tweedies Bar🍺 The Distiller’s Arms🏪 Grasmere Outdoors🏪 Mountain Hi🏪 Trespass🏪 Mountain Warehouse
White Moss (paid) — 2.1 km from summit (straight line)
Between Rydal and Grasmere — Loughrigg, Silver How, Heron Pike.
Directions
🚺 White Moss (369m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (666m)

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Fairfield Horseshoe route:

🚌 Church for Rydal Mount (146 m)⛺ map (432 m)⛺ Rydal Hall Youth Centre Bunkhouse (441 m)

On the Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside route:

🛖 map (6 m)🛖 map (65 m)🛖 map (77 m)🚺 map (30 m)🚺 map (108 m)🚺 map (123 m)🚌 Loughrigg Avenue (71 m)🚌 Hayes Garden Centre (189 m)🚌 Kelsick Road Stand 1 (256 m)⛺ Ambleside Backpackers (19 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to Heron Pike (Rydal) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

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

My hikes over Heron Pike (Rydal) (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Navigating Heron Pike (Rydal) 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 Heron Pike (Rydal) 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 Heron Pike (Rydal)

Maps & guidebooks for Heron Pike (Rydal)

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