hikes.guideLake District
Walla Crag - looking over bracken and birch from the summit to Derwentwater, with the Borrowdale fells and Cat Bells beyond in morning light

Walla Crag

Written and walked by · Summited

Choose a route ↓

Home › Fells › Walla Crag

379 mWainwright — Central Fells Care needed in cloud

Walla Crag at 379m (1,243ft) is the great rocky escarpment above Derwent Water, its summit giving one of the finest aerial views of the lake in the whole district.

Summit conditions on Walla Crag

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 13° to 7°C, gusts to 52 mph, 11.0 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

49 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 45 mph times our exposure factor of 1.1. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 52 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

11.0 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like 5 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 36 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Routes up Walla Crag

Choose the way up before the car park: these two routes start from two places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth FellWalla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick
Starts fromAshness Gate Car ParkKeswick town centre
Distance and climb17.02 km, 812 m of climb12.53 km, 658 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~4¾–6½ h~3½–5 h
ScramblingNot mentioned in the route’s notesIt is a viewpoint, not a scramble — stay back from the edge.
ExposureEasyModerate
NavigationModerateModerate
Steepest stretchDescent of about 26% at 11.7 km (Hard)Climb of about 32% at 3.4 km (Hard)
After the summitOver Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, Armboth Fell (Birkett) and High ToveOver Bleaberry Fell
Walked or plannedWalked by Lee, August 2025Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the startWalla Crag car park (free)Keswick, Central Car Park (paid)
Bus to the start78 at the start555 at the start

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

Is Walla Crag an easy walk?

Yes, mostly — Walla Crag (379 m / 1,243 ft) is a short, popular fell above Keswick with a sustained but straightforward climb on good paths, and huge views over Derwentwater for modest effort. It's moderate for a newcomer, easy for a regular walker.

The one thing to respect is the summit itself: a steep, unfenced crag edge drops to the lake, so it's not a top to wander about on carelessly.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 379 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
13° / 7°
52 mph
11.0 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
11° / 8°
38 mph
8.9 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
11° / 9°
20 mph
1.1 mm (75%)
Fri 30 Oct
10° / 7°
25 mph
0.3 mm (8%)
Sat 31 Oct
9° / 5°
6 mph
4.2 mm (6%)
Sun 1 Nov
9° / 2°
13 mph
0.6 mm (2%)
Mon 2 Nov
7° / -1°
7 mph
0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Walla Crag

Parking

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Walla Crag car park (free) — at the start of Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell
Walking base for Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat and Armboth Fell (Birkett) — the 'Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell' route starts 4 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Keswick, Central Car Park (paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick (straight line)
The main town car park — hub for the Northern and North Western fells. Fees: up to 2h £3.80; up to 3h £6.50; up to 6h £9.00; up to 12h £11.40; overnight (7pm-7am) £1.10. MiPermit location 712222. Discounted worker permits £82/12mo, £41/6mo (Cumberland council, checked August 2026). Open Monday to Sunday (page states no hour restrictions) (Cumberland council, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Great Wood, Keswick (NT, paid) — 0.5 km from summit (straight line)
Under Walla Crag on the Borrowdale road. Fees: pay and display (LDNP directory, checked August 2026). £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for NT members (checked August 2026). Charges apply at all times. Cash at machine; JustPark app at some car parks; card/phone payment not available in all car parks (NT, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Theatre by the Lake (~1563 m straight line) — Free · Accessible Lakeside Car Park (~1575 m straight line) — Accessible · RADAR key
3 more places to park near Walla Crag
Walla Crag car park (paid) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Walla Crag (1.4 km). Paid parking (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
High Rigg, west (layby) — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: High Rigg (High Rigg South Top) (1.5 km), High Rigg (Naddle Fell) (1.5 km), Walla Crag (1.7 km). Free (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Ashness Bridge (NT, paid) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
The National Trust's Ashness Bridge car park, on the road up to Watendlath, 80 m from Ashness Bridge. The 'Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell' route passes about 20 m away; it starts at Ashness Gate on the B5289, 0.8 km on foot, the nearest route start. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for NT members (checked August 2026). Charges apply at all times. Cash at machine; JustPark app at some car parks; card/phone payment not available in all car parks (NT, checked August 2026). JustPark location 80518 (National Trust, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 509, 555, X4 and X5 stop at Keswick Park Hotel (opposite), a 250 m walk from the start of Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness). Last bus: Monday to Friday 21:16 towards Keswick (555); Saturday 21:16 towards Keswick (555); Sunday 19:07 towards Keswick (555). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 8 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

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.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Walla Crag

Hazard & Incident Information for Walla Crag

Checked by Lee McCoy, . Draws on published material from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A short, hugely popular fell above Keswick with a superb edge overlooking Derwentwater — and there lies the catch: the summit has a steep, unfenced crag drop, right where families and casual walkers gather for the view. The old gully of Lady's Rake breaches the crag but is no route, and the Cat Gill path is steep and slippery in places. A wall set back from the edge makes a useful handrail in mist. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • The unfenced crag edge: The summit edge is a steep, unfenced drop to Derwentwater — easy to get too close for a photo, and dangerous with children, dogs or in wind. Keep back from the lip; if you'd rather stay away from it, keep to the side of the wall away from the lake (the east side), which is a useful handrail in mist.
  • Lady's Rake: Lady's Rake, the one breach in the crag face, is a precarious gully and is not a recommended ascent or descent — don't be tempted into it.
  • Cat Gill path: The path beside Cat Gill is steep and rocky, with a bare-rock section that can be slippery — much easier to go up than down. Take care, especially when wet, and keep clear of the gill edges.
Who should attempt this fell: Walla Crag is a wonderful short walk with a big drop to match its big view — keep well back from the unfenced edge (use the wall as a handrail in mist), keep children and dogs close, and don't venture into Lady's Rake. Take the steep Cat Gill path carefully, especially descending or when wet, and mind the icy edge in winter.

What to watch for: Falls from the unfenced crag edge, especially among casual visitors, children or in wind · Mishaps from straying into Lady's Rake · Slips on the steep, slippery Cat Gill path, particularly descending · Winter ice on the edge and the rocky path

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

Navigating in cloud

Care needed ∗

This top is graded from first-hand knowledge, not by our terrain model. Take care in poor visibility — carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

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 Walla Crag compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Walla Crag

No bonus Birketts within 3 km.

Routes over Walla Crag

Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick
Summits: Walla CragBleaberry Fell

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Walla Crag’s summit edge is unfenced and drops steeply to Derwentwater. It is a viewpoint, not a scramble — stay back from the edge. The col between the two fells holds water. Expect bog, and boots rather than trainers.

Route guide →

Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell
Summits: Walla CragBleaberry FellHigh SeatArmboth Fell (Birkett)High Tove

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2025

Warnings: High Seat: Rough, knolly and exceptionally wet, with a faint path and many 'wet places'. In mist it's easy to drift off line over featureless ground. Take a compass bearing, use the fence line where present, and don't rely on a trodden path. Walla Crag: The summit edge is a steep, unfenced drop to Derwentwater — easy to get too close for a photo, and dangerous with children, dogs or in wind. Keep back from the lip; if you'd rather stay away from it, keep to the side of the wall away from the lake (the east side), which is a useful handrail in mist.

From the hazard notes for Walla Crag · High Seat, each with its sources.

Route guide →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Walla Crag

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick route:

possible water source (121 m off the line) shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 3 m off the line) toilets (122 m off the line) toilets (123 m off the line) Keswick Park Hotel (143 m from the start, straight line) Daleview Hotel (196 m from the start, straight line) The Daleview Hotel (203 m from the start, straight line) Greta Bank (248 m from the start, straight line) Keswick YHA (200 m from the start, straight line)

On the Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 2 m off the line) toilets (18 m off the line) Barrow Bay jetty (64 m from the start, straight line) Derwentwater Youth Hostel (S bound) (99 m from the start, straight line) Derwentwater Youth Hostel (N bound) (104 m from the start, straight line) Derwentwater Independent Hostel (316 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

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

About Walla Crag

Walla Crag - looking over bracken and birch from the summit to Derwentwater, with the Borrowdale fells and Cat Bells beyond in morning light
© Lee McCoy

Wainwright praised the view across Derwent Water from the crag edge — the lake's wooded shores, islands and the backdrop of the Newlands Fells composing into a picture of great beauty. The ascent from Keswick via Cat Gill is excellent, with the lake views improving throughout. A perfect short fell for visitors to Keswick, or as the start of the longer ridge walk to Bleaberry Fell and High Seat.

My Strava hikes over Walla Crag

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Walla Crag a Wainwright?

Walla Crag is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list and the Fellranger list.

Selected lists

Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
379 m
Height
1,243 ft
In feet
NY 2768 2129
Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Walla Crag

The 360° skyline from Walla 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 Walla Crag36 labelled tops shown (3 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 15 kmSkiddaw Middle Top · 8 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 8 kmBowfell · 15 kmGreat Gable · 13 kmPillar · 14 kmRaise · 8 kmBlencathra · 8 kmWhite Side · 8 kmGreat Dodd · 7 kmStybarrow Dodd · 7 kmCrag Hill · 8 kmGrisedale Pike · 8 kmAllen Crags · 13 kmSand Hill · 9 kmRed Pike · 13 kmDale Head · 8 kmCarl Side · 7 kmJenkin Hill · 6 kmClough Head · 6 kmLonscale Fell · 6 kmGreat Knott · 17 kmUllock Pike · 8 kmWhiteless Pike · 10 kmHobcarton End · 8 kmMungrisdale Common · 9 kmCoomb Height · 12 kmHigh Seat · 3 kmBleaberry Fell · 2 kmLord's Seat · 9 kmWhinlatter Top · 9 kmThrelkeld Knotts · 6 kmTarbarrel Moss · 8 kmCriffel · 52 km · clear daysBarf · 8 kmHigh Crags · 7 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 7 kmCrinkle Crags · 16 kmLingmell · 15 kmKnowe Crags · 7 kmWatson's Dodd · 6 kmWandope · 9 kmCombe Head · 11 kmHindscarth · 8 kmBrandreth · 11 kmLonscale Pike · 6 kmScales Fell · 9 kmCalfhow Pike · 5 kmStarling Dodd · 15 kmKnott Rigg · 8 kmDodd · 7 kmSale Fell · 12 kmLothwaite · 11 kmKinn · 6 kmLatrigg · 3 kmEycott Hill · 14 kmHigh Rigg · 3 kmSee Morris Hill · 68 km · clear daysCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 103 km · a rare clear dayBlackcraig Hill · 106 km · a rare clear dayCairnkinna Hill · 94 km · a rare clear day
The skyline as a list, by direction
  • North: Skiddaw Lesser Man (6 km), Skiddaw Little Man (7 km), Carl Side (7 km), Skiddaw South Top (8 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (8 km)
  • North-east: Knowe Crags (7 km), Blencathra (8 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (6 km), Little Dodd (6 km), Great Dodd (7 km), Stybarrow Dodd (7 km)
  • South-east: Raise (8 km), White Side (8 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (8 km)
  • South: Glaramara (11 km), Allen Crags (13 km), Great End (14 km), Esk Pike (14 km), Bowfell (15 km), Shelter Crags (16 km), Crinkle Crags (16 km), Crinkle Crags (16 km), Crinkle Crags (16 km), Crinkle Crags (17 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (17 km)
  • South-west: Dale Head (8 km), Great Gable (13 km), Red Pike (13 km), Pillar (14 km), Lingmell (15 km), Broad Crag (15 km), Scafell Pike (15 km), Scafell (16 km)
  • West: Grisedale Pike (8 km), Sail (8 km), Crag Hill (8 km), Eel Crag (9 km), Wandope (9 km), Sand Hill (9 km), Hopegill Head (9 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (103 km, Scotland), Colt Hill (97 km, Scotland), Blackcraig Hill (106 km, Scotland), Bogrie Hill (81 km, Scotland), Wauk Hill (82 km, Scotland), Bishop Forest Hill (72 km, Scotland), Cairnkinna Hill (94 km, Scotland), Killyleoch Hill (73 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Walla Crag

Walla Crag waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when the sun is up for 47 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 09:20 against an almanac sunrise of 08:33. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the south-east from here (141.5°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 4.29°.

0°30°40°50°60°04:43
Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.
Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
First lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer04:43 BST ±5.0 min04:36+7 min
Equinox06:45 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+29 min
Midwinter09:20 GMT ±5.0 min08:33+47 min

The northern horizon stands at about 2.06° from here.

Last light — when the sun leaves Walla Crag

Walla Crag loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when last light is 28 minutes before almanac sunset — 15:21 against 15:49. The sun goes down to the south-west from here (222.7°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 2.54°.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:55 BST ±5.0 min21:53+2 min
Equinox18:14 GMT ±5.0 min18:26-12 min
Midwinter15:21 GMT ±5.0 min15:49-28 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

Walla Crag is one of our picked Lake District viewpoints — what you can see from it, when the light is best, and where to park.

What you can see from Walla Crag

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
59Wainwrights in view+4 marginal
53 kmFurthest sightlineCriffel
—Sea in viewnone from here

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 53 km distant
All 59 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Bleaberry Fell, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Latrigg, Cat Bells (Catbells), Barrow, Maiden Moor, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Clough Head, Causey Pike, Lonscale Fell, Castle Crag, Watson's Dodd, Skiddaw Little Man, Great Dodd, High Spy, Outerside, Scar Crags, Dodd (Skiddaw), Stybarrow Dodd, Carl Side, Ard Crags, Raise, White Side, Long Side, Hindscarth, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Grisedale Pike, Sail, Dale Head, Ullock Pike, Knott Rigg, Barf, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Mungrisdale Common, Robinson, Wandope, Lord's Seat, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Hopegill Head, Whiteless Pike, Grey Knotts, Base Brown, Glaramara, Brandreth, Sale Fell, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Green Gable, Great Gable, Red Pike (Buttermere), Allen Crags, Great End, Pillar, Esk Pike, Starling Dodd, Lingmell, Bowfell, Scafell Pike, Scafell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Walla Crag. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. 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.

Places to stay near this fell

From Keswick: 10 places

Frequently asked questions about Walla Crag

Is Walla Crag an easy walk? Answered above.

What is the easiest route up Walla Crag, and how long is it?

The popular short route starts from the National Trust Great Wood car park just outside Keswick — a circuit of about 5.8 km (3.6 miles) with around 340 m of ascent, on good paths through woodland and up to the crag.

Allow roughly 2–2.5 hours. You can also start from Keswick itself, or as part of a longer circuit of Derwentwater.

Is Walla Crag safe for families and children?

It's a popular family walk, but the summit needs care: the crag edge is a steep, unfenced drop to Derwentwater, right where everyone stops for the view. Keep children and dogs close and well back from the edge.

If you'd rather avoid the brink entirely, keep to the side of the summit wall away from the lake (the east side), which makes a good handrail. The Cat Gill path is also steep and can be slippery on the bare-rock section.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team

Can you take a dog up Walla Crag?

Yes — it's a popular dog walk on good paths. Two mapped stiles on the round are of unknown type, so a lift may be needed. Keep dogs on a lead around the grazing sheep and, importantly, near the unfenced crag edge at the summit, where there's a steep drop to the lake.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team

Can you get to Walla Crag without a car?

Yes — you can walk straight from Keswick, which adds only a little distance, or hop on the 78 Borrowdale bus from Keswick toward Great Wood/Ashness. It's one of the easiest summits in the area to reach car-free.

Always check current bus times before relying on them, as rural services change.

Why is Walla Crag so popular, and what are the views?

For its size, Walla Crag offers one of the finest viewpoints in the area — a grandstand right above Derwentwater, looking down the lake to Borrowdale and across to Cat Bells, the Newlands fells and Skiddaw. All for a short walk from Keswick.

That combination of big reward and small effort, plus easy access, is exactly why it's such a favourite.

Sources: Walk My World — Walla Crag

What should I wear and take up Walla Crag?

Sturdy trainers or walking shoes are fine in dry weather; boots with grip are better when it's wet, especially on the steep Cat Gill path. Take a waterproof and a warm layer — the top is breezier and cooler than Keswick.

Carry water and check the forecast. Keep well back from the crag edge in wind, and take care on the paths when icy in winter.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Walla Crag

Places nearby: Derwentwater · Keswick · Lodore Falls · Portinscale