Elterwater
Ready for your day: the walks from Elterwater, the tops above it, and the bus to the start.
Daylight on 27 October: sunrise 07:03, sunset 16:48
The tops Decent on Black Fell, the best of the 6 fells nearest Elterwater: dry, firm underfoot verdicts for 27 October
Choose from all 33 walksExplore the map
A walk can have more than one way to its start. Verdicts: the site’s scorer reading the weather on each top, not whether a walk suits you. Daylight: worked out for the centre of Elterwater; a latest start assumes a steady pace and an hour in hand before dusk, a computed time, not a guarantee. How we check →
First light
The sun reaches the Elterwater village (NT car park) start about 08:03 in October · sunrise 07:41
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe last bus
From Elterwater, opposite The Britannia Inn:
Towards Dungeon Ghyll Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (516): Monday to Friday 19:52; Saturday 22:12; Sunday 19:52.
Signed off per direction against the operator’s timetable, 12 September · the bus mapA day from Elterwater
On the fells
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- Black Fell 323 m Decent
- Loughrigg Fell 335 m Marginal
- Silver How 394 m Marginal
- Nab Scar 450 m Marginal
- Lingmoor Fell (Brown How) 470 m Save it
- Blea Rigg 542 m Save it
Mountain forecast
Met Office mountain forecast for the Lake District (opens in new tab)
The forecasters’ own words for the tops.Explore Elterwater
The walks from Elterwater on one map, with the fells above them, the buses that reach their starts, and where to park. Choose a walk to see how you reach its start; everything on the map is in the lists below it.
An overview, not a navigation map: carry a map and compass on the fell. Lines are simplified from our GPX; distances to a stop or landing are on foot, the others in a straight line. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM; map style © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA).
The walks on the map
33 walks that start within 5 km of Elterwater, as Walks from Elterwater lists them, the ones you reach on foot first, then by bus, then by car; shortest first within each:
All 33 walks
Each filter reads the walk’s own card: how you reach the start is its lines below; effort is its band, the size of the day from the distance and the climb; length is its distance in the route pages’ length grades. One answer to each question; the map shows the same walks.
Slater Bridge & Cathedral Cave
2.2 km · ~92 m up · ~½–1 h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Three Shires Inn, Little Langdale
- On foot from the village 2.2 km to the start, from the bus stop opposite The Britannia Inn
- By bus 516, 2.2 km walk from Elterwater, opposite The Britannia Inn
Elterwater riverside loop
4.25 km · ~91 m up · ~1–1½ h
Easy effort Moderate: terrain
Terrain: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
Starts at Elterwater Village
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop opposite The Britannia Inn
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Elterwater (NT, paid)
Elterwater & Skelwith Force
7.6 km · ~164 m up · ~1¾–2½ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Elterwater village (NT car park)
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop opposite The Britannia Inn
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Elterwater (NT, paid)
Loughrigg Tarn & Loughrigg Fell
9.75 km · ~382 m up · ~2½–3½ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 35%.
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop opposite The Britannia Inn
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Elterwater (NT, paid)
Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater
11.51 km · ~489 m up · ~3–4¼ h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposure
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 24%. Exposure, terrain and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
Starts at Elterwater Village
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop opposite The Britannia Inn
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Elterwater (NT, paid)
Stock Ghyll Force
1.92 km · ~89 m up · ~½–¾ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside (Stock Ghyll Lane, behind the Salutation)
- By bus 516, 810 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car park at Ambleside, King Street (paid)
Blea Tarn (Little Langdale)
2.66 km · ~34 m up · ~½–1 h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposure
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 4%. Exposure, terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground.
Starts at Blea Tarn National Trust Parking
- By bus 516, 2.4 km walk from Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
- By car park at Blea Tarn (NT, paid)
Ambleside over Miller Bridge
3.16 km · ~162 m up · ~¾–1¼ h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 13%. Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground.
One-way: finishes at Pine Rigg
- By bus 516, 350 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car start at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
Stickle Tarn from New Dungeon Ghyll
3.75 km · ~397 m up · ~1¼–2 h
Easy effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 37%.
Starts at Great Langdale (New Dungeon Ghyll)
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid)
Side Pike and Brown How from Blea Tarn
4.6 km · ~311 m up · ~1¼–2 h
Easy effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 33%.
Starts at Blea Tarn National Trust Parking
- By bus 516, 2.4 km walk from Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
- By car park at Blea Tarn (NT, paid)
The Old Dungeon Ghyll Pub Walk (Great Langdale)
6.61 km · ~106 m up · ~1½–2 h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Old Dungeon Ghyll
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Langdale Pikes Round
12.12 km · ~884 m up · ~3¾–5¼ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 39%.
Starts at Great Langdale (New Dungeon Ghyll)
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at New Dungeon Ghyll (LDNPA, paid)
Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco
13.78 km · ~1025 m up · ~4¼–6 h
Hard effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 32%.
Starts at Old Dungeon Ghyll
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Esk Pike and Great End
17.69 km · ~1103 m up · ~5¼–7¼ h
Hard effort Hard: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 29%.
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Rossett Pike, Allen Crags, Great End and more
17.95 km · ~1212 m up · ~5½–7½ h
Severe effort Hard: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 34%.
Starts at Great Langdale (New/Old Dungeon Ghyll)
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Langdale Horseshoe
20.9 km · ~1770 m up · ~7–9½ h
Severe effort Severe: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 40%.
Starts at Great Langdale (New/Old Dungeon Ghyll)
- By bus 516 at the start
- By car park at Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid)
Alcock Tarn from Grasmere
4.48 km · ~320 m up · ~1¼–2 h
Easy effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 36%.
Starts at Grasmere Village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Broadgate Meadow car park, Grasmere (paid)
Silver How from Grasmere
5.06 km · ~311 m up · ~1½–2¼ h
Easy effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 28%.
Starts at Grasmere Village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
The Tilberthwaite Birketts
5.26 km · ~307 m up · ~1½–2¼ h
Easy effort Hard: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 30%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Low Tilberthwaite car park
- By bus, not from Elterwater 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at Hall
- By car park at Tilberthwaite (paid)
Grasmere lake circuit
5.67 km · ~95 m up · ~1¼–1¾ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Grasmere village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
The Royal Oak Pub Walk (Ambleside)
5.94 km · ~68 m up · ~1¼–1¾ h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposure
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 5%. Exposure and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. Terrain: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Rydal Road (paid)
Ambleside to Rydal, with Refreshments and Stepping Stones
6.21 km · ~78 m up · ~1¼–2 h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness, terrain and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 5%. Terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground, on the stretches he walked.
Starts at Ambleside · Out and back
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Market Place (4 on-street bays)
Rydal Water & Rydal Caves
6.46 km · ~216 m up · ~1½–2¼ h
Easy effort Moderate: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 16%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Pelter Bridge
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555, 2.3 km walk from Rydal, at White Moss Common
- By car park at Pelter Bridge, Rydal (paid)
Stone Arthur from Grasmere
6.82 km · ~528 m up · ~2¼–3 h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 27%.
Starts at Grasmere Village · Out and back
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
Wetherlam by Birk Fell
8.22 km · ~633 m up · ~2½–3¾ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 39%.
Starts at Low Tilberthwaite car park
- By bus, not from Elterwater 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at Hall
- By car park at Tilberthwaite (paid)
Grasmere to Easdale Tarn
9.52 km · ~237 m up · ~2¼–3¼ h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance, steepness, terrain and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 18%. Terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground.
Starts at Grasmere Village · Out and back
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
Ambleside, Todd Crag, Rydal Cave
10.38 km · ~394 m up · ~2½–3¾ h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 28%.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Market Place (4 on-street bays)
Loughrigg Terrace & Rydal Water
10.71 km · ~288 m up · ~2½–3½ h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside, Rydal Road car park
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555, 1.6 km walk from Ambleside, at Scandale Bridge
- By car park at Ambleside, Rydal Road (paid)
Castle How & Lang How - Birketts
10.91 km · ~490 m up · ~3–4 h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 26%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
West of Grasmere
15.44 km · ~863 m up · ~4½–6¼ h
Hard effort Hard: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
Starts at Grasmere Village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555, 320 m walk from Grasmere, opposite Heaton Cooper Studio
- By car park at Red Bank Road, Grasmere (W&F, paid)
Helm Crag & Far Easedale
15.93 km · ~870 m up · ~4½–6¼ h
Hard effort Hard: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 27%.
Starts at Grasmere Village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
Fairfield Horseshoe
16.92 km · ~1009 m up · ~5–6¾ h
Hard effort Hard: distance, steepness, navigation and exposure
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 30%. Exposure: graded by Lee on the ground. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Rydal (or Ambleside)
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555, 2.3 km walk from Rydal, at White Moss Common
- By car park at Pelter Bridge, Rydal (paid)
Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell and Tarn Crag
20.82 km · ~950 m up · ~5¾–7¾ h
Hard effort Severe: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
Starts at Grasmere Village
- By bus, not from Elterwater 555 at the start
- By car park at Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid)
The fells on the map
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- Holme Fell 316 m Decent
- Black Fell 323 m Decent
- Loughrigg Fell 335 m Marginal
- Silver How 394 m Marginal
- Helm Crag 405 m Save it
- Nab Scar 450 m Marginal
- Lingmoor Fell (Brown How) 470 m Save it
- Stone Arthur 504 m Save it
- Blea Rigg 542 m Save it
- Heron Pike (Rydal) 612 m Save it
Buses and stops
The buses that call in Elterwater:
Their stops on this map:
- Bowling Green, Ambleside: the 516 · stop page
- bus interchange, Ambleside: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Croft Lodge, Clappersgate: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Foulstep crossroads, Skelwith Bridge: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Great Langdale Camp Site, Dungeon Ghyll: the 516 · stop page
- Great Langdale Campsite, Dungeon Ghyll: the 516 · stop page
- Guide Stone turn, Chapel Stile: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Hayes Garden Centre, Ambleside: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Hotel, Low Wood: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Langdale C of E Primary School, Chapel Stile: the 516 · stop page
- Lingmoor View, Chapel Stile: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Loughrigg Avenue, Ambleside: the 516 · stop page
- New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Rawfell, Dungeon Ghyll: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Riverside Lodge, Ambleside: the 516 · stop page
- Stores, Chapel Stile: the 516 · stop page
- The Britannia Inn, Elterwater: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Visitor Centre, Brockhole: the 516 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Waterhead Inn for Pier: the 516 · stop page
- Waterhead Inn for Pier: the 516 · stop page
Where the buses stop, not when: the stop and route pages have the timetables.
Car parks and toilets
- Elterwater (NT, paid) (pay and display, National Trust) · in Parking near Elterwater
- Elterwater, east (Walthwaite) · in Parking near Elterwater
- Elterwater, east 2 · in Parking near Elterwater
- Elterwater Common (free) · in Parking near Elterwater
- Elterwater, east (free) · in Parking near Elterwater
- Elterwater, Mill Row (verge) · in Parking near Elterwater
Toilets near those car parks:
- Public toilets, about 46 m from Elterwater (NT, paid) in a straight line
Elterwater at a glance
Elterwater is the village at the foot of Great Langdale, a green with a pub on it, a hostel, a bridge over the Brathay and the lake it is named for a few hundred yards downstream. It is the gentlest end of the valley: the fells here are Loughrigg, Silver How and Lingmoor rather than the Pikes, the walks are riverside and low-level as often as they are high, and the 516 bus stops on the green.
Quick facts
| Where | The foot of Great Langdale, a mile west of Skelwith Bridge on the B5343, four miles from Ambleside |
|---|---|
| Getting there | The 516 Langdale Rambler from Ambleside stops opposite the Britannia Inn; no railway |
| Parking | The National Trust car park on the edge of the village (paid); the lay-bys on the Loughrigg road above |
| The walking | Elter Water and Skelwith Force on the flat; Loughrigg Fell and Silver How for the views; Lingmoor Fell for the Pikes across the valley |
| Weather | Low and sheltered; a good village for a day the tops are out |
Getting there and parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (11 km away) and Staveley (16 km away); the 516 stops at opposite The Britannia Inn, 0.0 km from here in a straight line. The bus map has every stop we hold.
The 516 from Ambleside stops opposite the Britannia Inn on its way up the valley to the Dungeon Ghyll hotels, and the last bus each way is on the fell pages that use the stop, checked against the operator.
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Elterwater
The lay-bys on the road up towards Loughrigg take the overflow for Loughrigg and Silver How.
Parking near Elterwater
Toilets, food and shops near these car parks
Pubs: Britannia Inn (opens in new tab), Eltermere Inn (opens in new tab)
All the car parks around Elterwater on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Elterwater. We publish whether a car park charges, and who runs it, but never the price — tariffs change and a stale one is worse than none, so check the sign or the operator’s own site on the day.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Can you stay overnight?
- Elterwater (NT, paid) — run by National Trust, which does not permit overnight parking. “We don't allow overnight parking due to the impact on nature and wildlife, staff resource and visitors.” (checked 2026-08-05)
These are the land managers’ and the council’s own published rules, quoted. Where a car park is not listed here we have found no published rule for it, which is not the same as permission.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
What to see
- The green and the Brathay bridge, the middle of the village and the start of the riverside path.
- Elter Water, the small lake half a mile downstream, with the Langdale Pikes in the view from its shore.
- Skelwith Force, a mile down the river, small and loud.
- The slate: the village was a quarrying village, the quarries above it are still worked, and the old gunpowder works is now the Langdale Estate.
Pubs and food
The Britannia Inn on the green is the village pub, with rooms; Chesters by the River at Skelwith Bridge is the cafe a mile down the road. Chapel Stile, a mile up the valley, has the Wainwrights' Inn and the Co-op.
The walks
The routes we have mapped and every fell within reach of the village are ranked nearest first, with live conditions, on this page's walks list once it is published. The ones that start at the door:
- Elterwater and Skelwith Force Planned — the riverside loop, flat, an hour and a half.
- Loughrigg Tarn and Loughrigg Fell Planned — the little fell with the big view, from the village.
- Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater Planned — the ridge that faces the Pikes.
- Slater Bridge and Cathedral Cave Planned — over the hill into Little Langdale.
The walks from Elterwater are in Explore Elterwater above, on one map and in a list you can filter by how you reach the start.
Places nearby: Elterwater, the lake · Colwith Force · Loughrigg Tarn · Skelwith Force
Frequently asked questions about Elterwater
Where do I park in Elterwater?
Can I get to Elterwater by bus?
Is Elterwater the lake or the village?
What is the easiest walk from Elterwater?
Events across the Lake District
Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Elterwater — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.