Harrop Tarn
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Harrop Tarn.
Summit forecast
Helvellyn summit, verdict for 27 October: Save it for another day · Too windy for the tops
9°C at the summit, gusts 58 mph
Weather on the tops, not whether a route suits you. One summit, the highest within 5 km, not the valley · scored for 27 October by the site’s own scorer · all 214 ranked · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)First light
The sun reaches the Dob Gill, Thirlmere start about 09:09 in October · sunrise 07:41
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe bus
The 555 stops at Thirlmere, opposite Wythburn Church
Times on bustimes.org, which is better than ours for live boards · the bus mapHarrop Tarn at a glance
Harrop Tarn is a quiet, reedy tarn set in conifer woodland on the fellside above Thirlmere, reached by a short, steep climb from the Dob Gill car park through the trees. Atmospheric and little-visited, it's a fine short objective in its own right and the gateway to the wild central fell of Ullscarf beyond.
Quick facts
| What it is | A reedy forest tarn above the west shore of Thirlmere |
|---|---|
| The walk | A short, steep climb of under half a mile (about 0.6 km) from Dob Gill through woodland; longer onto Ullscarf |
| Can you swim? | Quiet and shallow/reedy — not a notable swim; the surrounding land is United Utilities forestry |
| Famous for | Its woodland setting; the approach to Ullscarf |
| Getting there | The Dob Gill car park on the west shore of Thirlmere is closed (25 September 2026); Steel End, about 1.3 km away, is the nearest other car park we list |
The walk up
From Dob Gill, a path climbs steeply through the plantation beside the gill — passing a fine waterfall — to level out at the tarn in its hollow. It's a short, sharp half-hour up, and a peaceful spot once the forest opens to the water. Beyond, the path continues into open fell.
Routes that start near Harrop Tarn
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Crag, High Tove, ArmbothStart 0.6 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 14.26 km | 601 m | ~3¾–5¼ h |
| Brown Rigg & Blea TarnStart 0.6 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 13.49 km | 509 m | ~3½–4¾ h |
| Birketts West of ThirlmereStart 0.7 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 23.11 km | 1241 m | ~6½–9 h |
Routes starting within about 2 km of Harrop Tarn, or on its doorstep at one of its car parks. Each time is the whole route’s, from a fast to a steady pace, and takes no account of stops, conditions or daylight — a guide, not a schedule.
Fells & walks near Harrop Tarn
- Ullscarf
- Steel Fell (Dead Pike)
- Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top)
- Nethermost Pike
- Calf Crag
- Helvellyn
Straight-line distances from the centre of Harrop Tarn — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.
Places nearby: Thirlmere · Galleny Force · Stonethwaite · Easedale Tarn
All walks near Harrop Tarn → — the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.
The fells above
The tarn is the natural start for Ullscarf, the broad, boggy central watershed fell, and looks back over Thirlmere to the Helvellyn range.
Getting there & parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (18 km away) and Staveley (22 km away); the 555 stops at Thirlmere, opposite Wythburn Church, 1.3 km from here in a straight line (times on bustimes.org). The bus map has every stop we hold.
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Harrop Tarn
Where is Harrop Tarn?
Harrop Tarn near Thirlmere, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore — or see all the Lake District lakes & waters on one map.
Parking near Harrop Tarn
All the car parks around Harrop Tarn on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Harrop Tarn. 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.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
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 Harrop Tarn — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.