Harrop Tarn
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Harrop Tarn.
Helvellyn today: Save it · Too windy for the tops
12°C at the summit, gusts 48 mph
Scored for 12 September by the site’s own scorer · all 214 todayThe sun reaches the Blea Tarn (Great Langdale) start about 08:20 in September · sunrise 06:45
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe 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 ~1-mile climb 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 |
Where is Harrop Tarn?
The district’s layer · every place page carries this
Harrop Tarn near Thirlmere, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore — or see all the Lake District lakes & waters on one map.
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.
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.
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.
All walks from Harrop Tarn → — every route and fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.
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.
How long from Harrop Tarn?
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Crag, High Tove, Armboth | 14.3 km | 545 m | 3.8 hrs |
| Brown Rigg & Blea Tarn | 13.5 km | 481 m | 3.5 hrs |
| Birketts West of Thirlmere | 23.1 km | 1047 m | 6.4 hrs |
Routes starting within about 2 km of Harrop Tarn, or on its doorstep at one of the car parks above. Estimates are moving time for a steady walker and take no account of stops, conditions or daylight — they are a guide, not a schedule.
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 (times on bustimes.org). The bus map has every stop we hold.
Use the Dob Gill car park on the minor west-shore road of Thirlmere (off the A591). It's a small car park; the woodland walk starts right from it.
Events across the Lake District
The district’s layer · every place page carries this
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.