Loughrigg Tarn
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Loughrigg Tarn.
Summit forecast
Heron Pike (Rydal) summit, verdict for 27 October: Save it for another day · Too windy for the tops
11°C at the summit, gusts 59 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 Elterwater Village start about 08:08 in October · sunrise 07:41
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe bus
The 516 stops at Skelwith Bridge, at Foulstep crossroads
Times on bustimes.org, which is better than ours for live boards · the bus mapLoughrigg Tarn at a glance
Loughrigg Tarn is a small, reedy lowland tarn tucked beneath Loughrigg Fell, between Grasmere and Skelwith Bridge — a gentle, pastoral spot a world away from the high mountain tarns. Wordsworth loved it, comparing it to Lake Nemi in Italy and calling it the "Diana of the lakes". Its great asset is the view: across the water to the shapely Langdale Pikes.
Quick facts
| What it is | A small, pastoral lowland tarn below Loughrigg Fell |
|---|---|
| The walk | An easy stroll on lanes/paths; part of many Loughrigg and Elterwater circuits |
| Can you swim? | No — it's privately owned, with no public swimming or access to the water |
| Famous for | Wordsworth's "Diana of the lakes"; the Langdale Pikes view |
| Getting there | On foot from Grasmere, Skelwith Bridge or Elterwater |
The walk
The tarn is circled by quiet lanes and field paths and is best enjoyed as part of a gentle low-level round — linking Loughrigg Fell, Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater — rather than a destination in itself. The classic view is from the lane on its northern side, looking over the reeds to the Pikes.
Routes that start near Loughrigg Tarn
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elterwater riverside loopStart 1.7 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 4.25 km | 91 m | ~1–1½ h |
| Elterwater & Skelwith ForceStart 1.7 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 7.6 km | 164 m | ~1¾–2½ h |
| Lingmoor Fell from ElterwaterStart 1.7 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 11.51 km | 489 m | ~3–4¼ h |
| Loughrigg Tarn & Loughrigg FellStart 1.7 km away (straight line) · not yet walked | 9.75 km | 382 m | ~2½–3½ h |
Routes starting within about 2 km of Loughrigg 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 Loughrigg Tarn
Straight-line distances from the centre of Loughrigg Tarn — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.
Places nearby: Skelwith Force · Elterwater, the lake · Elterwater · Colwith Force
All walks by Elterwater, the lake → — the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of Elterwater, the lake, ranked, with today’s conditions.
The fell above
Directly above rises Loughrigg Fell, a fine little viewpoint — an easy climb that pairs naturally with the tarn. The tarn lies between Grasmere and Elter Water.
Getting there & parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (9 km away) and Staveley (14 km away); the 516 stops at Skelwith Bridge, at Foulstep crossroads, 0.8 km from here in a straight line (times on bustimes.org). The bus map has every stop we hold.
There's no dedicated car park at the tarn; reach it on foot from Grasmere, Skelwith Bridge or Elterwater (use their car parks). Please keep to the paths — much of the surrounding land is private farmland.
Where is Loughrigg Tarn?
Loughrigg Tarn near Grasmere, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore — or see all the Lake District lakes & waters on one map.
Parking near Loughrigg Tarn
All the car parks around Loughrigg Tarn on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Loughrigg 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 Loughrigg Tarn — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.