walks in the Lake District
Visiting the Lake District
The Lake District, occasionally also known as Lakeland or 'The Lakes' is a mountainous region in North West England. Famous for its lakes (surprisingly), forests and mountains (also called fells) The Lakes was established as a National Park in 1951 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017
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The Lake District is located entirely within the county of Cumbria, so you might need to plan your trip if you are coming from further afield! You do have a respectable area of 2,362 square kilometres to explore though, so make sure you stay long enough to take it all in.
Interestingly, all the land in England higher than 3,000 feet (914 m) above sea level lies within the National Park, including Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, so if you like your elevation, this is the place to be. (It also contains the deepest and longest bodies of water in England, Wast Water and Windermere, but we don't swim that often).
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It's also the most visited national park in the United Kingdom, with 15.8 million annual visitors and more than 23 million annual day visits, so you are in good company.
A challenging yet rewarding long hike across Helvellyn, going around Red Tarn. Not for the faint-hearted, as this one involves going straight over Striding Edge. Don't look down.
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The Old Man of Coniston is a Fell in Furness Fells in the Lake District. The Fell is popular with tourists with a number of well-marked paths to the summit and fantastic views all the way out to the Irish Sea.
A short walk over High Street. A steep start with the odd scramble but mostly flat after the first ascent. This is an easy to follow route with some stunning views. Make sure you get up here in clear weather
A quick blast up and down Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) for an easy Wainwright bag or a few hours at elevation. Good views and an excellent pub reward one of the easier ways up.
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Loughrigg Fell &
Rydal Falls
A long and (relatively) flat circular walk from Ambleside taking in Rydal falls before climbing Loughrigg and descending back to the start. Not too challenging compared with some of the larger climbs available around Ambleside and beyond.
Starting at the Underskiddaw car park, this has the potential to spin into multiple different routes. Here we've listed one of the circulars.
Scafell Pike is the highest point in England and one of the famous 'Three Peaks' in the UK. Expect a hard climb but fantastic views when there is no mist at the top. Relax at Wast Water if the climb looks too ominous.
A reversed walk over Hartsop above How, taking in Brothers Water and the Dovedale first before ascending onto Hart Crag and coming back down Hartsop above How. There are plenty of other peaks if you want to take a detour at the top of Hart Crag too.
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