The glorious lakes, magnificent mountains, and flowering forests of the Lake District make it one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the UK. One of the best ways to explore the district, offering the most sensational views and unique experiences, is by foot, as you venture along a plethora of different walking routes. For those who don’t fancy a strenuous walk scaling steep mountainsides, we’ve put together a useful guide for five of the easiest walks in the Lake District.
Our Favourite Easy and Accessible Walks in the Lake District
One of the most unique places to visit in the Lake District is Cathedral Cave, where there are incredible cavernous chambers, winding tunnels and historic passages to explore. The jaw-dropping main chamber stands 40 feet high and is mysteriously lit by two windows off the main quarry.
Located in Little Langdale, there are plenty of different routes you can take to visit the cavern, the easiest of which is just 0.7 miles and takes 15 minutes to walk each way. Taking you along quiet country lanes and well-maintained paths, the route is not entirely flat but there aren’t any steep sections to negotiate. The main chamber of the cave is also easy to enter with a designated tunnel.
If you’re looking for a slightly longer and moderately challenging walk, the Loughrigg Fell Loop is a great option. At six miles long, the route can be accessed from the centre of either Grasmere or Ambleside, and it offers a tour of some of the best sights in the Lake District: beautiful woodland, craggy fells, and stunning views.
There’s a mixture of steep and flat sections, and a small section of scrambling on the descent – which is good practice if you’re planning to take on some of the bigger fells in the future!
Rydal Cave is one of the Lake District’s most mysterious locations, with its gaping mouth and layers of jagged rocks which look like a set of sharp teeth. It can be an eerie sight, especially on a dark and gloomy day!
The cave can be reached by a short walk from White Moss car park, which takes a maximum of 30 minutes each way. Visitors can also find the cave as part of the Loughrigg Fell Loop circular walk, which is another of our favourite walks in the Lake District.
One of the loveliest circular walking routes in the Lake District is around Grasmere Lake. The walk will see visitors rewarded with fantastic views over the water and across the surrounding mountains, as they adventure through the scenic woodland paths of White Moss Wood and encounter some fascinating historic sites.
The route is approximately 3.1 miles and involves some road walking.
Top tip: if you’d like to avoid any elevation, you can cut out the bracken fell section of the walk by Grasmere Village and Dove Cottage.
If you’re visiting the Lake District with young children, Gummer’s How is the ideal starter climb for little ones. The views at the top of the trek are breath-taking and any children along for the walk will be pleasantly surprised to find cows greeting them at the top.
With a car park conveniently placed part way up the hill, the route is one and a half miles long and usually takes around 45 minutes to walk, making it perfect for children (or adults!) who may get tired out quickly.
Discover the Lake District in All its Glory with Long Valley Yurts
Long Valley Yurts is the ideal base to return to after an exciting day of exploring the Lake District. With different locations across the region, you can choose from our campsites in Coniston (Moss Side Farm), Windermere (Moss Howe Farm Campsite and Lakeside) and Keswick (Kestrel Lodge Campsite). All our sites are family-friendly, and we have pet-friendly yurts on every site so you can bring your pooch along (or even your cat!).
Our unique yurts are guaranteed to give you a good night’s sleep under the stars after your incredible Lake District walking adventure. Book your Cumbrian retreat with Long Valley Yurts today!