If you're staying in Ambleside or Grasmere, and looking for a half day walk then Loughrigg Fell is a great bet, it’s one of our favourite easy walks in the Lake District.
This 6 mile (10km) loop walk can be accessed from the centre of either town, and offers a tour through the greatest hits of the Lake District: beautiful woodland, craggy fells, stunning views and lots of those quintessential dry stone walls.
It’s a great walk if you want some lovely views and a taste of the fells without too much exertion or scrambling that often comes with many of the larger summits.
If that hasn’t sold you in, then we’ll let Alfred do the work.
“No ascent is more repaying for the small labour involved in visiting its many cairns, for Loughrigg has delightful grassy paths, a series of pleasant surprises along the traverse of the summits, several charmings vistas and magnificent views.
Alfred Wainwright, A Pictorial Guide to the Central Fells (Book Three)
Loughrigg Fell Height & Difficulty
Although the walk to the top of Loughrigg Fell isn’t too difficult, the loop version is fairly long and undulating. We chose to do the loop as we always prefer taking in new scenery, rather than retracing steps.
The climb to the fell top is approximately 360m, if you take in the whole six mile loop the total elevation gained is 434m. The whole walk took us just under three hours (largely because we loved stopping and taking in the views).
Whilst we think most people can do this trail, you’d need to be prepared for a few steep sections and has some possible severe winds at the summit! Despite a gorgeous temperature in Ambleside, on the summit we were almost blown off our feet!
The Wainwright Routes
It’s clear that Wainwright loved Loughrigg Fell. He goes into intricate detail about this fell across 16 pages, in a huge amount of detail.
“this fell has a wealth of interests and delights, and for many people who now find pleasure in walking over the greater mountains it served as an introduction and inspiration. Everybody likes Loughrigg.”
Alfred Wainwright, A Pictorial Guide to the Central Fells (Book Three)
He writes about six ascents and a ridge, but doesn’t specify which one you should use to descend. Wainwright doesn’t specify which is his favourite, so we decided to go up from Ambleside and go down by Grasmere.
Read next: Stunning Lake District walks for epic views!
Our hike up Loughrigg Fell
Start Point: Ambleside main car park
As with most Lake District walks there is little to no signage for the majority of the track. We’d advice cacheing a google map to have with you on the walk.
The great thing about many Lake District walks are that they can start from the centre of major towns. We parked up in Ambleside (more information on that later) and started walking towards Vicarage Road for the start of the trail.
If you follow the quieter roads, even the start of the walk in Ambleside is pleasant.
Soon the track enters quiet tree lined paths and away from the town. Loughrigg Fell is a relatively short walk and can be done in 2-3 hours, so we decided to start this walk at 4pm and were blessed with some beautiful golden light.
After a kilometre, the track has a short, steep section before leveling out as it comes into the open countryside.
Quickly, the trees disappear and you’re out in the rolling hills and fells that are so recognisable in Lakeland. This is when the walk becomes truly beautiful. It’s always when you seem to lose everybody else.
Despite seeing many people on the paths before the fells, once there we saw no one until the summit.
The track to the false summit
The track undulates for a bit, before taking a sharp right by a small tarn (easily missed as there is also a path straight ahead) where it’s entirely uphill until the summit.
It’s worth stopping to have a look behind you as there are some beautiful views of Windermere behind you.
The track changes between grass and rubble, but isn’t hard to find as it looks like someone’s taken a mower through the bracken and grass!
You’ll soon reach a small plateau which could easily be mistaken for a false summit due to the huge cairn placed at the very top. With one look right, you’ll see there’s a higher place to reach yet.
However, it is a great spot to stop and take in a glimpse of Loughrigg Tarn and Elter Water.
After taking in the view it’s time to head right to the second false summit, a steep and scraggy path upwards! But this will reward you with a view of the true summit.
From here it’s a short stroll to get to the top and there are stunning views of Grasmere and Helm Crag looming behind it. It was incredibly windy at the top on our visit so we couldn’t spend too much time taking it in but on a better day it’s a lovely spot with plenty of rocks around to sit on.
Leaving the summit you’ll soon come to our favourite part of the track where you get endless versions of this view.
Loughrigg Fell offers such incredible views of Grasmere, it might even rival nearby Helm Crag.
Whilst the walk up from Ambleside is interesting and diverse, the view from the Grasmere side is stunning, even though it doesn’t change at all.
The track down has some pretty rough, scrambly patches which require some care, so you’ll have to watch tear you eyes away from the lake. Compared to many other Lake District walks though, it isn’t a bad scramble.
The track soon becomes more stable, made primarily of large, flat rocks. By now you’ve done the hardest part of the walk.
Read next: hiking up the Old Man of Coniston
The track back to Ambleside
The track soon takes a sharp right and undulates towards Rydal. The path lined with bracken and with a view of Grasmere Lake to the left is particularly pretty.
One of the interesting places to explore on the way back is a huge cave that appears out of nowhere (to the right of the track, you can’t miss it)!
We’d had a lot of rain during our trip, so the cave was completely underwater (even the stepping stones were only just above water!).
The path soon circles back towards Rydal Lake and follows this until you reach the beautiful area of Rydal itself.
Read next: the best places to visit in the Lake District
The final stretch from Rydal
The walk back from Rydal to Ambleside is rural England at its best. In the Autumn, it’s even better with various shades of yellow and red to enjoy along the way.
After following the path lined with a dry stone walk and surrounded by beautiful trees, you’ll come out to grassy plains and a river that you follow all the way back to Ambleside.
This is a very leisurely part of the walk, perfect to take slowly and soak it all up. The path is completely flat, and the whole area is so picturesque, even on a cloudy day.
You’ll keep passing beautiful parts of Rydal for the next mile or so before heading into Ambleside town centre once more.
There are loads of excellent cafes and restaurants in Ambleside for an afternoon treat.
Looking for other short walks in the area? Try one of our favourites, Catbells, or for a slightly longer adventure with more exceptional views, Old Man of Coniston.
Getting to Loughrigg Fell
From Ambleside
We started the walk from the centre of Ambleside, which is the most convenient for parking or getting to the trail by public transport. We parked in the big car park at Rydal Road (postcode: LA22 9AN). If you have a permit (which is often given with Lake District cottage rentals), then parking here will be free. Otherwise, check this website for the latest prices.
There are regular buses that go to Ambleside from Windermere, Keswick and Kendal, making this an easy walk by public transport.
From Rydal
You can shave a little distance off the walk by parking at the Pelter Bridge car park (postcode: LA22 9LR), which is on the circuit. Parking here costs £3.50 for two hours.
You can also park for free if you finish before 9am or start your hike after 6pm because the parking charges are only applicable between 9am and 6pm.
Packing suggestions for walking in the Lake District
Having the right gear can make a huge difference, especially in the Lake District. It can rain or turn cold at any time of year, so we highly recommend packing some for all seasons!
Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item in the Lakes as it can rain at any time! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna).
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Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). It is simultaneously lightweight, hard-wearing and comfortable, which helps with any adventure.
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going.
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Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable.
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Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic.
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Are you planning a trip to the Lake District? Have you hiked Loughrigg Fell? Let us know in the comments below!
