Circular walks in the Lake District

A circular walk brings you back to the car park, bus stop or café you started from without retracing your steps, so you see something new the whole way round. Every walk on this page is a loop. They range from short lakeside strolls to proper fell days, and every guide has a map, a free GPX file and step-by-step directions.

Why choose a loop?

Loops are the easiest walks to plan: one car park, no bus timetable, and no need to arrange a lift at the far end. They also tend to show a place from more than one angle. On the Aira Force and Gowbarrow walk you climb past the falls through the woods, then return high above Ullswater. At Rydal Caves you walk one shore of Rydal Water and return along the terrace path past the cave. The Old Man of Coniston loop climbs through the old quarries and returns by a different, quieter line.

Waterfalls, lakes and small fells

Many of the Lakes' best short circulars visit a waterfall. Stanley Ghyll in Eskdale threads a deep, fern-filled gorge; Scale Force visits the Lake District's tallest waterfall from Buttermere; and Tom Gill and Tarn Hows combines a waterfall with one of the best-loved tarns in the National Park. For a summit with a loop, Castle Crag in Borrowdale and Black Crag above Tarn Hows are small Wainwrights with big views. In town, Hoad Hill and High Sweden Bridge start right from the high street.

Walking a loop well

The direction matters. Our guides describe each loop in the direction we think works best, often climbing the steeper side and descending the gentler one, or saving the best view for the return. If you reverse it, read the steps carefully, as junctions look different the other way round. Loops also make it harder to turn back halfway, so check the weather and your timing before you commit; our safety guide explains how. Grades run from Easy to Challenging; see walk grades explained to pick the right one.

Every loop on this page has a free GPX file, so you can follow your progress on your phone and see at a glance how much of the circuit is left. Carry the paper OS map too.