Black Crag & Tarn Hows

The Black Crag walk is one of the great value-for-effort days in the southern Lakes — a gentle circular route that strings together tumbling waterfalls, the Lake District's most famous tarn and a genuine Wainwright summit, all for barely 200 metres of climbing. From Glen Mary Bridge the path follows Tom Gill up through woodland past a series of pretty cascades to burst out at the shore of Tarn Hows, the beloved beauty spot with its island-studded water and postcard views of the Langdale Pikes. Beyond the tarn a quiet path climbs through the reclaimed woodland of Iron Keld to the modest but far-seeing top of Black Crag, crowned by its National Trust trig point. Despite standing only 323 metres high, the summit is a superb viewpoint — a low fell perfectly placed to look out over Windermere, Coniston Water, Wetherlam and the higher central fells. Easy enough for families and improving walkers yet ticking off a real Wainwright, this is one of the most rewarding short circuits in the whole district.

The Black Crag walk at a glance

The Black Crag walk is one of those rare Lake District routes that seems to have been designed to please everyone. In a single, gentle 6.5 km (4-mile) circular it links tumbling waterfalls, the most photographed tarn in England, an evolving native woodland and a genuine Wainwright summit — all for barely 200 metres of ascent. Families tick off a real fell without a hard climb; Wainwright baggers collect one of the softer tops on the list; and photographers get Tarn Hows, Tom Gill and a summit panorama in one outing.

Set between Coniston and Hawkshead in the Southern Fells, the walk starts from Glen Mary Bridge and works its way up beside a wooded ravine to the tarn before climbing quietly to the trig point on Black Crag (323m) — the summit of the fell Wainwright called Black Fell. It is the ideal choice for a half-day when you want maximum scenery for minimum effort, and it combines beautifully with a café stop or a longer exploration of the southern lakes.

Getting to Glen Mary Bridge: parking and public transport

By car, the route begins at the Glen Mary Bridge National Trust roadside car park (near postcode LA21 8DP) on the A593 between Coniston and the Yewdale valley. This small, informal car park is perfectly placed to walk straight up the Tom Gill waterfalls, but it holds only a handful of cars and fills fast on fine days. If it's full, drive on to the much larger main Tarn Hows car park (pay-and-display, free for National Trust members) — though starting there means you miss the cascades on the way up and only catch them on the descent.

By public transport, the walk is trickier but not impossible: the seasonal 505 Coniston/Hawkshead bus and the Coniston Launch–bus combinations put you within reach, and many walkers link this route with a stay in Coniston or Hawkshead and approach on foot. However you arrive, follow the path climbing beside Tom Gill into the trees to begin the circuit.

Tom Gill waterfalls: the loveliest start of any walk here

The opening stretch beside Tom Gill (sometimes written Tom Heights or Glen Mary) is the walk's first highlight. The beck tumbles down a wooded ravine in a chain of waterfalls and cascades, the largest a fine cataract framed by mossy rock and overhanging oaks. After heavy rain this is a genuinely thunderous little gorge, easily the equal of many walks that bill themselves purely as waterfall routes. If cascades are what draw you to the fells, our full Lake District waterfall walks collection gathers the district's best in one place — but few offer a Wainwright summit at the top like this one does.

The climb is steady rather than steep, with pools and photo spots at every turn, and the trees thin just as the gradient eases — a reliable sign that Tarn Hows is close.

Tarn Hows: England's most famous tarn

The path emerges, almost theatrically, at the outflow of Tarn Hows — an island-studded sheet of water backed by conifers and rolling fell, with the Langdale Pikes and Coniston fells reflected on a still day. It is worth knowing that this "natural" beauty spot is largely a Victorian creation: the landscape architect's hand combined several smaller pools into the single scenic tarn we admire today, later gifted to the National Trust by Beatrix Potter, who owned the land and sold it to the Trust at cost.

A broad, largely accessible circular path rings the tarn, popular with families, wheelchair users and buggy-pushers on its surfaced sections. Watch for the Belted Galloway cattle the Trust uses to graze and manage the grassland, keep dogs on a lead, and about halfway round look for the path breaking uphill to the north for Iron Keld and the summit.

Iron Keld, the summit and the view from Black Crag

The climb to the top leaves the crowds behind at once. The track rises through Iron Keld, once a dense commercial spruce plantation and now an open, regenerating woodland being returned to native trees — a peaceful, birdsong-filled contrast to the busy tarn shore. Beyond a gate onto open access land the path crosses rougher, often boggy ground to the neat rocky top and its National Trust trig pillar.

For such a modest height the summit of Black Crag is a revelation. The all-round view takes in Windermere to the east, Coniston Water to the south, and a beautifully framed sweep of higher fells to the north and west — the spiky Langdale Pikes, Wetherlam and the Coniston range. Because Black Crag stands a little apart from the higher ground, its panorama feels far larger than its 323 metres would suggest, which is exactly why Wainwright gave this humble fell its place among the 214.

Making a day of it: nearby walks and attractions

Black Crag sits at the heart of the gentle southern Lakes, so it pairs naturally with a wider day out. Coniston village offers the Ruskin Museum, lake cruises on the steam yacht Gondola, and easy access to the mightier Old Man of Coniston for walkers ready to climb higher. Hawkshead, with its cobbled square and Beatrix Potter gallery, is equally close, and Grizedale Forest — home to our family-friendly Force Falls hike — lies just over the ridge.

For those working through Alfred Wainwright's list, Black Crag is an easy and satisfying tick that leaves plenty in the legs; browse the full Wainwright fells guide to plan your next summit. Families after another low-effort, high-reward outing will love the Rydal Caves walk near Ambleside.

Where to eat, drink and stay

There are toilets and a seasonal ice-cream van at the main Tarn Hows car park, but no refreshments on the route itself, so plan around the start and finish. Coniston has the widest choice — the Black Bull and Sun Inn among its traditional pubs, plus cafés, shops and outdoor stores — while Hawkshead offers tearooms, the historic Kings Arms and Queens Head, and a range of guesthouses. Both villages make excellent overnight bases, putting Tarn Hows, Coniston Water and dozens of other southern-fell walks within a short drive.

Black Crag walk: final tips for a great day

Come with waterproof boots — the Iron Keld section and the summit approach stay boggy even in summer — and time your visit to make the most of the tarn. Arrive early in peak season for a space at Glen Mary Bridge and a quieter shore path, or come out of season when Tarn Hows glows copper and gold and the little summit is all but deserted. After rain, the Tom Gill waterfalls are at their thundering best, making the whole circuit sing.

Take it slowly, savour the tarn, and don't be fooled by the modest numbers: the Black Crag and Tarn Hows circular delivers more variety, beauty and reward per mile than almost any other short walk in the Lake District — and hands you a proper Wainwright at the top for good measure.

Black Crag is a genuine year-round walk and one of the best in the district after rain, when Tom Gill's waterfalls are at their thundering best. Spring and autumn are especially lovely — bluebells and fresh green in the Tom Gill woods, and spectacular gold-and-copper reflections at Tarn Hows in October. Summer brings crowds to Tarn Hows, so arrive early for parking and a quieter shore path; the little summit is almost always peaceful whatever the season. Winter is fine on a clear day, though the Iron Keld section gets very muddy and the boggy summit approach can freeze.