Lake District Waterfall Walks

The Lake District is the finest place in England for a waterfall walk. Cumbria's Viking-named cascades — the forces and ghylls — are scattered across every valley, from roadside curtains of water you can reach in ten minutes to hidden gorge falls that reward a proper half-day hike. This guide brings our detailed route guides together in one place, explains how to choose the right walk for your ability and the weather, and covers the practical things that make a day out safe and rewarding.

Because "walk" and "hike" mean the same thing here, treat them interchangeably: every route below is a self-contained guide with a free GPX download, an interactive map, parking directions and step-by-step directions to the falls.

Waterfall walks for every ability

The beauty of Lakeland's waterfalls is the range. You can pick a gentle woodland stroll or a rugged fell hike and end up at water just as spectacular. Here's how our current guides compare at a glance.

Easy and family-friendly waterfall walks

If you're walking with young children or want a short outing, look for falls on surfaced or well-made paths. Our Force Falls hike in Grizedale Forest is a favourite: it threads through ancient oak and larch woodland dotted with the famous Grizedale sculptures — including the much-loved wooden bathers of the Cold Shower piece — before finishing at a white-water cascade beside a 17th-century mill. The short trail from the National Trust car park to Aira Force above Ullswater is another classic easy option, with stone bridges and viewpoints right above the falls, while the Tom Gill waterfalls near Coniston lead up a shady wooded ravine to the famous view over Tarn Hows. Beyond our own guides, Skelwith Force near Elterwater and Stock Ghyll Force, a ten-minute walk from the centre of Ambleside, are both short, easy outings.

Moderate waterfall hikes

For a proper walk with a real sense of arrival, the Scale Force circular from Buttermere is one of the best days out in the western fells. The first half is pure serenity — a lakeshore ramble along Buttermere and the shingle beach where it spills into Crummock Water — before the path turns wilder and climbs to the tallest waterfall in the district, hidden in a gloomy cleft in the crags.

Rugged and hidden-gem waterfall walks

When you want to escape the honeypots, head for the gorge falls. Stanley Ghyll Force in Eskdale is short but demanding, climbing a steep, slippery ravine to a cantilevered viewing platform that juts out over the chasm for a thrilling, face-on view of the falls. Whorneyside Force in Great Langdale stays completely concealed until the last moment, tucked into the rocky amphitheatre of Hell Gill — and the walk ends right back at the Old Dungeon Ghyll's legendary Hikers' Bar.

Force, ghyll and fell: the language of Lakeland waterfalls

Half the romance of a Lake District waterfall walk is in the names. Cumbria was settled by Norse-speaking farmers over a thousand years ago, and their words still map the landscape:

• Force (from Old Norse foss) — a waterfall. Aira Force, Scale Force and Stanley Ghyll Force all carry it.
• Ghyll or gill — the narrow, steep-sided ravine or mountain stream that the water carves. A waterfall in a ravine is the classic Lakeland cascade.
• Beck — a stream. Every force is fed by a beck, and after rain those becks turn white.
• Fell — a hill or mountain. The high fells are the catchment that gathers the rain and sends it thundering down.

Knowing the vocabulary makes route descriptions far easier to follow — and helps you spot a waterfall on the map before you ever set out.

When to visit: waterfalls love the rain

The single biggest factor in a good waterfall walk is recent rainfall. A cascade that thunders in November can shrink to a trickle after a dry fortnight in July. As a rule:

• Best flow: a day or two after heavy rain, and through the wetter months of autumn, winter and early spring.
• Best paths and light: late spring and summer, when the ground is firmer and the days are long — but accept that flow may be modest in a dry spell.
• Bonus drama: hard frosts can fringe the falls with ice, and at Stanley Ghyll the late-spring rhododendron lights the gorge pink.

Every guide on this site includes a live weather widget for the specific valley, so you can check the forecast for the falls rather than the nearest town before committing to the drive.

Wild swimming at Lake District waterfalls: safety first

Many of these plunge pools are irresistible on a warm day, and wild swimming is one of the fastest-growing reasons people seek out Lakeland waterfalls. It can be wonderful — but it carries real risk, and a few rules keep it safe.

Cold water shock is the biggest danger. Even in high summer, deep Lakeland water often sits between 8 and 12°C. Entering too fast triggers involuntary gasping, a spike in heart rate and rapid loss of muscle control — the precursors to hypothermia. Always wade in slowly to let your body acclimatise, and never dive or jump blindly: plunge-pool depths change with rainfall and submerged rocks shift. The powerful downward currents at the base of a fall can also pin a swimmer under, so give the white water itself a wide berth.

Know where you can and can't swim. Swimming is legal in most natural lakes, tarns and rivers, but strictly banned in the drinking-water reservoirs — Thirlmere, Haweswater and Ennerdale Water among them. When in doubt, don't.

Clean, Check, Dry. Cumbria's waterways are under threat from invasive non-native species. Before moving between different lakes, tarns and rivers, clean your kit, check it for hitchhiking plants and creatures, and dry everything thoroughly. It protects the ecosystem you came to enjoy.

A well-fitting wetsuit, a brightly coloured tow float and water shoes for grip on slick rock make any wild swim safer, and you should never swim alone in a remote gorge.

What to bring on a waterfall walk

Waterfall walks put you on wet rock, mossy steps and boggy ground, so pack for slippery conditions even on a fine day:

• Waterproof walking boots with a grippy sole — the most important item by far
• A waterproof jacket (gorge spray and fast-changing fell weather)
• The relevant OS Explorer map and a compass, plus the OS Maps app on your phone
• Water and snacks, and a warm layer for shady, damp ravines
• A camera — a wider lens suits enclosed gorge falls
• A dog lead for steep, unfenced edges and farmland
• Downloaded offline maps for remote western valleys such as Wasdale and Eskdale, where there is often no mobile signal

More Lake District waterfalls to explore

Our route guides are growing. Beyond the six detailed walks above, the district is full of famous falls worth seeking out — Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside; Dungeon Ghyll Force in Great Langdale; Colwith Force and Skelwith Force on the River Brathay near Elterwater; Sour Milk Gill above Grasmere, tumbling below the path to Easedale Tarn; and the emerald pools of Tongue Pot high in upper Eskdale. We're steadily adding full route guides, GPX files and maps for these — bookmark this page and check back, or follow the guides above to plan your next cascade hunt.

Whichever you choose, treat the falls with respect, tread lightly, and let the roar of the water do the rest.