walking | biking | canoeing | climbing | orienteering | horse riding
Activities
The Ennerdale valley offers many opportunities to get closer to nature and enjoy outdoor fun and adventure. The valley's remote and tranquil location provides an opportunity to escape the busy pace of modern life and get closer to nature.
The valley provides opportunities for walking, biking, climbing, orienteering, riding and canoeing.
Ticks and Lyme Disease. Please check your self for ticks after you have visited the valley. For more information on Ticks and Lyme Disease please visit Lyme Disease Uk
Grazing Animals
Cattle and sheep graze large parts of the Ennerdale valley. In the forest, valley bottom and fell east of the lake, Galloway cattle freely roam in low numbers all year round. Galloway cattle are known for being placid and calm. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your walk:
- Do not feed or touch the animals
- Make sure that the animals know that you are there
- If an animal is startled do not run!
- Avoid getting between cows and their calves and / or splitting the herd
- Keep small children close to you
- Keep dogs under control
For further information please pick up a copy of You and Your dog in the Countryside leaflet which is full of useful information.
Valley Guide Map
Our valley guide map is now available from local visitor/tourism outlets. This new style map cleverly folds into a pocket size and brings together all our previous guides. There will be a fee of £1.50 for the printed guide and free downloadable pdf version is also available . Thank you to Cumbria County Council Community Grant support.
Walking
Ennerdale offers great opportunities for walking with over 30 miles of public rights of way, forest roads and tracks.
Ennerdale offers many miles of forest track and public rights of way to explore including two way marked circular routes: Smithy Beck and Ennerdale Views. The wooded slopes offer sheltered walking during inclement weather whilst the valley ridges provide spectacular views of Lakeland mountains, the Cumbrian coastline and into Scotland.
There are many routes up and down the high ridges which provide access to some of the most famous Lake District mountain peaks including Pillar (892m asl), Steeple (819m asl) and Great Gable (899m asl).
Both Bleach Green and Bowness Knott car parks offer good start points for walking in the valley. In poor weather conditions consider a walk around the lake starting at either car park.
If you intend to do some serious walking ensure you buy a good map such as the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Outdoor Leisure series The English Lakes North Western Area Map 4.
There are four routes that can be found in our Ennerdale Valley guide map.
Smithy Beck
2 miles (1 hour)
Waymarked
Low level circular woodland walk with lovely views, great for families. Some rough ground in places, not suitable for pushchairs.
Round the Lake
6.5 miles (4 hours)
Waymarked
Low level, circular walk. Some higher level path sections and rough terrain which includes a short, difficult section (rocky terrain to be traversed via a scramble) under Angler’s Crag. Lake and mountain views, woodland and open farmland.
Liza Path
8 miles (4 hours)
Not waymarked
Low level walk, 8 miles if starting from Bowness Knott with mountain, open fell and forest views. The river route along the Liza is accessed from the forest track with plunge pools, gravel beaches and rock outcrops.
Ennerdale Views
1.5 miles (45mins)
Waymarked
Low level circular walk suitable for familes. All ability standard. Suitable for trampers. Lake and mountain views. Benches for rest and view points
Biking
Ennerdale offers more than 10 miles of forest roads which provide an almost traffic free environment for biking. You can start at either car park as you can cycle the lakeshore path between both car parks.
Canoeing
Canoeing on Ennerdale Water gives you a different view of the valley's wild landscape. Ennerdale water offers great canoeing opportunities and fantastic views of the valley, its big forest and iconic wild mountains.
Destinations
- The deep clear waters and rock face under Anglers Crag.
- The islands between Bowness and Anglers Crag visible during low water levels.
- The ancient semi-natural woodland of Side Wood
Permissions
A permit from United Utilities is required for any group comprising 5 or more people and is free of charge.
Please contact amber.thompson@uuplc.co.uk or phone: 017687 72334.
Whilst canoes and kayaks are welcome on Ennerdale Water, United Utilities does not permit boats with sails or motors.
Paddleboarding is not permitted on Ennerdale Water. The lake is owned by United Utilities and although no longer a drinking water supply, still has reservoir status and associated underwater infrastructure in use. For more information on where you can paddleboard visit Paddleboarding and kayaking : Lake District National Park or United Utilities - Water sports on reservoirs.
Access
To access the lake please park at either Bowness Knott or Bleach Green car parks and carry your canoe (300 to 400m) to the lake.
Take Care
Please take care not to transfer any organisms or creatures from other lakes to Ennerdale. Please check you canoe over and wash off canoes before coming to the valley. Please do not wild camp or start open fires along the lakeshore.
River Ehen
Please do not canoe on the upper 3km of the River Ehen immediately downstream of Ennerdale Water as the river is home to a rare freshwater mussel which can be damaged by canoeists accessing the river and navigating shallow sections.
Paddlers Code
Please follow the The Paddlers Code | Respect, Protect, Enjoy.
Climbing
Ennerdale possesses several relatively uninspiring crags and one magnificent venue - Pillar Rock, which forms the central feature of the rugged north face of Pillar Mountain.
Pillar is an imposing, atmospheric crag offering superb rock climbs at all grades on impeccable rock, and its summit (which is only accessible by climbing) was the focal point for the earliest pioneers of rock climbing in the Lake District.
Pillar possesses many climbs, from the easiest up to E6. The best however are in the lower to middle grade range. Its isolated position requires rather more commitment than most Lake District crags and means that it is never crowded, and in fact, often climbers will find that they have the entire crag, and its magnificent scenery, entirely to themselves - ample reward for the long walk in.
The Fell and Rock Climbing Club publish a full set of climbing guidebooks to the Lake District, including Gable and Pillar (2007). They also publish a selected guidebook to the Lake District, Lake District Rock (2003), which includes a selection of the best climbs on Pillar.
History
In 1826, John Atkinson of Croftfoot, Ennerdale, made the first recorded ascent of Pillar, it is believed by the Old West Route (today graded Moderate). The popular Slab and Notch Climb (Moderate) was added in 1863, and in 1891, Walter Parry Haskett-Smith, the first man to climb Napes Needle on Great Gable, worked out his intricate North Climb (Severe), the first route to tackle the imposing North Face of Pillar.
Two classic routes on the West Face are the New West (Very Difficult, 1901), which was put up by Keswick's famous Abraham brothers, photographers who recorded so much of Lakeland life around the end of the Victorian era, and Rib and Slab (Hard Severe, 1919), climbed by a team that included another famous Lakeland pioneer, Harry Kelly.
Peregrines at Long Crag
Please avoid disturbing nesting Peregrine at Bowness Knott (Long Crag) by not climbing here from 1 Mar-30 June. In addition please look out for and avoid nesting Ring Ouzel in Mirk Cove
Special Thanks
Text with thanks to Stephen Reid who is an experienced climber, editor of the FRCC Lake District Rock and co-author and editor of the latest edition of FRCC Gable and Pillar. He also owns Needle Sports in Keswick,
Climbers photo thanks to Zac Poluton, MountainZ, Mountain Safety Consultant, Expedition & Mountain Trainer , from a series taken whilst working with Itv Countrywise climbing Pillar Rock.
Orienteering
Ennerdale offers a number of great opportunities for orienteering. Our work to restore a more natural landscape has opened up the valley bottom and the well thinned forests provide some great navigational challenges.
April 2026 Update - Due to storm damage the Long Technical course at Bowness Knott has been withdrawn.
Orienteering in Ennerdale
We have two Orienteering course starting from Bleach Green at the west end of the lake. There are a further two courses starting from the Bowness Knott car park on the northeast side of the lake.
You can download the maps free, from the links on this page.
All the orienteering markers have some letters in the top left corner, which are shown on the map. There are also letters in the bottom right corner, which you can write down in the boxes on the map to show you’ve been round.
An alternative way of doing it is to use the iOrienteering app on your smartphone.
- Download the app before you go (the mobile phone signal isn’t very good in the valley), and print off the maps.
- When you’re ready to go, use the ‘load an event’ and ‘scan setup QR code’ buttons in the app to scan the QR code on the map (you don’t need a separate QR code reader).
- Then find the marker and QR code at the Start. Use the ‘scan start code’ button to start the clock.
- Navigate your way round the course, scanning each checkpoint and the Finish.
- At the end you have the option to upload your results to the iOrienteering website so you can see how you’ve done.
Parking.
Parking at Bleach Green Car park is free. The car park can be found at the west end of the valley and is best accessed from Ennerdale Bridge. There is a charge for parking at Bowness Knott Car park, which only accepts card payments.
Course Suitability.
Our orienteering courses are suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to fit and expert navigators. The easy courses stay on paths and forest roads which can sometimes be uneven. The harder courses cross rough terrain which may include steep slopes, scree and will be difficult to navigate through.
Join a Club
If you have enjoyed orienteering in Ennerdale you might want to join the West Cumberland Orienteering Club. The club organises regular Thursday evening events throughout the year. There are courses to suit all abilities, usually including an easy course suitable for novices. The club has an extensive junior programme with a large and very active team.
Bleach Green Courses
Situated at the west end of the valley these are suitable for novice through to intermediate orienteers. Bleach Green is ideal for people who haven't done much orienteering before. There are two courses.
The Bleach Green Easy Course is all on smooth, level paths. The navigation is mostly easy, but you do have to find your way through some path junctions, especially between number 1 and number 2.
The Bleach Green Harder Course goes into some rough, boggy ground, and some of the checkpoints are harder to find.
Bowness Knott Courses
These are on the north side of the lake. There is one course for people who haven’t done much orienteering, and a course for more experienced navigators.
The Bowness Knott Short Easy Course is all on paths and forest road. Some parts of the paths are rough and stony. You might have to step off the path to scan the QR codes (if you’re using the iOrienteering app). The navigation is mostly easy, but there are some changes of direction and path junctions you have to find your way through.
The Bowness Knott Short Technical Course uses paths, but it also goes into the forest and some felled areas. Some parts are very rough underfoot. Leg protection is advised. Some of the checkpoints are hard to find.
Horse Riding
Horse riders are very welcome to enjoy the Ennerdale Valley and have the same rights as cyclists to use the forest roads and bridleways.
Bowness Knott offers the best access to the valley for those arriving by vehicle as it provides direct access to the forest road and bridleway network around the valley.
Please note that the roads leading to Bowness Knott are narrow with some blind bends. If towing a trailer to Bowness Knott be aware that you may have to reverse to allow others to pass and that you may meet a lorry carrying timber. The nearest horse riding centre to Ennerdale is Bradleys Ridding Centre and B&B which is only a few miles west of the valley.
