Walks Around Buttermere Lake District: Which Route Fits

Key takeaways

• The Buttermere lakeside circular is a flat 4.5-mile loop taking two to three hours, suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs for much of its length.
• Park at Buttermere village or Gatesgarth and arrive before 9am in peak season, as both pay-and-display car parks fill fast on summer weekends.
• Adding the Scale Force waterfall detour turns the 4.5-mile loop into roughly 7 miles with an extra hour on rougher, climbing ground.
• Rannerdale Knotts (355m) is one of the easiest Wainwrights to bag from Buttermere and pairs well with the lakeside circular in bluebell season.
• After heavy rain or ice, check the MWIS Lake District forecast and consider switching to the faster-draining Crummock Water shoreline.

There are four main walks around Buttermere Lake District worth your time: the flat 4.5-mile lakeside circular, the same loop with a Scale Force detour, the Rannerdale Knotts climb, and the Crummock Water extension. This guide matches each route to your circumstances, from pushchair access and dog rules to parking at Buttermere and Gatesgarth and winter conditions.

Which Buttermere walk is best if you want a flat, easy loop?

The Buttermere lakeside circular is the flat option: roughly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) on a well-trodden path that hugs the shore the whole way round, with no significant climb. It's the walk most people mean when they search for walks around Buttermere Lake District, and it suits a half-day or a full day if you stop often.

You get close-up views of Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike across the water, the waterfall where Warnscale Bottom drains into the lake near Gatesgarth, and long stretches of woodland and shoreline between. The surface is mostly gravel and packed earth, with a few stony or muddy sections after rain, so trail shoes are enough in dry weather.

Distance, terrain and time for the lakeside circuit

Allow two to three hours at a steady pace, longer with photos or a dog. Start from the village car park or Gatesgarth at the southern end; the National Trust looks after parking at both, including Gatesgarth, and its page covers facilities and seasonal notes (National Trust, Buttermere). Walking clockwise puts the steeper, rockier south shore early; anti-clockwise saves it for the return.

Where can you park for walks around Buttermere, and how early should you arrive?

Two main options serve the valley: the car parks in Buttermere village itself and Gatesgarth at the southern end of the lake. Both fill fast on summer weekends and bank holidays, and both are pay-and-display, so bring coins or use the payment app since mobile signal in the valley is patchy.

Buttermere village car parks

The village has a couple of small pay-and-display car parks within a minute's walk of the lakeshore path and the bridges that start the circular. Capacity is limited, and by mid-morning on a sunny Saturday you'll often be queueing behind cars waiting for a space. If you're starting the full circular here, arrive before 9am in peak season, or aim for late afternoon when day-trippers start leaving.

Gatesgarth and Honister options

Gatesgarth, at the foot of Fleetwith Pike's western flank, sits right at the southern end of the lake and suits walkers starting the circular clockwise or heading up onto the fells directly. Honister Pass also has parking a short drive away, useful if you want to combine a summit with the lakeside miles.

Car park	Best for	Arrive by (peak)
Buttermere village	Flat circular, village facilities	Before 9am
Gatesgarth	Clockwise start, fell access	Before 9:30am
Honister Pass	Summit-plus-lake combos	Before 10am

If you're bagging Fleetwith Pike or Hay Stacks as part of the day, parking at Gatesgarth or Honister saves you road-walking and gets you onto the ascent quicker.

Is the Buttermere lakeside walk suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs?

The full 4.5-mile circuit is mostly on a well-surfaced permissive path, and the Lake District National Park describes the lakeshore route as suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs for much of its length (Lake District National Park). Treat that as "mostly", not "all".

Expect a few pinch points. Gates at both ends of the lake and near Hassness require opening rather than lifting, which is easier with a helper. The section under the crags on the southern shore can hold loose stone and mud after rain, and the short stretch where the path meets the road at Gatesgarth means sharing tarmac briefly.

If you need a shorter, guaranteed-smooth option, walk the northern shore from the village to Gatesgarth and back, roughly 2 miles each way, and turn around whenever the surface stops suiting your wheels. Parking at the village or Gatesgarth puts you on the flat almost immediately.

Are dogs allowed on Buttermere walks and the lake cruise?

Dogs are welcome on the full lakeside circular, including both shores, with no lead requirement on the open fellsides. The exceptions matter more than the rule. The southern stretch crosses grazing farmland near Lanthwaite and the fields close to Buttermere village, so put your dog on a lead through lambing season (roughly March to May) and wherever sheep are close to the path. Stiles on the far side are the standard Lakeland slate kind, which some dogs struggle to jump; a short lift over is easier than a wrestling match.

The launch on the lake takes well-behaved dogs, and it saves the road section between Gatesgarth and the village if your dog is flagging. Carry water anyway: the shoreline has few reliable drinking spots in dry weather.

How does the full Buttermere circular compare with the Scale Force detour?

The standard lakeside loop is roughly 4.5 miles on flat ground and takes most walkers two hours. Adding Scale Force, England's highest single-drop waterfall at around 170 feet, turns it into a longer outing with a climb: you leave the lake near Gatesgarth, gain height over rougher ground, and rejoin the shore path further round. Expect closer to 7 miles and an extra hour or more, depending on how you route it.

When the detour is worth it

Worth it if you have the day and want more than a shore path; skip it if you're pushing a buggy or walking with a dog that needs the lakeside, since the detour crosses steeper, rockier ground. Check conditions before you go on the Lake District National Park Authority's visiting pages, as paths here can hold water after rain. If you're bagging, neither route adds a Wainwright or Marilyn; the circular is a leg-stretcher, not a tick.

What other walks near Buttermere are worth adding, such as Rannerdale Knotts or Crummock Water?

Rannerdale Knotts for Wainwright tickers

Rannerdale Knotts (355m) sits between Buttermere and Crummock Water and is one of the easiest Wainwrights to bolt onto a lakeside day. Park at Gatesgarth or the roadside pull-offs on the B5289, then climb the steep grassy ridge directly from Rannerdale. Most baggers pair it with the Buttermere circular for a half-day that adds a tick without committing to a full fells day. The summit gives you the full sweep of both lakes, which photographs far better than the shore path.

Crummock Water and Rannerdale bluebells

Crummock Water has no formal lakeside right of way on its western shore, so the practical circuit uses lanes and permitted paths, roughly 8 miles, quieter than Buttermere at any hour. If you want a shorter option, the Rannerdale valley walk from the B5289 car park is under 2 miles and famous for its bluebells in late April and early May, a remnant of wartime woodland planting.

For list-tickers, the honest trade-off is this: Rannerdale Knotts is a quick Wainwright and a decent Marilyn-free tick, but it lacks the sense of a proper ascent, and the summit cairn sits on a broad grassy dome rather than a dramatic top. If you are working through the Wainwrights methodically, you will bag it because it is on the list, not because it is the finest hour of walking in the valley. Pair it with a Crummock circuit or the Buttermere loop and the day justifies the drive, especially in bluebell season when Rannerdale itself is the real draw and the Knotts is simply the bonus.

What should you know about walking Buttermere in winter or after heavy rain?

Winter around Buttermere brings short daylight, ice on the shaded lakeside path, and snow on the fells that turns Haystacks or Red Pike routes into proper winter conditions. Check the MWIS Lake District forecast before you set out; it gives wind chill, freezing levels, and cloud cover summaries that generic weather apps miss.

After heavy rain, the low-lying sections near the outflow and the gates between Buttermere village and Gatesgarth can flood, forcing you onto the road verge. If the full circular is waterlogged, switch to the Crummock Water shoreline or a Rannerdale out-and-back, both of which drain faster and stay on higher ground. Carry a headtorch from October onwards, and treat the shingle and rock slabs by Scale Force as slippery rather than scenic until you've tested them.

How do you log and plan Buttermere walks if you're ticking hill lists?

The Buttermere area packs in plenty of tickable ground: Rannerdale Knotts, High Snockrigg, Hen Comb, and Grasmoor all sit within reach of the lakeshore. If you're working through Wainwrights or Marilyns, a logging app keeps your tally straight and your route planning honest.

Comparing bagging apps honestly

Several apps cover this: Hill Bagging, BaggedIt - Hill Tracker, Trailwise: Fell & Peak Bagging, Hill Lists, and My Summit Log. Our own product, Summit Log UK, handles the basics: auto summit detection, hill list tracking across Wainwrights, Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, Marilyns and more, full DoBIH coverage, CSV import of existing logs, and GPX and photo sharing.

Where it falls short: there's no offline weather briefing on the level of MWIS, and trip planning is thinner than dedicated route sites. If you want deep route descriptions rather than ascent logging, pair it with a guidebook. If you want a permanent, customisable ascent record, it fits.

FAQ

How long does it take to walk around Buttermere lake?

The flat 4.5-mile lakeside circular takes most walkers two to three hours at a steady pace. Add time for photos, a dog, or frequent stops, and the Scale Force detour version runs closer to seven miles with an extra hour or more on rougher, climbing ground.

Can you swim in Buttermere during the walk?

Swimming isn't covered by the lakeside path guidance, and the water stays cold even in summer, so treat any dip as a wild swim you've researched separately. There are no lifeguards or designated bathing spots on the lake, and the shore is mostly gravel, stone, and mud rather than a beach entry.

Is there a boat or cruise on Buttermere, and does it run all year?

A launch operates on the lake and accepts well-behaved dogs, which is handy for skipping the road section between Gatesgarth and the village if your dog is flagging. It doesn't run year-round, so check timetables locally before relying on it, and carry water since the shoreline has few reliable drinking spots.

Which Wainwrights can you bag from Buttermere in one day?

Rannerdale Knotts (355m) is the easiest, a steep grassy ridge climb from Rannerdale that pairs well with the lakeside circular for a half-day. High Snockrigg, Hen Comb, and Grasmoor also sit within reach of the lakeshore, though those demand a fuller fells day than the flat loop alone.

Is the Buttermere circular muddy after rain?

Yes, in places. The surface is mostly gravel and packed earth, but a few stony or muddy sections appear after rain, and the low-lying stretches near the outflow and the gates between the village and Gatesgarth can flood onto the road verge. Trail shoes handle it in dry weather; consider the Crummock shoreline if it's waterlogged.