The easiest hikes in Lake District National Park, by the numbers
Of the 35 trails in Lake District National Park in our dataset, 17 (49 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 17 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Fell Foot has the lowest rating: 0 ft of gain over 1.5 miles, essentially flat.
Across the 17, gain runs from 0 to 476 ft and distance from 1.2 miles to 5.6 miles; the median gain is 323 ft and the median distance 1.9 miles.
12 of the 17 are loop routes; the rest are out-and-back (1) or point-to-point (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fell Foot | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 5% | 132 to 181 | 0 | |
| 2 | Low Sizergh Farm Trail | 1.4 | 56 | 40 | 7% | 97 to 190 | 12.5 | |
| 3 | Church Fell walk | 2 | 167 | 84 | 12% | 200 to 406 | 25.8 | |
| 4 | Millwood Trail (Long) | 1.4 | 254 | 181 | 18% | 343 to 615 | 26.7 | |
| 5 | Bogle Crag Trail (short) | 1.4 | 263 | 188 | 11% | 446 to 739 | 27.1 | |
| 6 | Sizergh Fell | 2.2 | 197 | 90 | 15% | 203 to 400 | 29.4 | |
| 7 | Mickleden Valley Trail | 1.9 | 235 | 124 | 8% | 319 to 554 | 29.9 | |
| 8 | Comb Beck Trail | 1.5 | 358 | 239 | 19% | 828 to 1,186 | 32.8 | |
| 9 | Machell's Coppice Trail | 1.2 | 473 | 394 | 24% | 153 to 579 | 33.7 | |
| 10 | Kendal to Sizergh | 5.6 | 114 | 20 | 6% | 69 to 209 | 35.7 | |
| 11 | Hartsop to Hayeswater Gill Trail | 1.5 | 470 | 313 | 23% | 643 to 1,161 | 37.5 | |
| 12 | Bogle Crag Trail (long) | 2.2 | 323 | 147 | 14% | 439 to 743 | 37.7 | |
| 13 | Skill Beck Trail | 1.6 | 463 | 289 | 20% | 378 to 890 | 38.5 | |
| 14 | Park End Moss Wetland Walk | 2 | 380 | 190 | 21% | 26 to 406 | 39 | |
| 15 | Carron Crag Trail | 2.3 | 443 | 193 | 15% | 587 to 1,030 | 45.1 | |
| 16 | Force Crag Mine Accessible Trail | 2.3 | 476 | 207 | 11% | 419 to 914 | 46.8 | |
| 17 | Grizedale Tarn Trail | 2.9 | 379 | 131 | 13% | 366 to 773 | 46.9 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Lake District National Park" here means the 35 trails in Lake District National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Lake District National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Fell Foot.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.