A 20-mile (32 km) waymarked circular walk right around Ullswater — split into four stages between the Steamer piers, walkable in either direction, in a single long day or over a relaxed weekend.
The short answer
The Ullswater Way is a 20-mile (32 km) waymarked circular walk right around Ullswater in the Lake District. It has no fixed start and can be walked in either direction, and it splits neatly into four stages between the Ullswater Steamers piers — so you can do the whole loop in one long day or take it a stage at a time, walking one way and catching the boat or bus back.
It's a low-level route — it never climbs a summit — but it isn't a flat towpath either: expect gentle, persistent up-and-down, a few rough and narrow shoreline sections, and some genuinely wild, quiet stretches on the eastern side. The waymarking uses a distinctive yellow daffodil logo, a nod to the Wordsworth daffodils that grow on the Glencoyne shore. Along the way you pass the Iron Age farmstead of Maiden Castle, Aira Force waterfall, the ancient woods of Glencoyne Deer Park, the hamlet of Sandwick, and — if you fancy the detour — the Cockpit stone circle above Pooley Bridge.
This is our independent planning guide — the interactive map, the free downloads, the parking, and the boats-and-buses logistics that make the Way so easy to do in pieces. For the route's own heritage story, the Ullswater Association is the community home of the Way, and there's a printed Official Guide to the Ullswater Way sold locally (£1 a copy goes to the National Park). We're not the official route body — just the practical one.
The route
The full loop, colour-coded by stage, with the Steamer piers marked. Drag to pan, and click a stage line for its distance. An elevation profile sits beneath the map.
Route traced from OpenStreetMap data and shown for planning only — it is an indicative line, not a substitute for navigation. Carry OS Explorer OL5 (The English Lakes — North-Eastern area) and follow the daffodil waymarks on the ground.
Download the GPX
Load the full route into your GPS watch, phone app or handheld. Free.
For GPS apps and watches: open in OS Maps, Komoot, Outdooractive or load onto a Garmin — the route appears on the map and tracks your position as you walk.
Printable PDF route map
A4, prints clearly in black & white, with stage labels and a scale bar. Free.
Our own map and files — no third-party imagery. Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Stage by stage
The Way divides naturally into four stages between the Steamer piers. Distances are the official Ullswater Association figures. Here's a taster of each — full stage-by-stage guides are on their way.
The gentle opener down the quiet north-east shore. It leaves Pooley Bridge through farmland with the option of climbing to the Cockpit stone circle on the open fell, before dropping to the lake and following the shore to the little pier at Howtown. Easy underfoot and a good half-day taster.
The wild one — the long, remote south-eastern shore that Wainwright called "the most beautiful and rewarding walk in Lakeland". Undulating paths with rocky sections weave through woodland and open fell past Sandwick and Side Farm, with constant views over the lake and its islands. The most committing stage: allow plenty of time.
The shortest and gentlest stage, along the western shore through the ancient Glencoyne Deer Park — the very shore where the Wordsworths saw their daffodils in 1802 — to the spectacular Aira Force waterfall. Mostly easy, well-surfaced paths, with one short 100-metre stretch alongside the A592, so take care there.
The closing stage back along the northern shore via Watermillock church and the fields above the lake, with the option to take in Maiden Castle, an Iron Age farmstead, before returning to Pooley Bridge. Undulating walking through woodland and farmland — a satisfying finish with the Way's end in sight.
Detailed stage-by-stage guides — turn-by-turn, timings and photos — are coming soon. For now these anchors are your quick reference.
Boats & buses
This is what makes the Ullswater Way so easy to enjoy: you don't have to walk a loop back to your car. The Ullswater Steamers — the historic passenger boats that have plied the lake since Victorian times — call at Pooley Bridge, Howtown, Glenridding and Aira Force (the Aira Force pier is seasonal). Walk one stage in the morning and let the boat carry you back to the start, watching the shore you've just walked slide past.
The other half of the trick is the 508 bus, which runs the A592 corridor down the western side of the lake, linking Penrith, Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Glenridding and Patterdale. Between the boats and the bus you can start and finish almost any single stage without a second car — perfect for a linear day, or for chaining two stages and riding home.
Timetables and fares change by season, and the boats run a reduced winter service, so always check current times and prices before you set off — see Ullswater Steamers for the boats and Traveline for the 508 bus. Dogs travel on both (a small charge usually applies on the boats).
Getting there
The two most convenient bases both have car parks, a Steamer pier and the 508 bus — so they make the natural start and finish.
The northern base, at the foot of the lake. Pay-and-display car parking in the village, a Steamer pier and the 508 bus from Penrith. Cafés, pubs and shops for the start or end of your walk — see our Pooley Bridge guide.
The southern base, at the head of the lake below Helvellyn. A large pay-and-display car park, the main Steamer pier and the 508 bus. The busiest hub, with outdoor shops, cafés and pubs — see our Glenridding guide.
By public transport: the nearest railway station is Penrith (West Coast Main Line); from there the 508 bus runs to Pooley Bridge, Aira Force and Glenridding. Arriving car-free makes a linear walk simple — you don't need to return to a parked car at all.
Go further
The Ullswater Way links into a growing family of waymarked routes around the valley — handy add-ons or day walks in their own right.
5 miles / 8 km
A gentle loop off the Way from Pooley Bridge through fields and parkland to Dalemain Mansion (garden and tearooms) and Dacre village with its ancient church.
7.5 miles / 12 km
A Pooley Bridge circuit via Askham and Helton up to Lowther Castle and Askham Fell, with panoramic views before dropping back through Askham village.
5.5 miles
A signed valley walk connecting Penrith railway station to Pooley Bridge along the River Eamont — a car-free way to reach the start of the Ullswater Way.
14 miles · point-to-point
A newer literary route from Glenridding to Ambleside over Grisedale Tarn, linking the Ullswater Way to Grasmere, Ambleside and the Coast to Coast path.
For runners
The 20-mile loop has become a popular trail-running objective, and there is an organised trail race held on the Ullswater Way each year — a proper event with marshals, checkpoints and a finish line, rather than a solo effort. If you'd rather race it than ramble it, that's the way to take on the full circuit in one go with support on hand.
Prefer to run it independently? The whole route is on public rights of way and open access land, so you can run it any day — just apply the same sense as any long fell-side outing: check the forecast, carry the essentials, respect walkers and livestock, and remember the remote Howtown-to-Glenridding stage has no easy escape and little phone signal.
Entries, dates and the exact course for the organised event are set by the race organiser — search "Ullswater Way trail race" for the current official event page and enter directly with them.
Common questions
Explore more
Steamers, swimming, Aira Force and the villages around the lake.
Walk the shore one day, paddle it the next — launch spots, hire and safety.
The Helvellyn base — the Way's southern hub, with the main pier and car park.
The quiet northern village at the foot of the lake — the Way's other main start.
A shorter loop from the village if the full 20 miles is more than you fancy.
Ullswater is one of the great swimming lakes — where to get in, safely.
Ullswater is the second largest — see how it compares in the full list.
Free, no sign-up. Tell the planner your dates, transport and how far you want to walk — it builds a stage-by-stage plan around the boats, buses and the weather.
Open the free Lakes Planner