A Walking Guide to Gowbarrow Fell

Gowbarrow Fell is one of Alfred Wainwright's 214 fells, and unlike its Eastern Fells neighbours it's one of the easiest to walk, with no scrambling or exposed ridges involved. In fact, you may already know part of this walk without realising it, as the fell borders one of the Lake District's most-visited waterfalls, Aira Force, meaning you can tick off two destinations in one hike.

Here's your essential walking guide to Gowbarrow Fell, including how to get there, where to park, your route options and what to bring for the occasion.

Gowbarrow Fell is in the Lake District National Park, in the Eastern Fells, standing north of Ullswater, and roughly a 20-30 minute drive from our Penrith store. It's bounded on its west side by Aira Beck, whose waters form Aira Force waterfall, and can be approached from the villages of Dockray and Watermillock, or from the National Trust car park at Aira Force itself.

View Gowbarrow Fell on Google Maps

Given that Gowbarrow Fell is located right near Aira Force (which is a National Trust site), parking is conveniently available by the Aira Force visitor centre, and you'll be able to check out both locations on one visit along a circular walk. Parking here is pay and display, unless you're an NT member, in which case it's free, and it can fill up quickly in high season. Two further National Trust car parks are available along the A5091.

Alternatively, if you want to park with the shortest and most direct route to Gowbarrow Fell in mind, there's a small free layby at Dockray with space for around five cars, but this fills up fast.

The summit of Gowbarrow Fell (known as Airy Crag) stands at 481m, marked by a National Trust plaque and a trig point. However, Green Hill - a nearby sub-peak (437m) actually gives better Ullswater views than the true summit, which Wainwright himself called "drab".

The length of the hike will depend on the route you choose. Our recommended route is the Aira Force & Gowbarrow Park circular walk (shown below) due to both convenience of the National Trust car park and simplicity of the route.

It'll take roughly 15-20 minutes to walk from the car park to Aira Force, mostly through woodland, which makes for a nice warm up before tackling the approach to Gowbarrow Fell. Many visitors to Aira Force typically won't carry on to the fell, so the trail onwards shouldn't be as busy.

Depending on your pace and whether you stop for photos, the full 7.1km circular should take roughly 2-3 hours in total, with the steepest section coming in towards the summit, which offers panoramic views of Ullswater and the surrounding fells.

Alternatively, if you're parking at the Dockray layby, you can follow this circular route instead, in which case you'd visit the Gowbarrow Fell summit first and Aira Force second.

Gowbarrow Fell is a straightforward, family-friendly hike, but the National Trust recommends taking a map, compass, whistle and torch as standard for this walk, alongside a good waterproof jacket for changeable weather. It's also worth bringing a backpack to carry your water bottle and snacks too, given the walk takes 2-3 hours.

Beyond the woodland section, the path opens onto the fell and can get muddy and boggy underfoot, especially after rain, so a pair of proper walking boots will serve you far better here than trainers.