Lake District Waterfalls You Can Reach on an Easy Walk
Most Lakeland waterfalls are at the top of something. These six are close to a car park or a town, with the distances, the steps and the slippery bits spelled out.
The short answer
The easiest are Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside (about 0.9 miles from the Tourist Information Centre), Skelwith Force (a few hundred metres from parking) and Galleny Force in Borrowdale (0.8 miles each way, flat gravel path). Aira Force is the famous one, but parking fills by about 10am on busy days and the paths near the falls are steep with steps.
A Lake District waterfall easy walk sounds like a contradiction, because most of the good falls seem to be at the top of something. But there are a handful that are close to a car park or a town and don't need proper boots, and those are the ones for a Saturday with children who have already complained twice about the walk from the car. This is that list: six waterfalls, with the distances and the awkward bits.
A few honest rules first. Waterfalls are best after rain, and the rocks beside them are slippery at exactly the moment they look best. Nothing here is a pushchair walk unless I say so. And 'short' means short by a grown-up's reckoning. A six year old will turn 0.8 miles into a slow-motion expedition with sticks.
Lake District waterfalls you can reach on an easy walk
Aira Force
The famous one. The National Trust calls it a thundering 65 foot waterfall, though Wikipedia puts it at about 22 metres, or 72 feet, so it's somewhere in that range and it looks big either way. There are two stone bridges, one above the falls and one below, built early in the 20th century.
A walking blog says you'll start to see the waterfall about half a mile from the car park, and puts the main circuit at 2.1 km and around an hour with photo stops. The paths are worth taking seriously. The National Trust's access statement says the paths between the Glade and the waterfall become increasingly uneven with steep sections and drops at the side, and that many steps have no handrails. A pushchair might manage the lower sections, but not the steep stairs. For a shorter walk, the statement mentions a High Cascades car park, which is steep in places.
The main car park charges non-members 7 pounds for 2 hours, 8.50 for 4 hours or 10 for the day at the time of writing, and the Trust says it typically fills around 10am on holidays and weekends. There's a small toilet block with an accessible toilet, and a tea-room open 10am to 4.30pm. Dogs on leads are welcome.
- Good for
- A big, easy-to-reach waterfall in woodland
- Postcode
- CA11 0JS
- Parking
- National Trust pay and display, fills around 10am at busy times
- Toilets/buggies
- Toilet block in car park; steps and steep drops make buggies difficult
- Check first
- Parking, the steps in wet weather, and tea-room hours
Stock Ghyll Force
The easiest one to reach if you're already in Ambleside. It's a 70 foot waterfall behind the Salutation Hotel, viewed safely from a railed viewpoint. WalkLakes measures the walk at 1.4 km (0.9 miles), starting outside the Tourist Information Centre, with 86 metres of climb and a minimum of 26 minutes. The route is through Stockghyll Woods, crossing two footbridges, with some steps.
Parking is in Ambleside town: the main car park above the town on the A591 towards Rydal, or Miller Field at the lower end. Both charge. Visit Cumbria says the woods have a carpet of daffodils in spring, which is a good bribe in March and April.
- Good for
- Town-based waterfall with a railed viewpoint
- Parking
- Ambleside town car parks (charged)
- Toilets/buggies
- Steps in the woods, so not a pushchair walk
- Check first
- Steps and soft ground after rain
Skelwith Force
A short walk to a powerful fall on the River Brathay, running through a mossy chasm. Walk My World says there's free off-road parking about 150 metres from the falls, with room for around six cars, and a paid car park at Silverthwaite that's 700 metres each way on almost entirely flat ground.
The same guide says the rocks near the falls can be very slick and the water is powerful, so keep children well back. It notes some steps are a little uneven and that after long rain the path has giant puddles and some areas become inaccessible. It doesn't say the path suits buggies. You can carry on to Colwith Force, which the guide puts at about 1.3 miles further each way, but that's not a short walk any more.
- Good for
- Loud, dramatic water with almost no walking
- Parking
- Free parking for about six cars, or paid at Silverthwaite
- Toilets/buggies
- Steps and uneven ground, buggies not mentioned as suitable
- Check first
- Slippery rocks, giant puddles after rain, and whether the small free car park has space
Galleny Force (the Fairy Glen)
A small waterfall and set of pools on Langstrath Beck, reached on a very easy, mostly flat gravel path from Stonethwaite. The Walk My World guide says it's 0.8 miles each way and takes 25 to 40 minutes depending on how long you dawdle. There's one short rocky, rooty section near the campsite, a few steps. It says the main pool is shallow with big rocks and the water is cool but not extreme on a warm day, and that strong currents follow heavy rain so it can be unsafe to swim. There are no lifeguards.
Parking is the awkward bit. The guide says only a few spaces are available by the phone box, that the school may allow parking in summer holidays, and that the campsite charges 5 pounds a day but that you should confirm before using it. I'd arrive early or accept that you may have to give up. A fun one for small children, as long as an adult is at the water's edge.
- Good for
- A flat walk to shallow pools, paddling on a warm day
- Postcode
- CA12 5XG
- Parking
- Extremely limited, a few spaces near the phone box
- Check first
- Parking, water levels after rain, and the cold
Lodore Falls
Over 100 feet (30.5 metres) of falling water behind the Lodore Falls Hotel, roughly halfway between Ashness Bridge and Grange. The YHA says it's free to visit, accessed by a gate from the road near the hotel or from Ashness Road, with free parking at the hotel if you buy something at the bar or restaurant, or the National Trust's Kettlewell car park (pay and display, members free) about three quarters of a mile away. WalkLakes rates the short route as about a mile with a minimum of 26 minutes, and says you have to cross a busy road to reach the path from Kettlewell.
The YHA warns that the rocks are slippery, that swimming is prohibited, and that the falls are best after heavy rain, because in a dry spell they shrink to a trickle. WalkLakes mentions a bench viewpoint with probably the best and easiest view. Keep dogs close, as there's a busy road.
- Good for
- A very tall waterfall on a short rocky path, best after rain
- Cost
- Free to visit (YHA); parking charged at Kettlewell
- Parking
- Kettlewell (pay and display), or the hotel with a purchase
- Check first
- Water levels, crossing the road, slippery rocks, and whether access from the hotel is still open
Dungeon Ghyll Force
A 40 foot waterfall in a deep ravine, mentioned by Wordsworth in 'The Idle Shepherd-Boys', on National Trust land. It's reached by walking up from the parking area at the foot of Harrison Stickle, on the path towards the Langdale Pikes.
Here's the catch, and it's why this one is last. The National Trust's Stickle Tarn trail, which follows the same ghyll, is listed as 1.9 miles and 2 hours, described as challenging, with a steep stone path and short easy scrambles, and the Trust says it isn't suitable for buggies or very young children. It's a good one for a seven year old who likes climbing and a grown-up with a good grip. It's not one for a four year old on a whim. Stickle Ghyll car park (LA22 9JU) is pay and display, free for members, with public toilets, an accessible toilet at Sticklebarn and Bus 516 from Ambleside.
- Good for
- Older children who like a scramble beside falling water
- Postcode
- LA22 9JU
- Parking
- Stickle Ghyll car park, pay and display (members free)
- Toilets/buggies
- Public toilets and accessible toilet at Sticklebarn; path unsuitable for buggies
- Check first
- Slippery rocks, steep path, and be honest about your youngest
Tarn Hows isn't a waterfall
You'll see Tarn Hows on lists like this, and I'm skipping it. It's a lovely level two mile walk, but it's a tarn, not a waterfall, and it isn't even a natural tarn any more. The National Trust says James Garth Marshall joined three separate lakes into one in the 1860s to feed his sawmill and planted trees around it. So it's a very well designed Victorian reservoir with a view. Go for the walk, not for waterfalls.
Waterfall safety with children
Keep hold of hands near the rocks, because every guide above warns that they're slippery. Give the water a long look before deciding anything, and stay out of it if it's high or brown. The National Park guidance says to check the depth by walking in slowly, and to identify how you'll get out. Strong currents follow heavy rain, and the pools beside waterfalls are often much deeper than they look. If you fancy a paddle, the shallow pools at Galleny Force are the gentler option, and Lodore Falls has a specific prohibition on swimming.
Take wellies, a spare pair of socks, and a bribe for the walk back. A waterfall at full flow after a wet week is worth the drizzle, and you'll have the path to yourself, apart from the man in the shorts who's always there.
If it's been raining for three days and you can't hear yourself talk at the bottom of the falls, that's the right waterfall day. Just keep a hand on the small people.See what's on in The Cumbrian Almanac
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Questions people ask
What is the easiest waterfall walk in the Lake District?
Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside is about 0.9 miles from the Tourist Information Centre, with a railed viewpoint, and Galleny Force in Borrowdale is a flat 0.8 miles each way on a gravel path. Both are short, but both have some steps or rough sections.
Can you take a pushchair to Aira Force?
Only partly. A walking blog says a stroller could manage the lower sections, but the National Trust's access statement warns of uneven paths, steep sections and many steps without handrails on the way to the waterfall.
How much is parking at Aira Force?
At the time of writing, the main National Trust car park charged non-members 7 pounds for 2 hours, 8.50 for 4 hours and 10 for the day. National Trust members park free, and the Trust says it typically fills around 10am on busy days.
Is Lodore Falls free to visit?
The YHA lists it as free to visit. You can park free at the Lodore Falls Hotel if you buy something at the bar or restaurant, or use the National Trust Kettlewell car park, which charges non-members.
When are Lake District waterfalls best?
After heavy rain. The YHA says Lodore Falls shrinks to a trickle in dry spells. But rain also makes rocks slippery and streams faster, so take extra care with children.
Can you swim at Lake District waterfalls?
Not safely as a rule. Lodore Falls prohibits swimming, and strong currents after rain make pools like Galleny Force unsafe. The Lake District National Park advises checking depth and never swimming alone.
Sources and further reading
Facts checked against these pages on Tuesday 29 September 2026. Opening times and prices change, so confirm with the venue.
- National Trust, Aira Force and Ullswater
- National Trust, Aira Force and Ullswater access statement
- Aira Force, Wikipedia
- Park Cliffe, Aira Force waterfall walk
- Visit Cumbria, Stock Ghyll Force
- WalkLakes, Stockghyll Force walk
- Walk My World, Skelwith Force
- Walk My World, Galleny Force
- YHA, Lodore Falls
- WalkLakes, A short stroll to Lodore Falls
- Visit Lake District, Dungeon Ghyll Force
- National Trust, Stickle Tarn trail
- National Trust, History of Tarn Hows
- Lake District National Park, Swimming in the Lake District
