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Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn from Eskdale

Lake District Walk

Nat Park - Lake District - Lake District Southern Fells

County/Area - Cumbria

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 6.0 miles / 9.8 km    Ascent - 1350 feet / 409 metres

Time - 4 hours 20 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn
Click image to visit gallery of 5 images.

This half day Lake District walk combines visits to two tarns with some rugged Lakeland terrain. The views in good weather are excellent for relatively little ascent. In poor weather, navigation can be problematic as the landscape has few obvious landmarks

This Lakeland walk starts from the small car park on the north side of the road from Eskdale to Hardknott Pass at Wha House Farm (Grid ref. NY201009). After parking walk east towards the River Esk. Cross the bridge and take the signed footpath on your right. This follows the river for a short way before entering woodland. Keep right at the junction (Grid ref. NY203005) and continue past Penny Hill Farm to cross the River Esk using Doctor Bridge (Grid ref. NY189007). Having reached the far bank, turn right along the path to reach the road just to the west of the Woolpack Inn.

Turn right along the road towards the Inn and take the signed path up the lane to the immediate left of the Inn. Going through the intake wall at a gate, follow the green path uphill to reach Eel Tarn, which lies to the right of the path. Continue to the northern end of the tarn, cross the outflow and go right onto the green path going southeast (Grid ref. NY188020). This path occasionally fades but by keeping the higher ground on your right Stony Tarn soon comes into view in a large depression on your right.

Stay on the path following it north-east towards the Scafells. Continue past Cat Cove (Grid ref. NY202034) for approximately 400 metres before leaving the path and heading east across unpathed territory to reach the main Scafell path. Once this is reached turn right and it is an easy descent back to the start near Wha House Farm.

Other walks nearby

Walk 2226 The Scafellsvery hard12.0 miles
Walk 1916 Harter Fell and Low Birker Tarn from Hardknott Passmoderate6.5 miles
Walk 3419 Scafell Pike an Eskdale circularvery hard12.5 miles
Walk 2467 Green Crag & Harter Fellmoderate7.9 miles
Walk 2355 Blea Tarn & Eskdale Greeneasy/mod6.5 miles
Walk 1668 Silver Knott & Muncaster Fell from Irton Road easy/mod5.0 miles
Walk 3485 High Birkhow & Low Wood from Wast Watereasy4.2 miles
Walk 1176 Yewbarrow from Wasdalemoderate4.5 miles
Walk 2341 Circuit of Nether Beck and Over Beck from Wasdalehard11.3 miles
Walk 1690 Netherbeck Horseshoe - Middle Fell, Steeple & Red Pike from Wasdale Headmod/hard12.5 miles

Recommended Books & eBooks

Lake District: Low Level and Lake Walks

Lake District: Low Level and Lake WalksThis guidebook describes 30 of the best low-level walks in the Lake District. From delightful wooded glades and sparkling tarns, to waterfalls and glacier-carved valleys towered over by craggy mountains. The walks described aim to seek out the best walking that the lower areas of the Lake District have to offer.
More information

The Cumbria Way

The Cumbria WayA guidebook to the 73 mile Cumbria Way, an easy long-distance walk though the heart of the Lake District National Park, from Ulverston in the south to Carlisle in the north, with good transport links to either end. The route is largely low-level but this guide offers alternative mountain days to climb some of the famous fells en route.
More information

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