Getting around the park
The Lake District National Park covers over 900 square miles and is open to the public all day, every day, with no gates or barriers. You won’t need a single postcode to find the Lake District, but it will take a little planning.
First, take a look at our Explore webpages to choose the area and activities you’re interested in. Then plan your visit to the Lake District, with many options to travel by train, bus, electric vehicle, bike and more.
We also have various maps and routes to help you explore the Lake District on foot or by bicycle. Check out our Explore by map page, or discover our list of walks and rides – including our series of Miles without Stiles accessible routes that are suitable for scooters, wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Useful links:
Help us look after the National Park by choosing to travel by bus, train, bike, electric vehicles or on foot. For more information, visit: Getting to and around the Lake District.
If you choose to come by car, please use a car park.
Learn more about sustainable ways to travel in the Lake District on our smarter travel page.
You can charge your electric vehicle at our electric car hire and charging points based across the Lake District National Park.
Things to do
Welcome to the Lake District National Park. A good place to start is plan your visit and be Lake District Kind.
There are four main lakes: Windermere, Derwent Water, Ullswater and Coniston Water, with many more smaller water bodies. To find out which activities are permitted on each lake, see our on the water pages. For information on byelaws in the Lake District, visit our byelaws page.
For information on where you can go swimming in the Lake District, visit Swimming in the Lake District.
From fell walking and paddleboarding to historic houses and steam trains, there’s plenty to explore in the Lake District. See things to do in the Lake District National Park.
All powered boats on Windermere, whether in use, moored, for private use or business, must have a current Windermere Registration. Register your boat at: Windermere boat registration.
There are many opportunities for going fishing in the Lake District. Check out our page on fishing in the Lake District National Park.
The Lake District National Park is here for everyone to enjoy. No matter what your background, ability or need. We have over 50 ‘Miles without Stiles’ accessible routes. You can find out more on our accessible routes page, which includes a link to view our list of accessible routes.
Visit our walks and rides page to explore our full range of routes – simply use the filter button on the page to view specific route types, distance, duration and more.
Yes, the Lake District National Park Authority runs a range of volunteer-led guided walks from Easter to October each year. Visit Guided Walks at the Lake District National Park.
Where to stay
From camping to hotels and bunk houses to cosy cottages, there are a range of accommodation options in the Lake District. See our where to stay pages for more information.
Wild camping is technically not permitted anywhere in the Lake District without prior permission from the landowner. As the National Park Authority, we don’t have the power to allow camping on private land, and we do not permit camping on the small amount of land that we own. Camping in car parks or on roadside verges is not allowed at any time.
However, wild camping is normally tolerated for one night if you ‘Leave no Trace’ and pitch above the highest fell wall. Find out more about wild camping and campervanning in the Lake District:
Visiting
The Lake District is both a National Park and a World Heritage Site, with over 900 square miles of space. It is protected because of its beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage.
Read more about the Lake District National Park on our Protect pages.
Here are some other useful links:
The Lake District is England’s largest National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the country’s highest mountain and its deepest lake. The Lake District National Park is located in the county of Cumbria, in the north west of England.
The Lake District National Park is open all day, every day. There are no gates, barriers, or official ‘entrance’ points, so you can enter and explore the National Park freely at any time.
We have four visitor centres across the National Park. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are here to help you get the best out of your stay in the Lake District. Whether you need advice on local attractions, walking and cycling routes, or transport options, we’ve got you covered. Visit our Information Centres at Ullswater, Hawkshead, Coniston, and Bowness on Windermere.
See our Information Centre page for more details.
Our LA9 7RL offices are in a business park in Kendal. The nearest lake is Windermere – please use the postcode LA23 1LJ, or for a longer list including other lakes, please look at: Postcodes for Sat Nav.
Yes, four-legged friends are most welcome, but please remember to leave only pawprints and take your poo bags home or to a bin. Keep your dog on the lead or under close control at all times, especially around sheep and other livestock. Read the Countryside Code before you visit.
To hire a mobility scooter or wheelchair visit wheelchair and mobility scooter hire at Lake District National Park.
Please read our guidance before using your drone in the National Park, see guidance on flying drones.
Anyone can film on public land. More details can be found on our Filming Permissions page.
Barbecues and open fires are not permitted anywhere in the Lake District. Disposable barbecues are environmentally damaging, a risk to wildlife, a fire hazard and often result in litter in the National Park. Most major landowners agreed to ban visitors from having barbecues or fires on their land to help look after our National Park. Please respect this special place and leave no trace.
Please leave no trace of your visit and help look after this special place by taking litter and dog poo home. Before your visit, please read and follow the Countryside Code.
Fly camping and littering aren’t just unsightly; they’re harmful to the environment and frustrating for those who call the Lake District home.
You can find out what we’re doing to look after the landscape and communities as a result of poor visitor behaviour, and how you can report issues in the National Park on our Visitor engagement and management page.
If you have witnessed illegal off-roading in the Lake District National Park and would like to report the incident, please contact Cumbria Constabulary.
We regularly receive requests for permanent memorials to be placed in the Lake District National Park. We appreciate the importance of memorials for the families of deceased loved ones and understand how a memorial in a cherished place or landscape can provide a comfort. However, if we were to give permission to all the requests we receive, the numbers involved would become extremely intrusive in this natural and beautiful landscape. For this reason, we refuse all requests for memorials on land owned by the National Park. For memorials on the other 96 per cent of land in the Lake District, we ask people to contact the landowner directly. Consider making a donation towards a project or location in memory of a loved one through Lake District Foundation.
Please note that memorials, such as benches and structures, may also require planning permission. To informally discuss whether you need to apply for planning application you can talk to a duty planner or attend one of our regular planning surgeries. Visit our planning page for details.
If you plan to scatter ashes, you always need the landowner’s permission to spread ashes on private land. If you are thinking of scattering ashes on water, please try to avoid areas where people might be swimming, fishing or boating while you’re doing the ceremony. For inland rivers or lakes, contact the local Environment Agency to check that there is no nearby water supply.
We understand that families may wish to leave a temporary memorial item, however, it’s important to only use biodegradable, not plastic, wreaths or flowers if you need them. Ideally, we would encourage people to make a donation towards a National Park project or location in memory of a loved one, such as a gate or bridge, whilst at the same time contributing to the future of the Park. For more information, visit our make a donation page.
Blue-green algae occurs naturally in bodies of freshwater, but some kinds can be toxic to humans and lethal to animals. It’s impossible to tell if the algae is the dangerous kind just by looking at it, so it’s best to not enter the water if you suspect there is algae.
Please call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 to report your sighting of blue green algae. Do not enter, drink or swallow the water. Also keep children and pets away from the water. Find out more about blue green algae at Lake District National Park.
The Countryside Code is a set of guidelines designed to help the public enjoy the outdoors while respecting the environment and those who live and work in the countryside. Please play your part to respect, protect and enjoy the Lake District by following the Countryside Code.
To report a problem on a public Right of Way in the Lake District National Park, please visit: Report a problem on a Public Right of Way
Learn more about access and Rights of Way: Rights of Way and access at Lake District National Park.
Trail hunting is not currently permitted on land owned by the Lake District National Park Authority. Find out more on our Trail Hunting FAQs page or email trailhunting@lakedistrict.gov.uk
