Parking
Start at Market Cross in central Ambleside. Use one of the town car parks and walk to the start; the small Stagshaw Garden car park is a separate access, not this route’s primary start.
Overview
About Ambleside to Troutbeck Walk
Why go
- Wansfell Pike panorama
- Troutbeck and Townend
- Skelghyll woodland
Heads up
- Steep, rocky and muddy sections
- No reliable fell water
Wansfell Pike is the high point of the day, with a wide panorama over Windermere, Ambleside and the surrounding fells. On clear days the view takes in the Coniston Fells, the Langdale Pikes, the Fairfield Horseshoe and Red Screes. The wooded final stretch through Skelghyll gives a softer, enclosed contrast to the open fell.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoff and the viewsMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation56–449 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Ambleside to Troutbeck Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Ambleside and Stock Ghyll Force0:00 / 1:14
“You're coming into Ambleside, where you can combine a stop for food and shops with a short walk to Stock Ghyll Force.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ambleside: Fairfield or Loughrigg
- Ambleside Roman Fort: Reading the Ruins
- Dragonflies: Before They Fly
- Clappersgate: The Walk to Wray
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Ambleside to Troutbeck Walk
Route and distanceA circular loop starting and finishing at Market Cross in central Ambleside.
A circular loop starting and finishing at Market Cross in central Ambleside. Total mapped length is 10.68 km / 6.63 miles as one continuous closed loop, with around 576 m of ascent. Plan 4 to 5 hours.
How the walk unfoldsThe route leaves town on the Stockghyll and Wansfell approach, climbing steadily to the summit…
The route leaves town on the Stockghyll and Wansfell approach, climbing steadily to the summit of Wansfell Pike. From there it drops east to Troutbeck village, passing the National Trust's Townend farmhouse, then turns back through High Skelghyll and Skelghyll Woods to return to Ambleside. Stock Ghyll Force is a worthwhile short detour near the end.
Difficulty and footingThe official grading is moderate, but treat this as a practical 6/10 because of the sustained…
The official grading is moderate, but treat this as a practical 6/10 because of the sustained climb and rough fell ground. Expect:
Walking boots with grip and ankle support suit this terrain better than trainers.
- Country lanes, pitched stone paths, rough tracks and rocky fell paths
- Stone steps, gates and stiles
- Steep gradients and uneven ground
- Muddy sections, occasional boggy patches and small becks to cross
- Some road walking between sections
Practical notesWater on the fell is not reliable, so carry what you need for the full loop.
Water on the fell is not reliable, so carry what you need for the full loop. The varied, steep and uneven terrain means the walk is not suitable for limited mobility.
Access and dogsStart at Market Cross in central Ambleside; use one of the town car parks and walk to the start.
Start at Market Cross in central Ambleside; use one of the town car parks and walk to the start. Dogs are allowed but must be kept under close control, and on a lead near livestock and other users.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
