Parking
Dodd Wood car park is beside the A591 from Keswick toward Bothel, opposite Mirehouse. The entrance is signed on the right. Toilets and the Old Sawmill Tearoom are beside the lot; no camping or overnight stays.
Overview
About Douglas Fir Trail
Why go
- Towering Douglas firs
- Short woodland loop
- Easy car-park access
Heads up
- Steep, uneven sections
- Limited open views
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation136–230 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 Douglas Fir Trail, 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
Dodd Wood and Bassenthwaite Views0:00 / 1:18
“You're drawing near Dodd Wood beside Bassenthwaite Lake, where you can choose a climb above the trees or a shorter walk among towering Douglas firs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Barf and Lord's Seat from Powter How
- High Side: Skiddaw via Longside Edge
- Skiddaw and Latrigg from Gale Road
- Noble Knott: Two Short Woodland Loops
- 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 Douglas Fir Trail
The routeA lollipop loop of 1.6 km / 1 mile total, blue waymarked from Dodd Wood car park.
A lollipop loop of 1.6 km / 1 mile total, blue waymarked from Dodd Wood car park. A brief access spur leads in from the car park, joins a compact loop through the lower woodland slopes, and returns along that same spur, so you walk the short approach twice. The mapped loop itself comes in a little under 1.5 km. Expect around 45 minutes at an easy pace with stops, or 30 to 60 minutes depending on how long you linger.
Difficulty and footingGraded moderate, and short does not mean flat.
Graded moderate, and short does not mean flat. The route rises from about 136 m to roughly 230 m before dropping back, so there is close to 90 m of climbing packed into a mile. Surfaces mix forest road, track and footpath, and sections can be steep, narrow or uneven. Wet leaves, mud and ice all change the footing, so grippy shoes are worth it in any season.
What you'll seeThe draw here is the stand of large Douglas firs on the lower slopes, kept under continuous…
The draw here is the stand of large Douglas firs on the lower slopes, kept under continuous cover forestry and selectively thinned so gaps of light let young trees seed in naturally. Skill Beck runs close to the route, with mossy banks, ferns and running water in the shade. Red squirrels are possible in Dodd Wood, so pause and watch the canopy. This is a woodland walk rather than a viewpoint walk.
Access and facilitiesEntrance is on the A591 heading from Keswick toward Bothel, opposite Mirehouse
- Entrance is on the A591 heading from Keswick toward Bothel, opposite Mirehouse
- Forestry England keeps the car park open 24 hours, with pay on exit
- Toilets, a picnic area and two accessible parking spaces on site
- A tearoom sits beside the car park
- Forestry England allows no camping or overnight stays
DogsDogs are welcome on the Dodd Wood trails, and assistance dogs too.
Dogs are welcome on the Dodd Wood trails, and assistance dogs too. This is a working forest with wildlife around, so keep your dog under effective control, close on the narrow sections, and give way to forestry vehicles and machinery.
If you want moreThis is the shortest of the Dodd Wood options.
This is the shortest of the Dodd Wood options. The longer routes from the same car park climb higher and open out, so pair this woodland loop with one of them if a mile is not enough for the drive.
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.
