Parking
This is a point-to-point walk designed for car-free travel. Start at Penrith Railway Station. If driving, use public parking in Penrith or at Pooley Bridge and arrange a return by train, bus or boat; do not expect a trailhead parking loop.
Overview
About Eamont Way
Why go
- Car-free link between rail, river and Ullswater
- Low-level route with varied countryside and village facilities
Heads up
- Linear logistics require a return plan
- Muddy field paths and gates after wet weather
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation135–175 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Eamont Way, 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.
More stories near here in the app
- Mayburgh: A Monument of River Pebbles
- Swifts: Ten Months in the Air
- Ullswater Walks from Pooley Bridge
- Dacre: The Puzzle of the Stone Bears
- 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 Eamont Way
Route and feelThis is a linear, one-way walk of about 5.
This is a linear, one-way walk of about 5.5 miles from Penrith Railway Station to the Pooley Bridge Steamer Pier. The stored distance is one way, not a round trip, so plan transport at the far end. It follows the River Eamont valley, crosses the river twice, and passes from town streets and signed pedestrian crossings into open fields, wooded stretches, riverside meadows, bridleways and permitted paths.
What the walk is likeThe route stays low and has no major climb, making it easy to moderate rather than a fell hike.
The route stays low and has no major climb, making it easy to moderate rather than a fell hike. Expect about 2.5 to 3 hours at a normal sightseeing pace. The ground is mostly straightforward but not uniformly smooth: field paths, gates, narrow sections, rougher bridleways and wet grass can be muddy after prolonged rain. It is not generally suitable for wheelchairs or standard pushchairs.
Practical notesStart by public transport at Penrith Railway Station.
Start by public transport at Penrith Railway Station. Shops, cafés and station facilities are close to the start, while Pooley Bridge has food, shops, toilets and onward bus or boat connections. Dogs are welcome but keep them on a lead around livestock, farmland and wildlife, close gates and stay on the signed route. Do not stray into nearby farms. A comparable choice is the Ullswater Way if you want a longer lakeside outing, but this route is the better car-free link between rail and Ullswater.
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.
