Parking
Use one of the signed pay-and-display car parks in Grasmere, such as Broadgate or Stock Lane. Walk into the village and follow the Easedale Road sign; do not rely on finding a legal space along the narrow road near the route.
Overview
About Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Gill
Why go
- Waterfalls run beside the upper path
- A satisfying tarn payoff from the village
- Clear out-and-back route with no shuttle logistics
Heads up
- Popular and busy in good weather
- Rough, wet footing near the gill
- The lower approach includes road and farm track
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation74–285 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 Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Gill, 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
Easedale Tarn: Waterfalls from Grasmere0:00 / 1:00
“You're drawing near the Grasmere starting area for Easedale Tarn, a walk that takes you past waterfalls into a bowl of mountain crags.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Grasmere: Riverside, Gingerbread and Lake
- Wordsworth Grasmere: Inside Dove Cottage
- Mill Bridge: Seat Sandal and the Grasmere View
- Rydal Water and Cave from White Moss
- 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 Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Gill
Route and payoffThis is a 5.
This is a 5.4-mile out-and-back, measured as the complete return from Grasmere to Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Gill. From the village, follow Easedale Road, cross Easedale Beck and open fields, then take the bridleway beside Sourmilk Gill. The path passes the tumbling falls before reaching the tarn basin beneath Tarn Crag and Blea Rigg. Return by the same route. The separate Easedale Tarn Round continues through Far Easedale and is a different, longer experience.
Difficulty and groundThis is a moderate walk with roughly 240 metres of ascent.
This is a moderate walk with roughly 240 metres of ascent. The first part is a village road and farm track, while the upper section is a rough, stony path with a few steeper steps beside the gill. It is manageable for confident walkers but awkward for pushchairs and tiring in wet footwear. Allow about 3 to 3.5 hours at an ordinary sightseeing pace.
What to noticeSourmilk Gill is the route's best moving feature, with a series of falls and pools set into a…
Sourmilk Gill is the route's best moving feature, with a series of falls and pools set into a rocky channel. Easedale Tarn occupies a glacial corrie between rounded volcanic fells, and the view opens noticeably as the path climbs. Look for grazing sheep and cattle in the lower fields, juniper on the fell sides, and the contrast between the green valley and darker crags.
AccessNo special hiking permit is normally needed for this public route.
No special hiking permit is normally needed for this public route. Dogs may accompany visitors, but keep them on a lead or under close control around livestock and water. If you want a shorter, gentler outing, the lower Easedale valley walk gives you the beck and valley scenery without committing to the full climb.
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.
