Parking
Bleach Green car park at the western end of Ennerdale Water, reached via Ennerdale Bridge. The gravel car park is free but limited in size, and no direct public transport serves the start.
Overview
About Ennerdale Views
Why go
- Lake and fell views on a short loop
- Mostly level, with a surfaced approach
- Easy route with a woodland return
Heads up
- Mixed surfaces and a bridge limit full wheeled access
- No facilities on the route
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation115–126 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to visit
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 Ennerdale Views, 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
Ennerdale Water from Bleach Green0:00 / 1:11
“You're nearing Bleach Green, the starting point for a walk beside Ennerdale Water. This is a lovely stop for lake and mountain scenery with a quiet, tucked-away feel.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bowness Knott: Waterfall or Forest Walk
- Ennerdale: An Ice Age Fish
- Kinniside: A Circle Put Back Together
- Loweswater: Holme Wood and Lakeshore
- 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 Ennerdale Views
Circular loop, about 2 kmThis is a circular walk of roughly 2 km, sometimes described as a 2 km loop or 1.
This is a circular walk of roughly 2 km, sometimes described as a 2 km loop or 1.3 miles depending on the source, and it takes about an hour at a sightseeing pace with stops for the views. Difficulty is easy, around 2 out of 10, making it a short introduction to the western lakes rather than a fell walk.
Route sequence and payoffFrom Bleach Green car park, a surfaced lane descends to the western end of Ennerdale Water.
From Bleach Green car park, a surfaced lane descends to the western end of Ennerdale Water. Cross the bridge over the weir and turn along the western shore, where the water opens out ahead and the skyline includes Angler's Crag with Haycock, Scoat Fell and Steeple further up the valley. The path leaves the lake near a wooden footbridge and returns through young birch woodland in Broadmoor Plantation to the car park.
Footing and accessibilityThe lane to the lake is well surfaced, and the rest combines lakeside path, a bridge and weir…
The lane to the lake is well surfaced, and the rest combines lakeside path, a bridge and weir crossing, and a woodland return. Official guidance treats this as a short loop suitable for all, but surfaces are not uniformly paved along the whole circuit, and mobility scooter users should expect class 2 or 3 machines to be needed. Exposure is limited: the walk stays at valley level with no steep drops, though the shoreline and open sections can feel breezy and there is little shelter beside the lake.
Scenery, flora and wildlifeThe payoff here is the contrast between the calm shoreline and the wild fells rising beyond it.
The payoff here is the contrast between the calm shoreline and the wild fells rising beyond it. Gorse grows along the more open ground, and the return leg passes through young birch. Yellowhammers may be seen in the gorse in spring and summer. Livestock can be present, so keep dogs under control.
Access, parking and facilitiesStart from the small gravel Bleach Green car park at the western end of Ennerdale Water, CA23…
Start from the small gravel Bleach Green car park at the western end of Ennerdale Water, CA23 3AL, grid reference NY 085153, reached by road through Ennerdale Bridge. It is listed as free parking and has limited space. There is no direct public transport and no permit needed. There are no facilities on the route; the nearest toilets, cafe and supplies are at The Gather in Ennerdale Bridge.
Avoiding route confusionDo not mistake this short loop for the longer 4.
Do not mistake this short loop for the longer 4.2 km extension or the full lake circuit of about 11.7 km. The longer extension has different accessibility conditions, so check which route you are following before you set out.
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.
