Parking
Start at the small paid Gatesgarth Farm car park opposite the farm on the B5289 at grid reference NY194150. Cross the road to the signed path. Nearby verges and laybys become congested at busy times, so do not block access.
Overview
About Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks
Why go
- Two distinct summits with wide Buttermere views
- Slate quarry ruins add interest between high points
- Innominate Tarn is a memorable mountain stop
Heads up
- Steep rocky ascent with hands-on scrambling
- Open high ground and loose gravel need good conditions
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation102–614 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 Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks, 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
Gatesgarth: Haystacks and the Mountain Tarns0:00 / 1:16
“You're approaching Gatesgarth Farm, the starting point for a walk up Haystacks and its little mountain tarns.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Newlands Hause: Knott Rigg and Ard Crags
- Buttermere: Lakeshore and Village
- Honister: Inside the Slate Mountain
- Crummock Water: Cinders and Grasmoor
- 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 Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks
Route and distanceA closed loop of 7.65 miles (12.
A closed loop of 7.65 miles (12.3 km), measured from the Gatesgarth Farm car park access and including the short out-and-back to the Fleetwith Pike summit. Allow about 4.5 hours of walking time. Difficulty sits at 8 out of 10, a full mountain day rather than a valley stroll.
How it unfoldsThe payoff is two summits of different character, Haystacks knobbly and full of hidden water,…
The payoff is two summits of different character, Haystacks knobbly and full of hidden water, Fleetwith Pike a clean prow above the lake.
- Cross the road and follow the signed field path over Peggy's Bridge.
- Climb to Scarth Gap, then turn up the steep line onto Haystacks.
- Cross the summit ground past Innominate Tarn, then Black Beck Tarn and the crags near Green Crag.
- Drop to Dubs Quarry, cross on stepping stones and follow the quarry road, the dismantled tramway and the Drum House remains.
- Pass small tarns to the Fleetwith Pike summit and its long view down Buttermere.
- Retrace briefly, descend through the upper quarry past Dubs Hut and follow Warnscale Beck to Warnscale Bottom and the road back.
Difficulty and footingThe ascent is sustained and the high-level paths stay rough and rocky.
The ascent is sustained and the high-level paths stay rough and rocky. The pull onto Haystacks has steep steps and a few hands-on moves where you will want both hands free. Route-finding across the summit ground follows cairns. The Warnscale descent mixes loose gravel with worn rock, so expect slow, deliberate walking on tired legs. The stepping stones near Dubs Quarry are the main water crossing.
Quarry groundThe middle of the loop crosses slate country.
The middle of the loop crosses slate country. Dubs Quarry, the shelter at Dubs Hut, the dismantled tramway and the Drum House remains give the walk an industrial spine between two wild summits, and the old quarry road offers the easiest walking of the day.
DogsDogs are allowed on the public paths and access land, under close control or on a short lead,…
Dogs are allowed on the public paths and access land, under close control or on a short lead, with waste removed. The rocky scrambling and the loose gravel on the descent will not suit every dog.
Access and parkingStart from the small paid car park opposite Gatesgarth Farm on the B5289, grid reference…
Start from the small paid car park opposite Gatesgarth Farm on the B5289, grid reference NY194150. Nearby verges and laybys are prone to congestion at busy periods, so arrive early and do not block access.
Easier nearby optionsThe Buttermere lakeshore circuit gives the same valley scenery on gentle ground with no…
The Buttermere lakeshore circuit gives the same valley scenery on gentle ground with no scrambling. For a shorter mountain outing, climb Fleetwith Pike on its own from Honister.
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.
