Friar's Crag

Overview

About Friar's Crag

Why go

Large Derwentwater panorama for very little climbing
Level, accessible path with benches along the way
Excellent short option for families and stargazing

Heads up

Popular viewpoint can feel busy
Unprotected rocky edge at the end

Friar's Crag gives you a wide view down Derwentwater toward Cat Bells, the wooded islands, and the Jaws of Borrowdale. It is a strong short option when you want a real Lake District panorama without a fell climb. The promontory is also a good evening stop for reflections and stargazing, while the nearby woodland and lake edge add interest on the approach.

Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoff

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation81–84 m

TrailheadFriar's Crag54.59588, -3.13941

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use Lakeside car park on Lake Road beside Theatre by the Lake, grid reference NY265229. The route starts from the car park and follows the lakeside access toward Friar's Crag. Designated accessible spaces and an accessible public toilet are adjacent. Walking from Keswick town centre is possible but adds pavement distance.

Best time to go

This is a popular, convenient viewpoint, so early morning or a weekday usually feels calmer. Clear weather gives the best mountain outline and reflections. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead, and children should stay close at the unprotected edge. The path is exposed to lakeshore weather even though the walking itself is gentle.

Safety

Keep children and dogs away from the unprotected rocky edge at the promontory. The final section is less smooth than the main path, and wet rocks can be slippery. Dogs must be kept on a lead. There is no need to leave the marked access route or scramble onto the shore rocks.

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

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Lake District Tour Guide

Your drive to Friar's Crag, 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

Derwentwater and Friar’s Crag

0:00 / 1:04

“Up ahead is Keswick's lakeshore on Derwentwater, where a short walk gives you a view down the lake into Borrowdale.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.

Hiking Friar's Crag

The routeThis is a 0.75-mile (1.2 km) out-and-back from Lakeside car park to Friar's Crag.

This is a 0.75-mile (1.2 km) out-and-back from Lakeside car park to Friar's Crag. The stored distance is the complete round trip, not the one-way walk. Follow Lake Road and level footpaths beside Derwentwater, passing the Ruskin Monument and a line of benches before the path reaches the rocky promontory.

What it feels likeThis is an easy, almost flat walk on paved and compacted surfaces, with a short rougher section…

This is an easy, almost flat walk on paved and compacted surfaces, with a short rougher section near the viewpoint. Allow about 15 to 30 minutes at an ordinary sightseeing pace, plus time to sit and take in the view. The route is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs in general, although the final rocky edge is not a place to roll or scramble onto.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake District

All Lake District wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.