Parking
Use the public Red Bank Road car park in Grasmere and walk through the village to Easedale Road, where the signed Helm Crag approach begins. Do not park along the narrow approach road.
Overview
About Helm Crag
Why go
- Strong Grasmere and Central Fells views
- Short route with a proper summit feel
Heads up
- Long climb packed into a short route
- Rough, uneven summit rock
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation69–405 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 Helm 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
Grasmere: Riverside, Gingerbread and Lake0:00 / 1:20
“You're nearing Grasmere village, where you can combine a walk beside the River Rothay with a stop for the local gingerbread.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wordsworth Grasmere: Inside Dove Cottage
- Easedale Tarn: Waterfalls from Grasmere
- Rydal Water and Cave from White Moss
- Mill Bridge: Seat Sandal and the Grasmere View
- 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 Helm Crag
Route and distanceAn out-and-back from Grasmere village to the Howitzer, the true summit rock of Helm Crag.
An out-and-back from Grasmere village to the Howitzer, the true summit rock of Helm Crag. Total visitor distance is 6.4 km (4.0 miles) round trip, based on a 3.260 km one-way corridor walked in both directions. Allow about 2.5 to 3.5 hours, with 3 hours a sensible planning figure. Short does not mean quick here.
Sequence and payoffStart on Easedale Road, walk out past Goody Bridge and the small hamlet, then join a bridleway…
Start on Easedale Road, walk out past Goody Bridge and the small hamlet, then join a bridleway and track. Gates lead onto the open fell, where zigzags and a long stepped climb rise beside a wall. The upper path arrives at the Lion and the Lamb formation, then crosses rough summit blocks to the Howitzer at around 405 m. Views open back over Grasmere and the lake, into Easedale, and across the Central Fells. Return by the same route.
Difficulty and footingRated 5 out of 10, moderate, with about 341 m of ascent packed into a sustained climb.
Rated 5 out of 10, moderate, with about 341 m of ascent packed into a sustained climb. Expect village lanes and a firm track at first, then grassy and stony fell path, engineered stone steps, and shattered, jagged rock at the top. Ground can be loose in places, and the upper path is slippery when wet. A short, straightforward hands-on scramble guards the summit rock; the most exposed section has a bypass to the left, but the summit blocks are uneven and need care, particularly on the way down.
Parking and accessUse the public Red Bank Road car park in Grasmere and walk through the village to Easedale…
Use the public Red Bank Road car park in Grasmere and walk through the village to Easedale Road, where the signed Helm Crag approach begins. Do not plan on parking along the narrow approach road. No route-specific permit was established.
DogsDogs are permitted.
Dogs are permitted. Keep them under close control, and on a short lead around livestock; open-access seasonal rules can also require a lead. The rough summit rocks are awkward underfoot for paws, so bring a dog only if it is fit for a steep fell walk.
If you want something differentBoth are separate outings rather than extensions of this one.
Both are separate outings rather than extensions of this one.
- Easedale Tarn for a waterfall and tarn walk instead of a summit.
- Gibson Knott and Calf Crag as a longer, more strenuous ridge day.
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.
