Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike

Overview

About Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike

This is a 4.3-mile loop from Blea Tarn car park, measured for the complete mapped circuit. It climbs first to Side Pike, threads the narrow rock passage known as the Squeeze, then climbs to Brown How, Lingmoor Fell’s 469 m summit before descending around the tarn. Allow about 3 hours including route-finding, summit stops, and the short scrambling sections.

Why go

Big Langdale views from two compact summits
A memorable rock squeeze without a long high-fell day

Heads up

Rough, boggy ground and sparse waymarking
Stiles and the squeeze are awkward with large packs or dogs

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation193–453 m

TrailheadLingmoor Fell and Side Pike54.42943, -3.08761

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use the small Blea Tarn National Trust car park (postcode LA22 9PG; OS grid reference NY295043) on the road between Great and Little Langdale. It is the correct starting access for this short loop and has no toilets or other facilities. Do not substitute the Elterwater or Old Dungeon Ghyll car parks, which start longer variants.

Safety

The Squeeze is a narrow rock passage under Side Pike and may require turning sideways and removing a backpack. The approach and descents are steep, rocky, and slippery when wet, with boggy ground and loose rock on the open fell. Several stiles and the tight passage are awkward for dogs. Keep dogs on a short lead around livestock and ground-nesting birds. There is little signage, so route-finding becomes difficult in mist.

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 Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike, 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

Blea Tarn: Shore Walk or Side Pike

0:00 / 1:14

“You're drawing near Blea Tarn, where a short walk puts a small mountain lake between you and the jagged Langdale Pikes. This is my pick for enjoying those mountains when you fancy a modest walk with plenty to look at.”

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

Hiking Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike

The good stuffThe walk earns its keep with constant views of the Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags,…

The walk earns its keep with constant views of the Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Wetherlam, and the contrasting valleys of Great and Little Langdale. Heather-covered slopes, rocky outcrops, the summit cairns, and Blea Tarn give the loop more variety than its modest height suggests.

Trail feelMost of the route is rough grass, rock, and intermittent fell paths rather than a constructed…

Most of the route is rough grass, rock, and intermittent fell paths rather than a constructed trail. Expect two main climbs and about 370 m of ascent, with short hands-on sections, stiles, boggy ground, and some loose rock. The Squeeze is memorable rather than extreme, but it is a real physical restriction for anyone carrying a large pack.

PlanningDry conditions make the rocky sections much more straightforward; wet weather can make the…

Dry conditions make the rocky sections much more straightforward; wet weather can make the descents slick and the open-fell paths harder to follow. Signage is sparse, so carry an offline map and leave extra time if mist settles over the ridge. Dogs are allowed on leads, but the stiles and Squeeze can be awkward, and grazing livestock means close control matters. The shorter Blea Tarn path is a gentler nearby alternative, but it does not give you either summit.

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.