Parking
Use Dunmallard Car Park in Pooley Bridge (CA10 2NP). The route begins from the car park access; public toilets, pubs and cafes are in the village.
Overview
About Pooley Bridge to Gale Bay
This is a linear out-and-back: about 0.9 km (0.56 miles) each way, so 1.8 km / 1.1 miles total round trip. It is one of the Miles Without Stiles accessible routes, officially graded "For some", and it runs from the Dunmallard car park area at Pooley Bridge south along the shore of Ullswater to a turning area at Gale Bay.
Why go
- Wide, firm path with lake views
- Short outing with a proper shoreline payoff
Heads up
- Two steep sections complicate solo mobility-aid use
- Limited distance if you want a substantial hike
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation145–183 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 Pooley Bridge to Gale Bay, 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
Ullswater Walks from Pooley Bridge0:00 / 1:06
“You're nearing Pooley Bridge at the northern end of Ullswater, a good place to stop for a short walk beside the lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Dacre: The Puzzle of the Stone Bears
- Grey Wagtails: A Flash of Yellow
- Mayburgh: A Monument of River Pebbles
- Daffodils: Dorothy Was There Too
- 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 Pooley Bridge to Gale Bay
What you walkA wide path leaves the car park entrance after a very short road approach of roughly 10 m, then…
A wide path leaves the car park entrance after a very short road approach of roughly 10 m, then heads south past Dunmallard, with views back to wooded Dunmallard Hill. From there the way follows compacted footway and public footpath, crosses a small wooden bridge, and finishes on a boardwalk and shoreline approach at the bay. The payoff is simple and worth it: open water and a long look up the northern reaches of the lake, with beachy shoreline spots to sit, paddle a hand in the water, or skim stones before turning back the way you came.
Difficulty and mobilityMostly flat and easy in walking terms, with an approximate short descent of around 35 m from…
Mostly flat and easy in walking terms, with an approximate short descent of around 35 m from the road end down toward lake level, regained on the return. Be aware of the honest catch: there are two steep sections that may be difficult for solo wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Some pushchairs and mobility aids manage the route when the higher path is used, but this is not a route we would describe as suitable for everyone using wheels, so plan for assistance if that applies to you.
Access and facilitiesStart from Dunmallard Car Park, Pooley Bridge, with the route beginning just a few steps away…
Start from Dunmallard Car Park, Pooley Bridge, with the route beginning just a few steps away on the short road approach. Pooley Bridge itself has public toilets, pubs and cafes within easy walking distance of the start, which makes this an easy add-on to a village visit.
DogsDogs are welcome on this public right of way.
Dogs are welcome on this public right of way. Keep them under close control, and on a lead anywhere there may be livestock.
If you want a longer dayThis short shoreline section sits on the same corridor as the much longer Ullswater Way, so if…
This short shoreline section sits on the same corridor as the much longer Ullswater Way, so if 1.8 km feels too brief you can continue on that route instead of turning at Gale Bay and treat this walk as the gentle opening stretch.
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.
