Parking
Use the Grizedale Forest and Visitor Centre car park at Grizedale, Hawkshead, LA22 0QJ. The route begins at the Visitor Centre and follows the brown markers; access is signed from Hawkshead.
Overview
About Ridding Wood Trail
Why go
- Mostly tarmac and easy-access design
- Sculptures, unusual trees, and oak woodland in a short outing
Heads up
- Short inclines may be challenging for some mobility aids
- Visitor Centre approach can feel busy
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation91–137 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 Ridding Wood Trail, 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
Grizedale Forest: Sculptures and Carron Crag0:00 / 1:07
“You're nearing Grizedale Forest's visitor centre, where you can head into the woods to discover sculptures tucked among the trees.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bogle Crag: The Rusland Valley Outlook
- Esthwaite Water: Ospreys and a Lakeside Pause
- Brantwood: Ruskin’s House and Gardens
- Blind Lane: Woodland and Rusland Heritage
- 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 Ridding Wood Trail
The routeThis is a 1.
This is a 1.5 km (1 mile) lollipop loop from the Grizedale Visitor Centre car park, usually about 45 minutes. The opening and closing section share the same access path, with a signed loop through Ridding Wood in between. The surface is mainly tarmac and there are a few short steep inclines. It is an easy-access route with no technical terrain, but the slopes can matter for some wheelchairs and mobility aids.
What you getThis is a gentle introduction to Grizedale's sculpture forest, with oak woodland, unusual and…
This is a gentle introduction to Grizedale's sculpture forest, with oak woodland, unusual and ornate trees, and sculptures tucked among the trees. The route is about close-up woodland detail and family discovery rather than open fell views or a strenuous hike. The nearby Millwood Trail is another short forest-and-sculpture walk; choose Ridding Wood when easy access and a smoother surface are the priority.
Access and dogsUse the Visitor Centre as the starting point and emergency reference location.
Use the Visitor Centre as the starting point and emergency reference location. Dogs may come on the route, but keep them close and in sight, prevent them approaching people or animals, and use a lead if recall is unreliable.
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.
