Parking
Start in Grasmere village. Thirteen Valleys car park is the main option, with Broadgate Meadow as an alternative. Other village car parks may also serve this walk.
Overview
About Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag
Why go
- Four Wainwright summits in one coherent ridge round
- Big views over Thirlmere, Grasmere and the central fells
Heads up
- Boggy, indistinct ground between the summits
- Long, rough day with little margin in mist
Persistently wet, boggy ground on the connecting ridges in any season
Parkwolf’s verdictDrawbacks worth knowingMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation70–535 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 Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and 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
- Easedale Tarn: Waterfalls from Grasmere
- Wordsworth Grasmere: Inside Dove Cottage
- 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 Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag
The short versionThis is an 8.7-mile / 14.
This is an 8.7-mile / 14.0-km loop from Grasmere village, with about 710 m (roughly 2,575 ft) of ascent and four summits: Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag. Allow around 5 hours 15 minutes at a steady pace and treat it as a full mountain day.
How the loop unfoldsGoing clockwise from the village:
Going clockwise from the village:
The shape is a long horseshoe around the Greenburn valley that finishes on a small summit above the village.
- Lanes past Allan Bank and Easedale Road, then Goody Bridge, Thorny How and Ghyll Foot Farm
- The Helmside private road and into Greenburn, then the steady climb to Steel Fell with Thirlmere opening up behind you
- A boggy, knolly stretch past small tarns to Calf Crag
- The undulating rocky ridge over Gibson Knott to Helm Crag, home of The Howitzer and the Lion and Lamb rocks
- Descent by High Raven Crag and Lancrigg, then lanes back into Grasmere with the lake ahead
Difficulty and footingRated 4 out of 5 for difficulty.
Rated 4 out of 5 for difficulty. The ground mixes grass slopes, rocky summits and ridge, peat hags and boggy ground that stays wet in all seasons. The path is faint and indistinct in places, especially between Steel Fell and Calf Crag, and the ridge beyond has many small knolls that take time and effort. Waterproof boots and gaiters are sensible.
On Helm Crag, the true summit is the top of The Howitzer, and reaching it means a steep rocky scramble.
NavigationNavigation is rated 3 out of 5, and mist or poor visibility materially raises the risk on the…
Navigation is rated 3 out of 5, and mist or poor visibility materially raises the risk on the high ground above Greenburn, where the path is faint. Carry a map and compass, know how to use them, and be prepared to turn back if cloud sits low. This is not a route on which to learn navigation.
Access, parking and dogsStart in Grasmere village.
Start in Grasmere village. Thirteen Valleys car park is the main option, with Broadgate Meadow as an alternative. Other village car parks may be available, so check official parking information before you travel.
Dogs are allowed on the public route, but there is livestock on the ground, including cattle. Keep dogs under close control and on a short lead around sheep, and follow any local signs. If cattle become threatening, release the dog so you can move clear.
Drawbacks worth knowingFaint paths and repetitive knolls that make the middle section slower than the distance suggests
- Faint paths and repetitive knolls that make the middle section slower than the distance suggests
- The Howitzer scramble is steep and not for everyone
- Part of the early approach uses a private road, so stay on the walking route and respect the farms you pass
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.
