The Easedale Tarn walk is easily one of the best in the area and has so much to offer. Think walking up next to the sound of waterfalls, incredible mountain views all around, swimming options and a real wilderness feel which is hard to get on some of the other walks near Grasmere.
There’s also the opportunity to make this route as long or short as you want. The direct, linear Easedale Tarn walk from Grasmere is the main route, but there are plenty of opportunities to start from different approaches and turn it into a more full on day.
It’s also incredible at all times of year. In summer, you can expect far reaching mountain views (we love doing this hike later in the evening for the colours you get) and depending on the weather in winter, you can get a seriously deep snow experience that has you feeling like you’re in the Alps.
So what makes our guide to the Easedale Tarn walk different? We do this particular walk and variations of it pretty frequently, through all seasons. This means we can share insights and tips that only people who know the area and routes well can give you. Not seemingly endless information that does more to confuse you than anything else!
We’re also not going to give you turn by turn directions which aren’t always the easiest to actually follow when you’re trying to do the walk (and we’ve got downloadable maps below for that). Instead, we’re going to give you the up-to-date information you need to get out and enjoy the amazing views this walk offers as much as we do.
We’ll also be giving you some other suggestions of ways you can extend the Easedale Tarn walk to include other mountains, make it more of a full day and also some of the best swimming spots on the way. Just straight forward, down to earth info from two local hikers who do this route frequently, throughout the year and know how to help you make the most of what this area has to offer.
So, let’s get straight into the information you need to get out there!
Difficulty: Moderate. The Easedale Tarn walk difficulty is often described as easy to moderate. Some sections at the start can be classed as easier going along the valley trail however short and steep sections hit upwards toward Sourmilk Gill and Easedale Tarn. Sections are steep and can be slippery when wet.
Distance: 6km / 3.7miles there and back
Elevation: 327m / 1073 ft ascent and descent
When to do it: All year round, but if it’s been very cold, take spikes for traction as the trail up can become slippery. If it’s been raining, wear waterproof hiking shoes or hiking boots.
Time needed: At the very least 3 hours, but more like 4-5 if you want to take photos, stop and enjoy any of the sights or swim in the tarn.
The main Grasmere to Easedale Tarn walk is actually pretty simple and once you’re on the trail, there are only a few waypoints, otherwise it’s pretty much straight up. We think this is one of the main reasons we love it, as it’s pretty easy to navigate and you can focus on the unfolding views.
As you walk out of Grasmere, and onto the backstreets, which are lined with cottages on one side and fields on the other, you’ll start to reach a section of trees that go over the river and then open land ahead of you.
This starts to give a real indication as you cover the distance between the farmland and the start of the uphill sections that this walk has so much variety. We love the fact that you’ve got open farmland, woodland, and then steep rocky trails which lead up to raging waterfalls (depending on when you go).
As you get further along the rocky trail that is basically a stone staircase, you’ll see Sourmilk Gill, which is also great for taking a dip in the gin clear pool when there is a decent amount of water. We’ve enjoyed this spot many times. It can get busy, but if you hang around for any amount of time, people come and go fairly quickly.
If you want to see the waterfall beautifully full, we’d recommend going after good rainfall. We’ve seen Sourmilk Gill at a minor trickle all the way to bursting with white water flowing with so much force you can’t hear the person next to you talk, so it really can vary.
After you’ve finished at Sourmilk Gill, the walk continues uphill, and you’ll reach a bend to the left which takes you into the upland section that gives you some of the most stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This area always feels so beautiful to spend time and the rocks on the side of the trail make a great spot to sit for some food and just watch the weather pass over the peaks.
This trail takes one last steeper ascent up to Easedale Tarn, and seeing this big, dark, deep tarn in front of you feels like a brilliant reward for your effort.
Easedale Tarn is great as a swimming spot (we’d recommend getting in from just down below on the shore where you first see the lake when you approach on the walk). The lake gets very deep, very fast and it can get quite weedy in summer further round.
The lake is also more likely to be busy in this spot, so if you do want a bit more solitude, we’d recommend walking straight on from where you come up on the lake and there’s plenty of quieter spots around there.
From here, you can either turn back and go down the same way or add in one of our suggestions to extend it below. Whichever you do, it’s a great intro Lake District walk, especially if you want something that really feels like you can get your teeth stuck into it.
Waterfalls & Swimming (Easedale Tarn and Sourmilk Gill)
One of the main draws of this walk is swimming in Easedale Tarn or Sourmilk Gill waterfall. We absolutely love walks where we can fit in a swim too, and doing this on a warm day is a brilliant way to cool off and add an extra dimension to this great walk.
If you’re not so interested in swimming, you can of course skip this section, but if you love the idea of trying it out, we’ve included some of our tips for making the most of these two spots on the main route.
Sourmilk Gill: What You Can Expect
If you hike up from Grasmere via the main route we’ve covered above, Sourmilk Gill will be the first swimming spot you come to. It’s as you head onto the uphill, rocky staircase section and you can identify it off to the right of the trail with a waterfall coming down and a fairly deep, but relatively small pool below.
The flow of this waterfall can vary massively through the year. We’ve experienced it so gentle that you would barely know the waterfall was there (though still enough water to dip in the pool) and raging so hard you can’t hear yourself think.
When the water is a little calmer, it’s crystal clear and you can see it’s pretty deep in places. We would recommend you only enter when the pool is a little calmer, as when the waterfall is strong and raging, it can be really forceful and knock you up against the rocks, which can cause injuries.
When we fancy a dip here, we always head down from the trail to the right-hand side. There are a few well walked stones to hop over. There’s an area just there that you can get changed, though it isn’t the most flat and stable, so you’ll need to be mindful.
To get in, the best way is to sit on the edge of the rocks and then lower yourself in, before turning round to swim off. Some of the rocks on the edge can be really slippery, so this is the best way to avoid falling in before you’re ready to and having a pretty unwelcome cold shock! You can get out the same way by sitting and twisting back round.
This pool, due to the water flow, is always pretty cold. So be mindful of this. If you’re new to swimming outdoors, we wouldn’t recommend this as your first experience, but once you’re used to some of the cooler water in the Lakes, this is a great place to have a dip.
The pool isn’t really big enough for swimming as such, but you can float around, move around a bit and sit under the waterfall and use the pressure on your shoulders as an impromptu spa treatment.
We usually avoid entering the pool if there’s someone already in, as it can feel a little too close for comfort. Going earlier in the morning or later in the evening (particularly in summer) is usually when you’ll find it free.
Swimming at Easedale Tarn
We were actually a bit intimidated for a while by Easedale Tarn as it doesn’t matter what time of year you visit or what kind of light is shining on it, it looks endlessly dark and immeasurably deep.
However, we had known many friends to swim there and say it was such a nice experience as well as seeing so many people enjoying it on warm days that we decided to get over that little bump and get in, and we’re glad we did as it’s a really nice tarn to swim in!
There’s a slightly odd depth profile to Easedale Tarn which is pretty typical of glacial tarns. It starts off really shallow and then drops off, so once you get in the water, you’re unable to put your feet on the bottom pretty soon into the walk in. Don’t let that put you off, just be aware.
We always think the nicest place to enter the water is from just below where you come out above the lake from the main trail. There is a very nice gravel section there where you can get changed and have a pretty easy walk in. Just pace yourself getting in and get acclimated first before you swim off (as you rapidly won’t be able to touch the bottom).
Because it gets deep quickly, we’d recommend that only confident swimmers head further out and it can get surprisingly cold the further into the lake you go. Even in summer.
Likewise, the wind exposure in the amphitheatre that Easedale Tarn sits in makes the whole area prone to winds and just general wind chill which is never your best friend when you get out of the water after your swim.
Easedale Tarn swimming is pretty popular in the summer, so if you do get there and it’s busy, take the path to the left of the lake from where you come out at the tarn and there are some quieter spots around there. The water gets deep quickly, but you’ll get a sense of solitude more easily the further from the main entry to the lake you get.
Our Tips from Doing This Walk in Every Season
Below, we’ve included a few things we’ve learned about this walk from doing it in every season that you may find helpful when planning and knowing what to expect.
The area around the tarn gets windy: Easedale Tarn itself and the upland section before it can feel pretty windy year-round. We’ve found this is even so on warm days and can feel quite different in Grasmere. So bring your layers anyway!
Boggy sections: There are some sections of this trail that can get quite boggy. Especially when you are on the upper sections which can stay pretty marshy. While the trails are good, waterproof shoes or boots are a good idea throughout the year.
Sourmilk Gill is best after rain: If you want to get that full, dramatic waterfall then head up after rain. If you want to go for a swim, leave it for a day or two after heavy rain. Swim only when the flow is calmer. When it’s been dry a good while, it can decrease quite a lot!
Swimming is best in summer: Especially at Easedale Tarn. Though it is possible year round if you’re experienced with cold water and what to expect. The wind chill because of the way the amphitheatre around the lake picks up wind is seriously no joke at times!
Photography and light: We always find that heading up later in the afternoon and early evening gives some really beautiful soft light on the fells that surround when you’re on the upper sections. Morning is also nice too!
Avoiding crowds: You’re more likely to see less people if you do this walk in the week, and not in school holidays. If you can only get there over a weekend, either early morning (before 11am) or later in the afternoon (after 3pm) are best to avoid the crowds.
We always think the best time to walk Easedale Tarn is around 5pm onwards in summer. From our experience, it’s never as busy when you do the Easedale Tarn walk in winter, and you’ll often have long stretches of the trail to yourself.
Parking, Public Transport and Start Point for the Easedale Tarn
If you’re planning to do the main route or even a couple of the others (apart from Dungeon Ghyll) we’ve listed, the best Easedale Tarn start point is from Grasmere.
Grasmere is easy to get to, park in or get public transport to, and the trail starts from just outside the main village area. Below are the main options we tend to use.
Where to Park in Grasmere
There are a few decent car parks in Grasmere, and the good news is that if one car park gets full, there is a good chance you’ll find a spot in one of the others. All offer various levels of parking through the day but are roughly the same price.
Stock Lane is one of the first as you enter the village, and usually the one that fills up the fastest. Red Bank car park is another good one, but we often find ourselves using the Broadgate Meadow car park as it is the closest.
Toilets
The main public toilets are in Grasmere village near Broadgate and at Stock Lane car park. There aren’t any toilets on the trail itself or at the tarn, so go before you head off.
There are of course toilets in any number of the cafes in the village too if you’re planning to swing by one of those first. If you are, we’d recommend Freda + Ray.
Getting the Bus
Grasmere has the 555 bus running through which goes between Kendal and Keswick on its usual run. This runs pretty frequently and (and is reliable) through the day and evening.
From the bus stops in Grasmere, it puts you in pretty similar a starting point to what the car parks do.
Optional Route Extensions
If you want a more full-on day in the mountains, there are some great extensions or adjustments you can make to make a few ‘Easedale Tarn long routes’ as we like to call them. We’ve listed some of our favourites and what to expect below.
Codale Tarn Loop
Difficulty: Moderate to hard. Significant ascent with steep sections. Path to Codale Tarn from Easedale Tarn can feel exposed and windy.
Distance: 10.4km / 6.5 miles part loop, part out and back
Elevation: 652m / 2,142 ft ascent and descent
When to do it: This walk is great year-round, but in winter when snow and ice are on the ground, we advise you to have at least some winter mountain experience before you head up. Depending on conditions in winter, spikes or crampons are a must.
This is one of our favourite extensions to the original Grasmere walk to Easedale Tarn. You follow the same trail as we listed earlier for the portion of the hike up to Easedale Tarn and then from there, the route takes you up to Codale Tarn.
What we love so much about this hike is that, particularly in summer, this route just feels magical. The last time we did it, it was about 7pm and the light over the fells was looking red and orange.
There were plenty of people around Easedale Tarn, and as we started to head uphill from there, things just emptied out. The views of the lake from higher up with the fells around are stunning, and when we got higher up to Codale Tarn, we just felt like we had the whole world to ourselves.
We think this trail to Codale Tarn is well worth doing if you want a more full-on day in the mountains, and the views on a clear day from higher up have you seeing the Langdales and a lot of distant peaks.
It just gives this real sense of being in a really wild place for not as much effort as some really wild places the Lakes has to offer.
Dungeon Ghyll, Stickle Tarn and Down via Easedale Tarn
Difficulty: Moderate to hard. Uneven trails, significant ascent and indistinct trails in places.
Distance: 10.4km /6.5 miles linear
Elevation: 740m / 2,428ft ascent and descent
When to do it: The best time to do this trail is in summer, however, if you have winter experience, it’s an amazing snowy/winter ascent! Just be sure to take crampons/spikes if conditions require.
We last did this as a winter trail, when there was significant snow on the ground and Stickle Tarn was frozen over. It was full on, but it was so rewarding and the way the landscape completely changed in the snow just made us feel absolutely amazing.
Though we wouldn’t recommend the first time you do this fairly demanding trail to be in the full flow of a snowy winter!
There’s no two ways about it, this hike is fairly full on, but if you’re up for it, we really think you’ll enjoy it, especially if you’re looking for something different.
If you’re in a position where you have two cars, you can park up at the Dungeon Ghyll Waterfall car park, and also in Grasmere and tackle this linear walk like that. However, we made use of the bus that goes via Ambleside to Dungeon Ghyll (516), got off and started from there and then got a return bus back from Grasmere to home.
Starting at Dungeon Ghyll you get to experience some of the best of the Langdales via this steep route up to Stickle Tarn, and then across to Codale Tarn (a very small diversion) before heading down to Easedale and back into Grasmere via Sourmilk Gill.
If you want to add on a bit extra, you can also go to the top of Sergeant Man after Stickle Tarn, which is pretty iconic before heading down to Codale Tarn. This does add a pretty
Some of the trails on the stretch between Stickle Tarn to Easedale are indistinct so you’ll want a pretty good head for navigation and also heights along the way too. However, this is one of our favourite mountain areas in the Lakes and we’re pretty sure you’ll understand why if you do it!
Blea Rigg Ridge
Difficulty: Moderate to hard. Significant ascent and descent on steep trails that are rocky and can feel isolated and open to the elements. If windy, this trail can feel very exposed.
Distance: 13km / 8.1miles part loop, part out and back
Elevation: 825m / 2,707ft. ascent and descent
When to do it: Best in summer but can be done in winter if you have some winter experience depending on ground conditions. We’d always advise carrying spikes and crampons depending on conditions surrounding.
The Blea Rigg Ridge is one of the most iconic walks near Grasmere for that pretty full on, epic feeling mountain day. The approach is basically the same as the classic Easedale Tarn walk, but when you reach the tarn, you start to head up the hill to Blea Rigg.
From here, you’re up high and can walk on to a number of summits that form a kind of horseshoe above Easedale Tarn. From here you can top off Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man and Tarn Crag, before coming down and meeting back onto your original uphill trail behind Sourmilk Gill waterfall.
We’ve often found this is a great one if you want more of a sense of solitude, as the majority of people stop at Easedale Tarn, and when you’re up on the ridge, you can feel like the only person alive!
This ridge can get particularly windy, but it’s well worth it for the views out over the Langdales and the surrounding mountains. You just get this massive sense of achievement on this trail and it’s one that’ll stay with you for a long time.
More Walks Nearby That We Love
We love this area of the Lakes and the walks near Grasmere are just so pretty. There are some in particular that pair really well with the Easedale Tarn walk.
They’re also really flexible, so great if you want to add another one of these to the same day for something a bit more exertive or make a plan to explore this area and the Grasmere walks in more detail over a couple of days.
One of our favourites is the Rydal Caves walk which we’ve written a full guide on. This has brilliant views over Rydal Water and if you want, you can also start this trail from Grasmere too. Within this guide, we also cover Loughrigg Fell which is a pretty good next step too if you want more variety.
A little further away, but still very close is the Tarn Hows walk, which we’ve written a full guide on too, and this also includes Black Crag/Fell. This is one of the most scenic places in the Lakes and is a brilliant place to visit at any time of the year.
What We Bring for This Hike (Season Dependent)
There’re a few simple bits of kit that we bring with us, depending on the season, to make this walk more enjoyable. We’ve listed these below so you can just skim through easily based on when you’re planning to do the walk.
We also cover this in much more detail in our UK hiking essentials, what to wear hiking and day hiking checklist guides.
Layers
It can feel really nice in Grasmere and as soon as you get up past Sourmilk Gill waterfall on the main route up to Easedale Tarn, the plateau opens up and it can feel really breezy and windy. This is especially so in the amphitheatre where Easedale Tarn sits.
We always make sure we have extra layers with us to add on if we need them. Sometimes they just sit there unused, and other times they get used very well. Here’s a list of the specific kit we bring depending on the season.
Spring, Summer and In-between
Waterproof rain jacket
We both love our Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 jackets. They’re lightweight and keep us exceptionally dry. We’ve reviewed these in detail for our best rain jackets for hiking guide and they’re some of the best rain jackets we’ve ever used. We’ll also have this with us for winter.
A very light jacket/hoody
This is what we generally will wear most of the time if we need a bit of extra warmth. We always bring something that’s insulated but also dries fast and helps to wick sweat.
We really love the Rab Nexus Hoody as it performs amazingly well for us in these kind of conditions and is great for layering with a rain jacket should the weather take a turn. This also comes with us in winter.
Lightweight puffy
We think one of the hiking essentials for the UK is pretty much always having a lightweight puffy jacket with you that gives enough insulation in wind, but also allows you to move and not overheat.
We love the Rab Xenair Alpine Light Jacket for this reason and included it in our guide to the best puffy jackets we actually wear hiking. It’s seriously impressed us over the time we’ve had it and perfect for lighter days.
Adjustments for Winter
Heavier insulation puffy jacket
Whilst some of the items we’ve listed above do really well in winter, we make the adjustment of bringing a heavier insulated puffy jacket. We’ve covered our favourites in our guide to the best down jackets that we actually wear hiking.
However, our favourites are the Rab Nebitron Pro Jacket and (interestingly) the Amazon Essentials Packable Lightweight Jacket (it just performs really well).
Gloves, hats and extremities
Good gloves in winter are a must, and we generally wear ones that work well for using a phone screen at the same time. Fay loves The North Face Apex Insulated Etip Gloves, which she’s reviewed in detail. When it’s really cold, she’ll often pair them up with the Arc’teryx Rho Liner Gloves.
Matt loves the Helly Hansen Swift HT Ski Gloves which he’s reviewed in detail, as well as in our guide to the best winter hiking gloves. Hats wise, we have nothing special here, just beanies that keep our heads warm! So anything fleecy lined will work here (and stop you from scratching your itchy head from woolly hat straight to skin contact).
Hiking Shoes or Boots
There are some pretty rough, rocky, slippery and sometimes sharp sections of the uphill sections of any of the trails we’ve listed above, even the main trail up to Easedale Tarn that we covered at the start.
We think that good hiking shoes or boots with a durable sole intended for the kind of terrain you’re going to cover here is pretty much one of the main UK hiking essentials.
We’ve seen plenty of people heading up (and back down) in what were white trail runners that are soaked through and now completely brown, so it’s just not worth ruining your shoes for (and you’ll have a much more comfortable time in proper hikers).
Summer
In summer, we pretty much always go for a waterproof hiking shoe, which we have a whole guide on. Within this, we love the Keen Hightrail Waterproof hiking shoes as they’re incredibly comfortable, which we also included in our affordable hiking shoes guide, so they don’t need to be expensive.
Lightweight boots with decent ankle support come up well here too, and for this, we love the Danner Panorama Mid, which we’ve also reviewed in detail and is included in our best hiking boots guide too.
Winter
In winter, something with better insulation and a really full on lug is what we go for, and right now the Salomon Quest 4 Gore-Tex, which we’ve tested in detail are winning out. As are the Aku Viaz DFS GTX Hiking Boot if you love a pretty rigid level of ankle support.
In winter, we pretty much always carry our micro spikes with us too. These don’t need to be anything complicated, just something to put on our boots to give us extra traction if we do find any ice on the trail. These are the ones we have, and we’d recommend them as they slip on really easily.
For more full on winter ascents (such as heading along Blea Rigg Ridge or from Dungeon Ghyll down to Easedale Tarn) where we know there will be snow or ice, we bring our actual crampons.
We use the Petzl VASAK Crampons as they are comfortable and versatile for pretty much every winter experience we encounter in the Lake District.
Daypack
What to bring on a hike in the UK doesn’t need to be complicated, and we think a lightweight daypack is the best option to bring your layers, food etc with you. We tend to go for a pack that’s anywhere up to 25L depending on the amount of gear (and camera gear) we’re bringing with us.
We both have our go to options. Fay loves the Gregory Maya 25, which she’s reviewed and tested in detail. Matt loves the Gregory Citro 24, which he’s tested in detail and reviewed too.
We love these packs as they’re incredibly comfortable and have a perfect back support system for lighter days and when you need to carry that bit more too.
We’ve included these in both our main daypacks for hiking guide and also our specific guide to lightweight daypacks. These are all options that we’d buy again in a heartbeat!
Swimming Gear
In summer (spring and autumn) we usually bring our lightweight and stripped back swimming gear inside one of our daypacks. We’ve tried drybags, but we just stick with a carrier bag knotted over now as it can be squidged down really easily.
This usually just has swimwear, neoprene swim boots and a lightweight changing towel. We go into more detail on everything that’s essential to bring for swimming outdoors in nature in our guide to cold water swimming gear, and this gives you a proper look at what we’d recommend from our years of experience.
Food and Water
We always bring snacks and plenty of water too, in summer we usually carry 2L of water per person and we generally bring something more substantial to eat by the tarn before heading back or continuing on as it’s such a great place to stop.
Why Trust Our Lake District Hiking Guides
If you’ve spent any time looking at the articles we write, you’ll know that providing information that is just straight up and gives you what you need to get out on the trail is one of the most important things to us.
That said, we’re about more than just providing information. We make our guides good to read and human. We want to make our guides laid back and not a full on labyrinth you’ve got to sift your way through.
As important as this is creating guides that you can trust, and that comes from first hand experience. Every single route or piece of advice we’ve included and shared with you here is based on real time spent putting our feet down on the same paths you will be.
We’re in a unique position with the guides we publish to the Lake District as this is our home and where we spend our time in the UK when we’re not travelling.
We are out in nature as much as possible and have been able to build up a significant knowledge of what a lot of trails look (and feel like) at different times of the year.
Your trust doesn’t just brush over us, and we’re proud that we write and publish people first, experience led guides that are aimed to help you enjoy your time outdoors safely and make some great memories while you’re here.
Enjoy One of the Best Walks Near Grasmere
The Easedale Tarn walk is up there as one of the best for us, and we hope through this guide and the pictures we’ve shared that you’ll agree.
The reason we love it is because it gives you this stunning sense of being out in a really wild landscape while also being accessible easily from Grasmere.
It’s also perfect if you want to extend the day and add on extra peaks or turn it into a more full-on mountain experience. The great thing is this walk, and variations of it suit all sorts of different tastes and experience levels.
Depending on how long you’re in the area, we’d also recommend checking out our guides to other walks in a similar area (near Grasmere and Ambleside) such as the Rydal Caves walk and the Tarn Hows and Black Crag walk (with many more to come soon).
We’ve walked these trails countless times, in all different kinds of weather and it never gets old. When you’re up at the tarn, it just has this kind of magic that always makes us smile. We hope you love getting out and exploring this area as much as we continue to!
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