This Lake District Travel Guide is designed to help you get the very most out of your trip to the Lake District and make planning a breeze. The Lake District is a region of England known for its natural beauty. Here you’ll find rugged mountains, peaceful lakes, and sweet market towns, making it the perfect destination for hikers and those looking for some relaxation in nature.
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When is the best time to visit the Lake District?
It rains 200 days a year in the Lake District! Don’t let that stop you though, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the UK. If you’re looking to avoid the wet weather, visiting in summer is your best bet. This will allow you to fully enjoy all of the lakes and mountains.
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However, it can become expensive this time of year and popular sports and activities tend to get booked up quickly. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds but still hoping to try your luck with the weather, book either end of the summer holidays in early July or September! You can find a full guide about visiting at different times of year here.
Safety Tips:
- Avoid the Hardknott Pass at all costs: this single track road runs directly through the national park and, at a gradient of 33%, is the steepest road in England. Whilst it affords fantastic views, it’s a terrifying drive, which is probably best avoided by all but the most experienced of drivers. If your map app attempts to direct you along this route, I’d highly recommend investigating alternative options!
- Download What3Words: this app uses a geocode system to communicate your exact location to emergency services
- Don’t Rely on Your Phone: getting signal in the national park may be impossible at times. Make sure to take a physical map, compass, and a printed copy of any trail instructions!
LOCAL LINGO
The Lake District uses a number of words that don’t tend to be used elsewhere in England. It’s worth learning a few before you arrive:
Pike: a mountain peak
Fell: a barren moor
Mere: a lake
Tarn: a mountain lake
Dale: a valley
Beck: a stream
Thwaite: a clearing
Gill: a gorge
Lake District Blogposts
Lake District FAQs
The Lake District is in Cumbria in the North West of England
The best things to do in the Lake District include hiking Scafell Pike (the tallest mountain in England), going wild swimming or stand up paddle boarding on one of the lakes, or going ghyll scrambling.
Check out this 3 day Lake District itinerary for more of the best things to do in the Lake District
The only official lake in the Lake District is Bassenthwaite Lake. This is purely because it has ‘lake’ in its name. The other 15 lakes in the Lake District or technically ‘meres’ or ‘waters’.
But what’s a mere? A mere is a wide lake that is shallow for its size.