Great Langdale Walk

This summer we spent a brilliant five days camping at one of our favourite campsites, Great Langdale in the Lake District. It’s run by the National Trust and is a great family friendly campsite. The facilities have been upgraded since I last visited in 2013 and I was really impressed. It doesn’t have electric hook up (if you want some luxury, you can stay in one of the camping pods or a yurt) but actually we enjoy a more simple experience these days. It has a play area which Finn loved, as well as playing in the stream that ran through the campsite. It also has a laundry and drying room, a well stocked shop and it boasts some of the best scenery of any campsite we’ve stayed at. It’s also a perfect base for a Great Langdale walk.

Another bonus is it’s location. There are a couple of pubs within walking distance, plus the pretty town of Ambleside is a short drive away. There is also a Co-op a couple of miles away at Chapel Stile. I also like the fact that you can do several walks straight from the campsite. If you fancy a challenge you’re right near to the Langdale Pikes, and it’s even possible to hike to Scafell Pike if you’re feeling particularly adventurous. However, don’t worry if you’re looking for some more family friendly routes, as there really is a variety of walks in the vicinity.

Here’s a really easy 3 mile circular route we enjoyed up to Blea Tarn.

Click here to see the route on OS Maps

This route starts at the end of the campsite, if you’re heading away from the reception, go past the climbing wall and you need to take the footpath on your left hand side. As you go through the gate, this first section is quite steep as the path zig zags upwards, however it’s a short climb and then at the top you get some great views.

After the initial short, sharp climb you can take it easy and enjoy the views.

Once that first climb is done, the rest of the walk is either flat or downhill, so it’s not too tough at all. Our four year old managed perfectly fine with a couple of breathers and the promise of an ice cream at the end! When you reach the top, cross over the road, keeping the cattle grid on your left. Take the footpath immediately on your left hand side and this takes you to Blea Tarn. This section around the water is nice and flat and easy to follow.

The path around Blea Tarn is easy to follow and relatively flat, so it’s a great route for the whole family.

As great as Finn is, he is prone to being a bit whiny, so I find that walks with things to look at and lots of distraction goes a long way to keeping him happy. On this Great Langdale walk we stopped for a while so he could look at the water, watch some ducks and have a little paddle in his wellies.

Like all kids, Finn is drawn to water

AS we reached the top end of Blea Tarn we turned left, (if you wanted to make this Great Langdale walk longer, you can head straight on at this point) and followed the path around the tarn and headed back to the road. We followed the road back to our starting point, and headed back down the hill to the campsite. The road is narrow, so take care as it can be a busy road.

Have you ever camped at Great Langdale? Do you know any other great family friendly walks in the area?