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The Lake District is a national park in the north of England full of well, lakes! It’s a tourist hot spot, and a must on most people’s UK road trip itineraries. And while the Lake District can be quite a crowded place, there’s a bit of peace and serenity if visited in the offseason!
Our First Few Visits In The Lake District
The North Lake District England
July 2017 was our first time driving through the Lake District. However, we only stopped for a night just on the edge of the park, and really didn’t explore much at all. This quick drive through on the edge of the Lake District was beautiful, leaving us to only dream what further in the Lake District held.
Needless to say, after those first sites of the Lake District, we knew we had to go back!
With Jay having a clinical placement in the very far south of Scotland in November/December 2017, we decided we’d take a weekend to explore the Lake District area during that time.
And man, we sure lucked out, not only were the views of the lakes and mountains absolutely amazing, but we happened to be in the same area as the Vintage Sports-Car Club trials.
Returning To The Lake District
The South Lake District
Honestly, we didn’t have any plans of visiting the Lake District again, as Scotland is full of gorgeous views and untouched places, but when our route to Wales took us right past it, we had to venture in one more time! This time, we were visiting the southern part of the Lake District.
We took the A595 from just south of Scotland all along the coast until a little town called Gosforth. We passed through the northern part of the Lake District as we’d already been there before. Reaching Gosforth, we made our way into the lakes, heading straight for Wast Water, and holy smokes, the views were amazing!
On the single track roads all the way to Wast Water, we found ourselves being “those tourists”, stopping for photos around every corner.
Wast Water | A Gorgeous Lake in the Lake District
Wast Water lake blew us away. The hills surrounding the entire lake made for a breathtaking scene. Driving to the end of the lake, we just couldn’t get over how beautiful this place was.
While there’s no wild camping along the lake there were quite a few pull outs to stop for some lunch and/or tea to soak in the nature around. And man, we can’t recommend doing this enough.
Traveler’s Tip… Wild camping is technically illegal in England, though there are certain places that allow for it. There’s a national trust campground at the end of Wast Water Lake (Wasdale) though if you do decide to stay in the area.
Hitting the road, we were simply planning on weaving through as much of the Lake District as possible heading towards Wales, and unbeknownst to us, our map app was taking us right through one of the most famous Lake District attractions.
Taking On The Lake District 30% Grade
Hardknott Pass | A Famous Lake District Attraction
Following our map guiding us through the Lake District, we turned down a road that had warnings of “severe bends”, “30% Grade”, and signs stating the drive was unsuitable for anything other than small, lightweight cars.
A.K.A. not exactly suitable for our converted campervan. But Izzy’s been through a lot, we’ve taken her up and down some intense hills, and we didn’t want to turn around, so we were giving it a go.
Taking Izzy up a mountain pass in 1st gear the entire way was quite worrisome. Although we’ve got to say, she handled it like a champ. There were only some parts that were actually the 30% grade, and we only skid out on a couple of corners ;).
Traveler’s Tip… If you want to take the Hardknott Pass, do so at your own judgment of how well your car can handle the hill. We recommend doing it from west to east, as this seemed to be not as steep as the other way around.
A Famous Lake District Attraction
Just before reaching the top of the pass, we decided to pull over and give Izzy a break while taking a couple of pictures. And that’s when we realized it.
Getting out of the van we turned around to see what we had just climbed and the view quite literally took our breath away.
We had seen this scene plenty of times in photos. but had no clue where it actually was within the Lake District, so honestly, didn’t think we’d see this view at all. After all, we were driving through the Lake District quite fast. And, had no real agenda of where to go.
We were so happy to experience this view for ourselves, and what a treat it was to see it unexpectedly!
False Summits and Sunsets | Stickle Pike
Heading out of the Lake District, we passed by more of that typical Great Britain countryside feel before heading up Stickle Pike.
We were planning on just driving through and actually getting to the place we camped our very first time in the Lake District, but we ended up being blown away with the views yet again and stayed the night near Stickle Pike.
With the sun beginning to set, and us wanting to catch as much of it as possible, we began hiking up a sheep path to get to the top of the hill in front of us.
This quick hike turned into an hour-long walk full of false summit after false summit. Though, when we finally made it to the top, the views were so worth the climb!
A brilliant way to end our third time in the Lake District England!
Traveler’s Tip.. While wild camping is technically illegal in England, you can get by camping in some areas if you leave the place undisturbed. At the base of Stickle Pike, there’s a large parking area, that’s great for staying overnight at!
Best Time To Visit The Lake District England
The Lake District National Park is a lovely part of England. We were quite lucky the three times we spent in the national park were all outside of the tourist season.
If you’re planning to visit the Lake District, try and plan a trip outside of the summer months, so you too can enjoy the park without all the extra people around!
What To Pack For The Lake District
JACKET | Weather in the Lake District can be unpredictable, especially when hiking. This jacket is lightweight but warm, and packs down really small, making it the perfect jacket to throw in your day pack! You’ll also want to have some sort of windbreaker/waterproof layer for when the weather changes on you.
BACKPACK | We never travel without these backpacks. It’s a great, comfortable camera bag, with adjustable compartments for lenses, gear, and snacks too! And the best part, it’s waterproof. So, if it’s a bit wet outside, you don’t have to worry about your gear or belongings getting wet! Jay loves hiking with it knowing the extra padding will keep the camera gear safe!
WATER BOTTLE | Whether you want to keep your water cool while you trek, or are looking to keep your tea hot, this water bottle does the trick! It keeps drinks hot for 6 hours and cold for 24! It’s great for both in the car and during a hike, though it can be heavy if you’re hiking for too long.
CAMERA | This post tells you all about the camera gear we use. All the photos and videos were taken with this gear we recommend in this post.
Getting To The Lake District England
Lake District from London
The Lake District is just under five hours driving by car from London. If you’re renting a car and driving to the Lake District, this drive is mainly along a major motorway, and we’d suspect would actually be a bit longer than just five hours, but totally doable. Check out Rome2Rio for the best options for you!
Getting to the Lake District by Train
If you plan on training to the Lake District from the south, look into trains from Windermere. If traveling to the Lake District from the north, Keswick will be the closest train stop. From either of these places, you can take public transportation in and through the Lake District, though again, a rental car will get you deeper into the amazing views in the national park.
Getting To The Best Lake District Attractions
Lake District Public Transportation
There is fairly decent Lake District public transportation connecting visitors to the top attractions and towns in the Lake District. You can get around with just public transportation, but honestly, public transportation in the UK is super expensive! But, check Lake District bus services and stops here.
Explore the Lake District by Rental Car
Renting a car or taking a campervan is the best way to explore the Lake District in our opinion. Rental cars allow you the freedom to go and stop as you please and head up all the little roads without a bus schedule to get back to. Check out the best prices for rental cars in the Lake District here.
Lake District Hotels and Accommodation
Wild Camping in the Lake District
Wild camping is allowed in the Lake District with permission from the owners of the land. We didn’t have any trouble where we “wild camped” in the campervan, though we did follow the simple rules of being respectful and packing out what we brought in. You can learn more about wild camping in the Lake District with this wild camping guide.
Lake District Hotels
As with most other places in the United Kingdom outside of big cities, you won’t really find large hotels in the Lake District. But honestly, who wants a large hotel anyway!? Find the perfect little bed and breakfast style hotel and get a taste of that Great Britain charm in the Lake District. Agoda is one of our favorite places to search for hotels, as it compares multiple bookings sites.
Visiting More Of The United Kingdom
Get Inspired | Scotland
This is a page all about our beloved second home. We spent just over two years in Scotland, most of it touring in our campervan. This page is full of our stories, travel advice, and more.
LEARN MORE | ENGLAND
England’s more than just London. From Stonehenge to Cotswold, to the town of Dover, we’re giving you our tips and tricks for it all!
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