Easy Walks Near Kendal — Perfect for a Day Trip

The mistake most visitors make with the Lake District is assuming every good walk requires a full day, a packed lunch and a four-hour round trip. South Lakeland — the stretch of country between Kendal and the fells proper — is full of walks that take an hour or two, ask very little of you, and reward you completely disproportionately to the effort involved.

These are the ones worth building a day trip around from The Hen House, none requiring more than 40 minutes’ drive.

The closest — Scout Scar, Kendal

Distance: 6 miles | Time: 2.5–3 hours | Grade: Moderate

The closest substantial walk to the property and consistently underrated. Scout Scar is a limestone escarpment rising above Kendal’s western edge, offering wide ridge walking with views stretching from Morecambe Bay to the Helvellyn range on a clear day. Easy to reach, easy to walk, and rarely crowded.

The easy Wainwrights

Alfred Wainwright’s guides to the Lakeland fells are the definitive word on walking here, and a handful of his routes are genuinely gentle enough for a relaxed day trip rather than a serious expedition.

Orrest Head — the walk credited with converting Wainwright himself to fell walking, and the easiest possible introduction to why people fall for this landscape. A short, well-marked climb from Windermere town centre leads to a viewpoint taking in the lake, the central fells, and on a clear day, as far as Morecambe Bay. Under an hour return.

Loughrigg Fell — a modest summit above Ambleside and Grasmere with a disproportionately good view across Grasmere and Rydal Water. A gentle circuit of perhaps two hours, popular with families and very dog-friendly.

Wansfell — above Ambleside, slightly more effort than Loughrigg but still well within reach of a moderately fit walker. The summit gives views over Windermere on one side and the central fells on the other.

Black Crag — one of the lesser-known easy Wainwrights, near Tarn Hows. A short, quiet climb with views that punch well above its modest height.

Holme Fell — also near Coniston and Tarn Hows, and one of the most underrated short walks in the Lakes. Woodland paths give way to open rock at the top, with views across to the Coniston fells.

Valley walks — for when you want flat and easy

Lune Valley, Kirkby Lonsdale to Sedbergh — flat riverside paths between the two market towns. Well-maintained, scenic throughout, and almost entirely off-lead territory for dogs. Walk as much or as little as you like.

Kentmere Valley — one of the quietest of the eastern Lake District valleys. No through road, very few visitors, and a lovely circular route that climbs gently to the Kentmere Reservoir.

Whitbarrow Scar — a National Nature Reserve on a limestone ridge above the Lyth Valley, one of the most botanically rich sites in the north of England, with an easy ridge path along the top.

The standalone beauty spot — Tarn Hows

Distance: 3 miles | Time: 1.5 hours | Grade: Easy

The most-visited of the National Trust’s Lake District properties, and despite the crowds, genuinely beautiful. The circular path is well-surfaced and accessible, with views across the water to the central fells. Go early to beat the car park queues.

Forest walking — Grizedale Forest

Distance: Variable (2–10 miles) | Grade: Easy to moderate

Forestry England’s Grizedale estate offers some of the best waymarked walking in the south Lakes. Wide forest tracks, dramatic sculptures dotted through the trees, and excellent drainage mean it’s walkable year-round regardless of weather.

For a longer day — Howgill Fells and Langdale Pikes

If you want something with more substance, two options stand out. The Howgill Fells — smooth, rounded, almost entirely empty of other walkers — offer a classic circuit from Sedbergh via The Calf with around 2,000 feet of ascent. The Langdale Pikes, the Lake District’s most iconic skyline, require proper fell walking via Stickle Tarn and are best saved for a clear day with good boots.

Planning your day from The Hen House

The property’s location just off the M6 corridor means every walk on this list is reachable without a long approach drive — the entire point of building a day trip rather than a full holiday around a single route. Junction 36 gives the fastest access to the Lune Valley, Howgills and Kentmere. Junction 37 is better for Windermere, the easy Wainwrights, and Grizedale.

OS Explorer maps OL7 (The English Lakes, South Eastern area) and OL2 (Yorkshire Dales, Southern and Western area) cover most of the routes above.

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