The Lake District · Circular

Tarn Hows circular

A level-ish loop round a landscaped tarn above Coniston, with a Miles Without Stiles route description.

Official trail pageLake District National Park: Tarn Hows

Distance 3.3 km · 2.0 miles As stated on the official page
Typical time 1.5 hours Official page (opens in new tab)
Ascent Not stated No official ascent figure
Grade Easy Our rule, see below
Route typeCircular Tarn Hows main car park

Take this walk offline

Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Tarn Hows, Coniston & Hawkshead — Near the start: Tarn Hows (under 1 km away)Photo: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Old Man of Coniston and Coniston Water seen from Brantwood — Near Tarn Hows main car park: Coniston & Hawkshead (about 1.6 km away)Photo: Martin Jeffries, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop, Coniston & Hawkshead — Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop (about 2.9 km from the start)Photo: Jo and Steve Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tilberthwaite Gill, Coniston & Hawkshead — Tilberthwaite Gill (about 2.9 km from the start)Photo: Philip Barker, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photos of named places from our guides closest to each point of the walk, with the straight-line distance. They show the area, not the path itself: follow the waymarks and the official page.

The route

A circuit of Tarn Hows that can be walked in either direction from the main car park. The park authority grades it 'for some' on its accessible-routes scale because of some rougher sections and short steep gradients, so it suits many families but not every wheelchair or scooter user.

The interactive map needs JavaScript. The start and finish are listed below.

Along the way

Start: Tarn Hows main car park

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 183 points. It can differ from what is on the ground: waymarks and the official page take priority.

Route and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), saved 2026-10-25. Spotted a mistake? Fix the map.

Download GPX Official trail page

The GPX file holds the route as a track and the start, finish and waypoints, for use in a walking or hiking app. It is a planning aid, not a navigation guarantee.

Before you go

Safety and access notes come from official pages. Conditions change, so read the linked page for the day you walk.

Getting there

Nearest station or stop to the start in our dataWindermere (rail, Northern), about 8.8 km in a straight line.
The nearest bus stop is Hawkshead Hill, 1.4 km from the start, on Stagecoach service 505 (Ambleside, Hawkshead, Coniston). Source (opens in new tab)

Straight-line distances from our station list, not walking distances. Check timetables and the route to the start before you travel. Getting between regions

Step-free and pushchair access

The official page does not say whether this route is step-free or suitable for pushchairs, so we do not either. Check the official page (opens in new tab) or ask the site.

Safety

The park describes the surface as smooth compact stone with some short rougher sections, and gradients steeper than 1 in 10, up to 1 in 5 in places. Lake District National Park: Tarn Hows (opens in new tab)
The park says Lake District weather is very unpredictable and summits can be in mist when the start is clear. It advises a map and compass, boots, waterproofs, a whistle and torch, and telling someone your route and return time. Lake District National Park: What to pack (opens in new tab)

How these figures were worked out

Distance: taken from the official page (source (opens in new tab)).
Grade: our rule, because the official page gives no grade. Easy: up to 8 km and up to 150 m of ascent. Hard: over 16 km or over 600 m of ascent. Moderate: everything else. No ascent figure is available for this walk, so the rule used distance only and the real grade may be higher.
The line on the map measures about 3.0 km from OpenStreetMap geometry, which differs from the official figure because the start and finish points of the drawn line are approximate and the data is simplified. Use the official figure and the waymarks.
Time: only shown when an official page states it.

Sources

Lake District National Park: Tarn Hows (opens in new tab). distance 3.29 km, 1.5 hours, start, surface and gradients, bus. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Lake District National Park: What to pack (opens in new tab). weather and kit safety advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap relation 19914907 (Tarn Hows circular walk) (opens in new tab). route geometry (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; measured 2.96 km, shorter than the 3.29 km on the official page. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab) (ODbL). Route geometry. Saved 2026-10-25.

More walks in the Lake District

West Windermere Way
Newby Bridge to Lakeside YMCA through woods above the western shore of the south basin.
Dodd Summit trail
A steep waymarked climb through forest to the open top of Dodd above Bassenthwaite Lake.
Carron Crag trail, Grizedale
A strenuous forest loop from the Grizedale visitor centre to the highest point in the forest.

All walks · The Lake District guide · Beaches · Parks and gardens