Great Days Out - Whinlatter Forest

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Just five miles outside Keswick, sits England’s only true mountain forest, Whinlatter Forest. This utopian forest is known for its breath-taking views, abundance of wildlife and myriad of adventure activities for all ages.

Set within the Lake District, a World Heritage Site, Whinlatter has unrivalled views across Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater and Keswick.

Forestry England manages Whinlatter Forest with people, wildlife and sustainable forest management at its core.

 

Whinlatter provides a wonderful day out for the whole family. With kilometres of mountain bike trails and waymarked walking trails, Whinlatter is a perfect way to discover a forest. Explore the forest by bike, on foot or by an all-terrain mobility scooter.

 

Whether you've just bought your first bike, or you're looking for your next adrenaline fix, Whinlatter Forest puts the mountain back into biking, with climbs to areas showcasing amazing views and rewarding descents.

Visitors can hire a mountain bike from Cyclewise Whinlatter Bike Hire at Whinlatter Visitor Centre or you can bring your own.

 

Ride two of the best mountain bike trails in England! The Quercus trail offers flowing singletrack in breathtaking woodlands whilst the Altura Trail consists of fast adrenaline fuelled descents and the best views of the North Lakes.

Our Gorse Cycle Trail is a new waymarked 10km route, sticking mostly to well-surfaced forest roads. It takes you to the best parts of the forest and explores the quieter corners of Whinlatter at Noble Knott. With stunning vistas across the Lake District, it’s one not to be missed.

 

There’s nothing quite like walking in a forest, separated from daily stresses. Walking in Whinlatter provides a sense of tranquillity that will boost your mood. Step out into nature by walking our nine walking trails.

 

Alpacaly Ever After provides alpaca walking experiences through Whinlatter Forest. Walkers get up close and personal with our wonderful alpacas. There really is nothing quite so delightful as walking with a friendly alpaca, it should be recommend as a cure for all cases of melancholy and world weariness.

Stunning scenery, a higher calorie burn, and increased mental well-being are just a few things to look forward to when you run in England's only true mountain forest.

 

Supported by Sport England and using National Lottery funding, the 5km and 10km marked running trails at Whinlatter make running through the forest more accessible, so you can feel confident to just hit the trails and enjoy all the benefits of being active outdoors. For a more formally organised run, take part in Whinlatter parkrun.

Whinlatter is an adventure playground for the whole family. It is the perfect place for children and families to discover their wild side. The Wildplay trail provides children with experiences to discover and explore the forest in a fun-filled way. We are dedicated to family adventure and so regularly invest in new, inspiring trails, such as the Gruffalo Sculpture Trail and Gruffalo Orienteering – a fun family map reading challenge.

The dramatic views from the top of Whinlatter Pass are in keeping with the sheer drama of our highest Go Ape location in Whinlatter Forest, over 1000 feet above sea level. Enjoy  an adventure on an all-terrain Segway.

 

Visitors who choose to go to Whinlatter will not be disappointed with the wildlife. Look out for red squirrels, deer, osprey and the occasionally otters at the southern end of Bassenthwaite Lake. Visitors can enjoy watching a huge variety of bird species feeding on the bird feeders outside Siskins Café.

 

After all your adventures and activities, relax in our wonderful café. Siskins Café serves delicious homemade cakes, great coffee and wholesome food using local products. Alternatively, enjoy a tasty treat in the forest at one of our beautiful picnic areas, just bring along good food and company. Visitors can picnic on the decking area at the end of the Visitor Centre. There are also picnic tables and benches located along the WildPlay trail.

 

Whinlatter Forest Shop is a fantastic shop filled with treasures and beautiful gifts for everyone. Whether you are looking for a gift for someone else, or a treat for yourself, our shop will inspire you.

 

At Whinlatter, health and wellbeing events are very important to us. We host a large number of events, dark sky walks. Keep an eye on our events page!

 

We are dedicated to protecting and expanding our forest, as well as enhancing access to our forest. To fund all this, the Forestry England generates revenue from car parking. None of this is possible without the support of our visitors. Thank you to our visitors.