Skip to content
View down to Crummock water and surrounding mountains on a clear spring day
Crummock Water and surrounding fells on a clear spring day | © National Trust Images / Chee Wai Lee
Lake District

Buttermere to Rannerdale walk

This invigorating Lakeland ridge walk climbs from the Buttermere Valley up to the summit of Rannerdale Knotts, offering memorable views over three lakes and many high peaks. The scenic circular route then returns via the shoreline of Crummock Water and Nether How woodland to the pretty little village of Buttermere.

Total steps: 6

Total steps: 6

Start point

National Trust car park, grid ref: NY172172

Step 1

From the starting point at the National Trust car park in Buttermere walk straight across the road to a stile. Cross the stile and follow a narrow grassy track until the path begins to get steeper.

Step 2

As the path steepens, take the left-hand track leading towards the ridge of Rannerdale Knotts. This is a good point to pause and enjoy the view over to Buttermere lake and the surrounding hills, such as High Snockrigg in the east.

Step 3

Follow a gentle incline along the ridge to the summit, offering another superb panorama of both Rannerdale (or the Secret Valley) and Crummock Water. Soon you reach the highest point cairn (please note: we'd appreciate it if you didn't add stones to the cairn, as paths need stones much more than cairns do).

Step 4

From the summit, follow the narrow, winding, grassy track to your left downhill towards Crummock Water. The track leads you a very steep, stone-pitched section. This area can become slippery during wet weather, so take care. When you leave the pitched section follow the track further downhill until it branches left and gently descends towards a road. Cross the road and go through a gate leading to the lakeshore. Walk alongside the lakeshore until you see a gate to your left leading into Nether How woods.

Step 5

Go through the gate and follow the path through the wood. The path briefly leads to the lakeshore again before re-entering the wood. Take a path to your left leading through Nether How wood to a footbridge.

Step 6

Cross the bridge and follow the path to the right, through the woods until you return to your start point.

End point

National Trust car park, grid ref: NY172172

Trail map

Buttermere to Rannerdale walk map, Cumbria
Buttermere to Rannerdale walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

You made it

Share your experience

More near here

A walker takes a rest to look out across Crummock Water on a sunny spring day
Trail
Trail

Lanthwaite Wood and Crummock Water walk 

Explore the hills and woodlands on the eastern side of Crummock Water on this circular walk near Buttermere, Lake District.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 4 (km: 6.4)

Get in touch

Buttermere, near Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 9UZ

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

Walkers climbing rocks against a bright blue sky with the mountains in the distance at Sugarloaf, Monmouthshire

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

View over Derwent Water looking towards Skiddaw in the Lake District in spring

Walking in the Lake District 

From gentle ambles to more challenging hikes, these are some of the best walks to explore the heart of the Lake District.

A group of people in a hiking group are being guided on a hike by rangers at Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Find out more about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor as our exclusive walking partner.

An aerial view of an adult and baby walking a dog along a path at Baggy Point, Devon
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Two young girls play along the pebbly Buttermere shore with their bright red wellies
Article
Article

Things to do in Buttermere Valley 

Explore the Lake District's Buttermere Valley and discover walks through rugged landscapes, panoramic views, thundering waterfalls and other forces of nature.

A person walking along a footpath in a grassy landscape on Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight
Article
Article

Top tips for hill and mountain walking 

Learn about the essential clothing and equipment to take with you, keeping your energy levels up, staying safe and leaving the environment as you found it.

Visitors walk a dog across the leafy ground of a park in autumn
Article
Article

Visiting the Lake District with your dog 

Here's how to get the most out of a visit to the Lake District with your dog, while protecting the countryside and keeping livestock and wildlife safe.