Alcock Tarn Walk from Grasmere: Route Map, What to Expect & Parking

This trail shows you some of the most iconic scenery in central Lakes. The walk to Alcock Tarn is great in its own right, but the thing that makes it stand out is the variety it offers aside from the lake alone.

At points, the route gives you a unique overview of some of the most iconic Lake District bodies of water like Windermere, Grasmere, Rydal Water, Elterwater and even Coniston Water on a very clear day, as well as glimpses of Easedale Tarn.   

There’s also the option to extend the route and add other peaks that sit behind and around Alcock Tarn, such as Heron Pike, Great Rigg and Stone Arthur. It’s a really special route with plenty of variety and interest.

My Alcock Tarn walk guide covers a circular route from Grasmere up to the tarn then descending a different way to take in even more views. It then heads back to Grasmere via Dove Cottage. It’s 5.4km/ 3.3 miles with a steep 364m/ 1,194ft. ascent, but it’s well worth the effort.

You can walk the trail in about 3 hours, but I would give yourself at least half a day for stops, and you’ll want to. Whether it’s for a breather or just to take in the view.

Below, you’ll find everything you need for this walk, including what to bring, what to expect and my downloadable, easy to follow Alcock Tarn walk route map.

Alcock Tarn Walk from Grasmere: Quick Stats

Distance: 5.4km/ 3.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 364m/ 1,194ft. ascent
Approx Time Needed: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate (steep ascent to Alcock Tarn, uneven terrain)
Start Point: Grasmere (there are several car parks in the village and the 555/599 bus routes that pass through)
Route Type: Loop

Our Alcock Tarn Walk Downloadable Route Map

The Alcock Tarn walk map I’ve included below works through our embedded AllTrails widget. Once you’ve clicked on the Alcock Tarn map, there’s several ways you can download it yourself.

If you have an AllTrails account yourself, you can save the Alcock Tarn route to your own profile, then download it for offline use using the AllTrails app on your phone.

If you want a paper copy, you can save it as a pdf and print it out. It’s also possible to download it as a GPX file and use it with your preferred mapping software. You can also download a Garmin compatible version of the Alcock Tarn walk route map too.

Alcock Tarn Walk from Grasmere: What to Expect

As you head out of Grasmere to Alcock Tarn, the village gives way to a small road that turns sharply uphill. It’s pretty much non-stop ascent until you reach the tarn itself, but everything you’re about to experience more than makes up for it.

Once you pass the residential sections, you’re treated to some gorgeous little rocky pools and waterfalls formed on the steep hillside. The water is unbelievably clear and you immediately get a glimpse of what makes this walk great: the variety of views and terrain.

The trail goes uphill quickly and steeply, and the views start to open out over the surrounding fells. You’ll find yourself wanting to stop every few minutes to see it unfolding from different angles as the path snakes and climbs.

The Alcock Tarn walk is about so much more than the tarn alone, like so many Lake District walks, and the views on the climb to Alcock Tarn from Grasmere make it feel truly special.

If you look back, you’ll see iconic views of peaks like Helm Crag, Blea Rigg and around Easedale Tarn and even further toward High Raise, Pavey Ark and Sergeant Man.

To your left and surrounding you as you face forward on the path, you’ll see places like Stone Arthur, Seat Sandal, Great Rigg, Heron Pike and Nab Scar. There is always the sound of water running from streams and waterfalls too: merging together to form what feels like their own melody.

In summer, this section of hill on the Alcock Tarn walk from Grasmere is covered in bright green fern which completely blankets the landscape. I personally think it’s one of the most beautiful sights to experience on the whole route.

On the section of the Alcock Tarn walk just before the tarn itself, the trail eases off on the ascent and things feel more rolling until the tarn is revealed to you straight ahead.

The tarn is gorgeous: catch it on a still day and you’ll have mirror reflections on it that look somewhat surreal. Although in many ways, the views and changing landscape on the Alcock Tarn route are more interesting than the tarn itself.

The lakeside itself is quite grassy, but there is a path around and you can also side track off to some of the small rocky sections and mini hills around it to see the view out. On good visibility days, you can see some pretty far-reaching views from here.

The landscape feels entirely identified by water: views of Grasmere and Rydal Water make way for Elterwater, Windermere and even Coniston Water at a stretch on a really good day. This is where I think you really take in that the Alcock Tarn from Grasmere walk is about so much more than the tarn.

Continuing on from Alcock Tarn and the views from the highest point you’re going to reach on this walk (at roughly 380m above sea level), you start to wind down the rocky trail. From here, you’ve got what feels like endless views straight out in front of you that give you the lay of the land in such a beautiful way.  

The downhill is just as steep as the ascent, and rather than returning the same way you came, the loop gives you different views and a different experience from the uphill. The downhill shows craggy views giving way to denser woodland the closer to Grasmere you get.

This is one of the prettiest sections of the walk (but really, it’s hard to say this as it’s all so gorgeous) and the views feel like they just break and change and adjust as you move. You’ll even be able to see the mountains heading towards Keswick enveloping and layering in the distance to your right.

Once the trail starts to get into Grasmere, you’ll pass the Dove Cottage, which was home to William Wordsworth for a time between the late 1700’s and 1808. This location is so culturally iconic because he wrote a lot of his most famous poetry from here. It’s now a museum (paid entry), but even if you just walk past, the gardens and cottage are beautiful to look at.

From here, it’s just a short return through the village back to where you’ve parked, or the bus stops back out of Grasmere.

Key Highlights

Places to Swim

Alcock Tarn swimming is possible, but there are certain areas that are better than others. When you reach the tarn, follow it round to the left, rather than along the wall to the right and you’ll find one of the best spots.

From here there is a slightly rockier entry (small stones) which quickly gives way to a muddy base not long after you enter. It’s much easier here to set off for a swim or dip. At a lot of times of year, you’ll see grasses over the Alcock Tarn which mean you’ll need to swim around them.

It is relatively popular for swimming, and it is certainly going to give you something quieter as the Alcock Tarn walks all involve quite a bit of ascent to get to. However, I do think there are much better spots in the surrounding fells to go swimming (Easedale Tarn for one, has a pretty similar amount of ascent and distance to reach it from Grasmere).

It feels like you’re constantly running into grasses on the lake and in the summer, there will be likely a lot of small fish that will try and give you a fish pedicure. It can also be very cold depending on the time of year as it is higher up and exposed.

That said, if you’re used to swimming outdoors and like something a bit more rustic, Alcock Tarn can be a great spot.

Best Views & Photo Spots

I think some of the best views on the Alcock Tarn walk are actually of the surrounding areas. Looking back toward Grasmere and onto the fells as you ascend to Alcock Tarn is stunning.

If you head up in the evening in summer, or later in the day when the light is a little lower, you’ll likely get some fantastic layers over these peaks. The light also does incredible things to the hillside in front of you on the way up to Alcock Tarn too.

The views on the way down to Grasmere past the lake will give you some great photos too. There are some craggy areas you can walk onto just past Alcock Tarn that give views out toward Grasmere, Rydal Water, Elterwater and Windermere amongst others.

I also love the view heading down from here which looks to the right toward Keswick. The path switchbacks beautifully so you’re always getting a developing view, and you’ll find yourself stopping a lot for photographs.

Don’t wait for a ‘perfect’ day for this walk. In fact, these can often give you the best views: when the clouds are passing quickly and the views are changing constantly. The fells in this area look incredible when they’re shaped by light and shadow.

If you do have very clear visibility or blue skies, I would suggest waiting until a little later in the day, so the sun starts to cast shadows and make things look that bit more interesting.

Seasonal Differences

There are a few things to consider depending on the time of year you plan to do the Alcock Tarn walk.

Between May and September there are a lot of ferns and long grasses on the way up to the tarn. It is possible to find ticks in the ferns and grasses and a tick bite is not something you want!

Keep an eye on your body when walking at this time of year. It’s a good idea to read this guide produced by the NHS about what to do if you get a tick bite and how best to avoid them.

Don’t let this put you off though. One of the best ways you can avoid them is to not brush past the grasses and ferns, as this is how ticks attach themselves to you (they don’t fly). This is pretty easy to do as they never really overgrow the trail.

After rain, the hillside on both the ascent and descent can become slippery. Most of it is exposed hillside so the mud and grasses that make up some of the path can be quite treacherous. Shoes or boots with good grip are important here. After rain, hiking poles are a great addition for some extra security.

In winter or after heavy rain, there are a lot of sections near Alcock Tarn that can be really boggy and marshy. I’d always recommend wearing waterproof shoes or boots and be prepared that you may need to step into deeper areas than you might think.

Like so many Lake District walks, there is always a chance of a boggy section somewhere. These vary a lot in depth through the year depending on rainfall, but it’s always wise to have that in the back of your mind.

Alcock Tarn From Grasmere: Difficulty Breakdown

Technical Difficulty

The walk to Alcock Tarn from Grasmere isn’t particularly technical. The steepness is one thing, but after rainfall (or anything that would cause the ground to become slippery) you can expect to need to pay attention to your footing.

I’m not sure how family friendly I would rate the Alcock Tarn walk due the steepness. If your children are familiar with heights and the outdoors, this may work well for you, but allow most of the day to do it.

Exposure

There isn’t really much exposure at all on the Alcock Tarn walk from Grasmere. Alcock Tarn’s elevation means its hugged in by the surrounding mountains, so you have no dramatic drop offs and you’re heading up the side of the hill with sweeping surroundings.

There are no areas on the descent with direct steep drop offs either. The hills roll around you, so even if the path looks dramatic to begin with, once you’re descending, it feels fine.  

Navigation

The trail is relatively easy to navigate. The main area that really needs you to pay attention is from Grasmere village to where the path to Alcock Tarn starts to go uphill. Once you’re onto this, the trail is very obvious.

I wouldn’t say that at present any of the trails are indistinct. However, after substantial rain, some areas can become boggy and around the tarn can be a little less obvious. That said, it’s a pretty easy one for navigation.

Steepness

Alcock Tarn’s height above Grasmere does mean that you have a decent amount of ascent (364m/ 1,194ft.) to get there. This also happens over a pretty short period. The trail does feel pretty steep, but pacing the ascent with stops to look at the changing views makes it achievable.

What I Like About the Alcock Tarn Walk

I think like so many Lake District walks to a higher tarn, the tarn itself is usually gorgeous, but it’s the views that open up as you ascend that really get me. The way you see things from a different perspective to what you’re used to.

With the Alcock Tarn walk, I think the views as you head up are some of the best in the area, and you often feel like you have the entire trail to yourself. If you head up to Alcock Tarn later on a sunny day, there’s something pretty magical that happens to the light and the surrounding fells that keeps me captivated and wanting to return.

Grasmere to Alcock Tarn Walk: Parking & Transport

Parking

There are several car parks in the village that are best for the Alcock Tarn walk from Grasmere. The link above takes you to all the available parking places.

Whilst there are quite a few parking places in Grasmere, these can fill up quite quickly on busier days, peak season and in school holidays. So, I always think it’s best to arrive a little later in the day (3pm) for the Grasmere to Alcock Tarn walk, as a lot of people will have already finished.

If you wait a while, a spot will usually free up at one of the car parks, so it’s just about being opportunistic sometimes. There are quite a few people who visit Grasmere for an hour or so, and the parking turns over pretty quickly.

I have only really had problems with parking a couple of times in the hundreds of times I’ve parked in Grasmere, so that should give you an indication.

Payment for parking and prices at all of the car parks I’ve linked above differs slightly depending on which authority runs it. All of them accept card payment and contactless, and some of them offer app payments as another option too.

Public Transport

There are two main buses that head through Grasmere, these are the 555 and the 599. The 555 starts in Kendal and finishes in Keswick, passing through Grasmere on the way (via Ambleside, Windermere etc).

The 599 starts in Bowness-on-Windermere and finishes in Grasmere.

The links above take you to the operators live timetables, but you can also see the bus running times easily if you plan your route through Google Maps.

These both run very frequently and reliably through the day and evening, especially the 555. So this makes getting from Grasmere to Alcock Tarn and the start of this trail easy by public transport. This can be a really good option on busy days and in school holidays.  

Grasmere Alcock Tarn Walk: Route Extensions & Other Walks in the Area

One of the best route extensions you could add to the Grasmere to Alcock Tarn walk is into the fells above it. For example, after Alcock Tarn, you can then get up to Nab Scar very easily.

A great ridge walk from there is to ascend to Heron Pike, Great Rigg and then Stone Arthur. These are all easy to see the routes up to from the AllTrails map I’ve included earlier on in this guide.  

If you do want to include these peaks, I would actually recommend doing the Alcock Tarn circular walk the other way round to which I’ve provided. You would then come down via Stone Arthur and connect back down onto the original trail that in my version is the ascent.

This allows you to see some of the most incredible scenery in central Lakes and is well worth doing.

In terms of other walks in the area, there are plenty to choose from. Some of my favourites are Rydal Cave, Easedale Tarn, Elterwater to Cathedral Cave, Elterwater to Skelwith Bridge and Loughrigg Fell. Our Lake District walks page covers all of these and more in detail.

What to Bring on the Alcock Tarn Walk

This moderate Lake District walk is more so because of the ascent than how challenging the terrain is. That said, there are pieces of gear that you’ll want to consider bringing depending on the time of year:

• Waterproof jacket (and waterproof pants depending on just how much rain is forecast)
• Waterproof hiking shoes or boots with very good grip: the trail can be very slippery after rainfall or in icy conditions – if icy and you still want to get up to Alcock Tarn, I’d recommend bringing snow or ice spikes.
• Warm layers including an insulated jacket
• Gloves and a hat (or a sun hat and sunglasses in summer)
• Water and snacks
• Map saved offline: signal is patchy, and while the trail itself isn’t difficult to navigate, it’s always good to be prepared
• Swimwear if you plan to try and dip in Alcock Tarn

I’d also recommend reading the guides on our sister site, This Expansive Adventure on what to wear hiking and our day hiking checklist. We also have dedicated gear guides for all the essentials we’d recommend for hiking in the Lake District.

Why Trust Our Lake District Walking Guides

This Alcock Tarn walk from Grasmere guide has been written by someone who lives in the Lake District. The aim with all our guides is to give you the information you actually need, including maps and the right level of detail to get you out and feel prepared.

When I write a walking guide, it means I’ve actually done this walk more than once and assessed it using my years of experience in the fells and spent time thinking in detail about what is actually important for you to know.

This just means that when you know what to expect, it’ll feel safer, you’ll feel better prepared and overall, this has a better impact on you and the place you’re visiting, so it’s a win-win.