Stock Ghyll Force Walk from Ambleside: Route Map, Parking & What to Expect

The Stock Ghyll Force walk is a quick, relatively easy, family friendly walk that can be done from the centre of Ambleside in around an hour. Within that hour, you get to see and experience an incredible waterfall while exploring more of what Ambleside has to offer. It’s also great if you’re short on time.

My guide to the Stock Ghyll Force walk from Ambleside covers the out and back route from the centre of the town to the top of the waterfall. It’s 1.83km/ 1.13 miles in total with 77m/ 252ft. of ascent and descent.

Given its proximity to Ambleside town centre, it’s incredible just how much visiting Stock Ghyll Force will make you feel like you’re deep into nature. It’s a fantastic introduction to the variety and history that the Lake District has to offer. Especially if you’re short on time.

The trail is steep in places and is classed as easy, but if you’re relatively new to hiking, you might find it more moderate at points. However, the trail is short, so those steep sections are over pretty quickly.

It’s also fairly easy to combine Stock Ghyll Force with the steep walk to the top of Wansfell Pike which has iconic views out over Ambleside, Lake Windermere and the surrounding fells. These two routes give you so much variety and are really rewarding when combined.

This is an Ambleside walk I love coming back to at different times of year and in different weather. Stock Ghyll Force can change so much, even after one or two days of heavy rain. I’m always amazed at how intense and powerful the water can seem, whereas a week earlier it felt calm.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this waterfall walk from Ambleside, including what to expect, where to park and an easy to use downloadable route map.

Good to know: Stock Ghyll Force used to be nicknamed Rattle Ghyll, due to it’s industrial past. It was used within mill work and some of the old wheels can still be seen around Ambleside. The name now is mostly used by the deli The Rattle Ghyll in Ambleside, which is well worth visiting.

Stock Ghyll Force Walk from Ambleside: Quick Stats

Distance: 1.83km/ 1.13 miles
Elevation Gain: 77m/ 252ft. ascent and descent
Approx Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy but very light moderate in sections. If you’re relatively new to hiking or have mobility issues, you may find some of the uneven paths more challenging. These aren’t for long sections.
Start Point: Ambleside town centre

Disabled Access: There is limited blue badge holder parking on Stock Ghyll Lane outside the upper waterfall entrance (approx. location here) for up to one hour. From here, the top viewing platform only is accessible by wheelchair.
Route Type: Out & Back
Wainrights on this walk: None

Our Stock Ghyll Force Walk Downloadable Route Map

The Stock Ghyll Force route map I’ve included below is available through our AllTrails widget. Once you’ve clicked on the Stock Ghyll Force walk map, there’s a couple of options to download it for yourself.

If you already have an AllTrails account, you can save the Stock Ghyll Force walk route to your own profile and 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 of the Ambleside to Stock Ghyll Force walk and use it with your preferred mapping software. You can also download a Garmin compatible version of the map too.

Don’t forget: Downloading your route map for offline use in advance of heading out is essential! Many locations in the Lake District don’t have any phone signal and you can’t rely on your phone data to navigate the trail.

Stock Ghyll Force Walk from Ambleside: What to Expect

The Stock Ghyll Force from Ambleside walk is pretty easy to navigate. Depending on where you start in Ambleside, your first landmark is Grain (would also recommend heading in here for one of their amazing croissants, cakes or lunch options first) before taking the small road to the right of it as it starts to go uphill.

Shortly after you’ll take a left along Stock Ghyll Lane, which is still open to traffic at this point, so try to walk as close to the side of the road as you can as some cars go up this road way too fast.

You’ll keep following the road up until you see a wooded section off to your left and a sign which points to the waterfall trail. At this point, the Stock Ghyll Force walk is for walkers only so you can relax as you don’t need to keep an eye out for cars. The trail starts to climb up along rocky steps and tree roots with the waterfalls to your left.

This is a pretty short walk, so the steepness doesn’t last long, and you’ll soon get to the first ‘main’ viewpoint. This is where a lot of people get stuck and think this is the end of the walk to Stock Ghyll Force. However, Stock Ghyll Force itself is still higher up.

I actually think it’s better to keep following the arrows up the hill rather than going down to these pools with the lower bridge first. They are worth checking out, but you can come back down to this area easily, whichever trail you follow down from the top of the waterfall.

It’s fairly easy on the last section of uphill before the waterfall to end up slightly off the ‘official’ path as the main Stock Ghyll Force trail can be hard to tell amongst the tree roots. However, it’s very easy to find the path again without a lot of effort.

There are railings along the side where it’s steep and the path takes you to the top bridge, which is where the main viewing areas of Stock Ghyll Force are: off to the side and above.

It’s at this point that if you’re planning to add in the nearby Wansfell Pike, you’ll head off to the right to get onto the trail that branches off, quickly exiting the woodland and heading up the fellside.

From here, you can follow the bridge over the top of the waterfall and go down the other side. This trail reaches the lower bridge you were at earlier and crosses back over the stream to meet the original trail you were on. This side does feel steeper with a relatively narrow path, so if you don’t like the look of this (it isn’t steep like this for long though) you can go back down the way you came.

If you do go back down the way you came, I would still recommend taking some time to go down to the lower falls and bridge as they are gorgeous! Once you’ve finished exploring, you can retrace your steps back down the same way to Ambleside.

Key Highlights

Places to Swim

There aren’t really any places to swim as such at Stock Ghyll Force. The lower bridge area is where you’ll see people paddling in the water, but being honest, I don’t think it’s worth the effort.

If your aim is to cool off on a hot day, then this part of the waterfall can be ok for that, but it’s also not great and it isn’t really designed with the capacity for that either.

I actually love heading down some of the smaller trails that you’ll see on the way up the main path to put my feet in the water and cool off, but this really is just to sit on the rocks and relax for a while rather than a swim.

After heavier rain, Stock Ghyll Force can be incredibly powerful, and the strength of the water can be really dangerous. I just wouldn’t really recommend this as a swimming spot.

If you want a similar feel for a swim, there are plenty of other places in the area that are better for this (such as the Rydal Falls walk to Buckstones Jump). This walk has a number of waterfall pools that are good for swimming, and Buckstones Jump at the top which is absolutely stunning for a swim!

Best Views & Photo Spots

I actually don’t think that some of the best photos come from the main Stock Ghyll Force viewpoint at the very top. After heavy rain, this can still be pretty impressive, but in summer it can be hard to even see the waterfall cascading down from here.

After heavy rain, the view on the left just before the top bridge above the waterfall will give you some dramatic images. If you’re using an SLR camera, I’d recommend using a slow shutter speed to really capture the flow of the water beautifully.

If you visit when there hasn’t been as much rain, I think the lower bridge has some of the better views of the waterfall areas. I also love heading down some of the very small trails to the stream bed on the way up the main path, which are hard to miss. These are often less busy too.  

Because Stock Ghyll Force is under dense tree cover, there can be quite a high contrast range, which can mean some areas of your photos may be completely blown out, and some way too dark. I think it’s best to go either earlier or later in the day when this is less intense to get the best shots.

Seasonal Differences

The main thing when it comes to Stock Ghyll Force is how the recent rain impacts it. This can actually be different by as little as a day, which is actually kind of incredible.

When it’s been raining a lot, the waterfall can become incredibly forceful, impressive and pretty humbling. There’s been times I’ve been up to it and not been able to hold a conversation it’s been so loud.

It’s a really lovely place to visit if you happen to be in the Lake District in wetter weather. Just standing near it, listening to and watching the white water rush through is incredibly beautiful.

In less rainy times, and when the ground has had time to dry, so has the flow of water. You can expect that if you visit with these conditions, the waterfall may not be as ‘impressive’ as you may have seen in photos.

I actually chose to include pictures in this guide of what the Stock Ghyll Force walk is like in summer after very little rain to give you an idea what to expect here. Though it’s still beautiful in these kinds of conditions too, just different.

If you really want to see the waterfall at its most powerful, I’d recommend visiting it in later autumn or winter.

Stock Ghyll Force Walk: Difficulty Breakdown

Technical Difficulty

The Stock Ghyll Force walk is very family friendly and under 2km in length. If you don’t have anything that impacts your mobility as such, then you should be able to manage this walk relatively easily. Though ease is relative, so you could find it more easy to moderate in a few short sections.

If you do have anything that impacts your mobility, you may find some of the steps and uphill in amongst the tree roots more of a challenge. However, these are very short, so don’t be afraid to take your time.

Likewise, the Stock Ghyll Force trails can become very slippery and muddy when wet, so you’ll need to keep an eye on your footing if this is the case.

Exposure

There are a couple of areas of slight exposure on the walk. One is at the very top when you come out of the trail above the waterfall. However, the trail is very well guarded by fencing so there’s no real risk of falling.

The second is if you go over the bridge above the waterfall and descend back down to the first bridge further down on the right-hand side. This path has a steeper drop down to the falls in points. However, you can avoid this very easily by returning the same way as you came up if you like.

Navigation

I think this trail is pretty easy to navigate, and is signed relatively well, though I still think it’s a good idea just to have the map downloaded anyway. The only part with some real confusion is that many people reach the lower bridge area and think this is Stock Ghyll Force.

However, the actual top of the waterfall is a little further up. There are arrows that point to the trail that takes you to the top of the fall, so follow those, and you’ll get there. You’ll know you have when you reach the bridge over the top of the waterfall.

Steepness

This is a pretty steep trail to the top of Stock Ghyll Force, but it also takes very little time to get to the top. There are plenty of spots you can stop along the way if you need a break.

The stairs cut into the hillside with rocks of tree roots help a lot!

What I Like About the Stock Ghyll Force Walk

If it hasn’t been raining for a while, the waterfall maybe isn’t as impressive as it is when it’s been raining heavily. However, I think there is still something really lovely about heading up on this walk even just to dip your feet in the pools and see the water glimmer on a hot day.

Like so many waterfalls in the Lake District, seeing how they change, even from one day to the next, is a pretty special experience. So whatever weather you have when you do this walk, there’s something unique about it.

I also love that you can add in Stock Ghyll Force on your way up to fells like Wansfell Pike or Baystones. This adds so much extra interest and in my opinion makes them much more interesting than the other approaches that bypass Stock Ghyll Force.  

Stock Ghyll Force: Parking & Transport

Parking

There isn’t a specific Stock Ghyll Force car park, but there are quite a few decently sized car parks in Ambleside. I’ve created a Google Maps link here to all the places that are good in Ambleside for Stock Ghyll Force parking.

The ones that are closest to central Ambleside, such as Miller Bridge, Lake Road, King Street and Rydal Road are the best for the Stock Ghyll Force walk from Ambleside. They’re also the ones that will fill up the fastest, so I’ve included a couple at Waterhead at the very bottom of Ambleside closest to Lake Windermere.

These make good options if you can’t get a space in the others, but it will make the walk longer. However there is a relatively quick turnover of people at the car parks in Ambleside, so you shouldn’t be waiting for a space too long.

All of the car parks in Ambleside take card, contactless and some, app-based payments. Many are phasing out or have phased out cash payments, so you will ideally need a card to pay for parking here.

Public Transport

Being a pretty big hub (well, for the Lake District) Ambleside has several bus routes that run through it. This means that you’re likely to be able to find a bus to Ambleside, where the walk to Stock Ghyll Force starts from, if you’re staying in one of the other main Lake District towns or villages.

Whilst it is pretty easy to use public transport to get to the start of this walk, you can expect in busier times and sunny, hot weekends that buses can be delayed. So, if you do need a connecting bus to reach Ambleside, it’s a good idea to give yourself extra time to get there.

Here’s a link to the Stagecoach website, who control the majority of bus routes in the area, and it includes information on the bus routes that currently run. Alternatively, you can use the public transport option on your phone’s maps to plan out which bus route will be best from where you’re staying.

Stock Ghyll Force Walk: Optional Route Extensions & Other Walks in the Area

One of the most obvious route extensions to the Stock Ghyll Force walk is to add in Wansfell Pike. This takes a right just before the very top of the Stock Ghyll Force trail and heads steeply up to the peak that sits above Ambleside.

It is quite full on as it gains a lot of height very quickly, but the view over Ambleside is well worth it. I really like how this trail combines the waterfall at the start with sweeping fell views at the top to make it feel really varied.

If you want something similar to the Ambleside to Stock Ghyll Force walk, I’d also recommend the Rydal Falls walk to Buckstones Jump which is just slightly further on from Ambleside (a very quick bus journey on the 555) and takes you from Rydal through Rydal Hall, to the Grot, the Rydal Waterfalls and on to Buckstones Jump. Great if you fancy a swim.

Just across the road pretty much from where the walk above starts, you’ve also got Rydal Cave and Loughrigg Fell, both of which we have guides to. I love both of these walks, they never get old! Rydal Cave is a great family walk and it’s very easy to add an extension on for Loughrigg Fell as well, which is very iconic in the area.

I’d recommend looking at the guides we already have available for Ambleside walks (and surrounding) for more inspiration too. Ambleside is a great location with walk ideas that will suit most people, and we’re always adding new walking guides to this area.

What to Bring on the Stock Ghyll Force Walk

This is a pretty easy going, short, low level Lake District walk, is family friendly and you don’t really need any specialist walking gear to complete it.

The main thing to consider for the Stock Ghyll force walk is footwear. When the ground is dry, you can pretty much wear anything: I’ve done this short walk to the waterfall plenty of times in my Keen Elle sandals.

When the ground is wet, which is also one of the best times to experience Stock Ghyll Force, it can become very slippery and muddy. When it is, waterproof hiking shoes or boots are pretty much a must.

Other than that, it’s pretty simple based on the time of year you visit and includes what you’ll probably be wearing anyway. Warm layers if it’s cold, waterproof layers if it’s rainy and loose, breathable layers if it’s hot.

Why Trust Our Lake District Walking Guides

This guide to the Stock Ghyll Force walk from Ambleside 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 done this walk more than once and assessed it using my years of experience in the fells. It means I’ve also learned (and included) what is important for you to know.  

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