Raven Crag Short Walk | 2 Miles
A short walk with big views, Raven Crag is a Wainwright situated at the northern end of Thirlmere. This has to be one of the best short walks in the Lake District!
Route Highlights:
- Peaceful woodland trails
- Ticking off the Wainwright of Raven Crag
- Stunning views over Thirlmere and Helvellyn.
Raven Crag Walk Overview
- Distance – 2 miles
- Difficulty – Moderate
- Route Type – Out and back
- Start Point – Thirlmere Dam car park
- Terrain – Rocky paths, decked sections
- Facilities – None – take all your rubbish away with you and leave no trace.
Raven Crag is one of the smaller Wainwright fells at 461m, and is essentially a dramatic viewpoint over Thirlmere. Whilst Wainwright wasn’t a fan of the forest on the way up (“the silence and gloom of the forest are too oppressive to be enjoyed.”), Raven Crag was important enough to him that he chose it as the spot where he drew himself looking out over the lake in Book 3 (The Central Fells).
Our walk starts from the car park at Thirlmere Dam. We turned right out of the car park to head north along the road a short distance. Through a wooden gate, we soon started climbing up through the woods. We’d hiked up to Stybarrow Dodd the day before so my legs weren’t thrilled by this climb!
The route is pretty easy to follow. At the first crossroads, continue straight forward (still going up). You’ll be able to get glimpses of Thirlmere as you climb up.
Through another wooden gate, and immediately through another, the path then becomes some steps to lead up to a length of boardwalk which in turn leads to the summit platform on top of Raven Crag (461m above sea level).
After enjoying the view, we simply retraced our steps back down the hillside to the car.
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Raven Crag Walk
Parking: Thirlmere Dam Car Park, (near High Bridge End Caravan and Camping) Keswick CA12 4TG W3W:///weeknight.snacks.elite – pay and display, £6 for 4 hours.
Facilities: None – please take all your rubbish away with you.
Walk Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: ▲▲
Distance: 1.42 miles (2.29km)
Trig Points Bagged: None
Wainwrights Bagged: Raven Crag
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