Best Kinder Scout Walks | Guides and GPX Files
Are you looking for inspiration for your next Peak District walk? Here’s a collection of the best Kinder Scout walks to give you some ideas for your next walk in the Peak District.
Kinder Scout is a huge plateau and nature reserve in the Peak District. It is a spectacular area which is one of the most popular places to walk in the Peak District. The summit of Kinder Scout, at 636m above sea level, is the highest point in the Peak District and Kinder Scout is home to Kinder Downfall, the highest waterfall in the Peak District. The northern side of the plateau is definitely wilder and less accessible than the southern side, with the route via Jacob’s Ladder from Edale being on of the most popular (and busier) routes.
In 1932 Kinder Scout was the location of a mass trespass, where 500 ish walkers walked from Hayfield to Kinder Scout to secure access to open countryside for everyone forever. Before this, land access was restricted and the average person couldn’t access these amazing places.
There are 3 trig points on the Kinder Scout plateau itself, although the summit is only marked by a small cairn. There are many Kinder Scout walks which are really varied, taking you via rocky scrambles, beautiful waterfalls, scenic countryside and more.
Navigation on the plateau can be very challenging as there are few paths and the weather and visibility can change quickly. Always check the weather before you go as it can change quickly, and make sure you’re prepared in case you need rescue. You’ll soon get cold sitting waiting for an hour on the moors, so take some layers!
Here are some of my favourite Kinder Scout walks.
Kinder Scout Hiking Routes
Hayfield to Kinder Scout Walk Route:
Following in the footsteps of the Kinder Scout mass trespass, this walk from Hayfield starts at the car park at Bowden Quarry (where there is a commemorative plaque). Heading up past Kinder Reservoir then up the beautiful William Clough, past waterfalls and small pools, this walk is almost 10 miles and takes in 2 of the 3 Kinder Scout trig points. It also bags the Peak District Ethel of Mill Hill.
Parking: Head to the car park at SK22 2ES.
Facilities: Public toilets and bike rack near the car park (at the entrance to the camp site).
Kinder Scout Walk Difficulty: ▲▲▲
Walk Time: 4-5 hours
Walk Distance: 10 miles
Trig Points Bagged: Kinder Low, The Edge
Peak District Peaks Bagged: Kinder Scout, Mill Hill
Peak District Ethels Bagged: Kinder Scout, Mill Hill
Hayfield to Kinder Scout Walking Route:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Hayfield to Kinder Scout
Crowden Clough to Kinder Scout Walk
Edale is a very popular place to start a walk to Kinder Scout (The Old Nags Head is the official starting point for the Pennine Way). To escape the crowds heading up Jacob’s Ladder, this walk takes you up Crowden Clough onto the plateau. You can either take the footpath up the side of the Clough or scramble up the Clough itself. This walk heads over to Kinder Downfall and the Kinder Low trig point before winding back down Jacob’s Ladder into Edale.
Here’s the route map for this Kinder Scout walk.
Parking: Barber Booth, Edale Rd High Peak S33 7ZL. W3W:// version.plod.secures Pay and Display: £4.75 for the day
Facilities: None
Walk Time: 3-4 hours depending on speed and fitness
Difficulty: ▲▲▲
Distance: 7.7 miles (13 km)
Trig Points Bagged: Kinder Low
Peak District Peaks Bagged: None
Peak District Ethels Bagged: None
Crowden Clough Scramble Walk Map:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Crowden Clough to Kinder Scout
For the more adventurous, you might like to scramble up onto Kinder Scout. There are lots of different ways up onto the plateau, and here are a few of our favourite scrambles.
Red Brook Scramble onto Kinder Scout
The southern edge of Kinder Scout has a few scrambles, most of which aren’t really for beginners, however Red Brook is a lovely way to get up to the summit. This Red Brook scramble heads up past Kinder Reservoir, The Mermaid’s Pool, up to the Kinder Low Trig Point and then over to Brown Knoll, South Head and Mount Famine in an epic 3 Ethels, 2 trig point walk. This is a longer walk at 9.5 miles but makes for an epic day out in the Peak District.
Red Brook Scramble to Kinder Scout Walk Route:
Parking: Head to the car park at SK22 2ES.
Facilities: Public toilets and bike rack near the car park (at the entrance to the camp site).
Walk Difficulty: ▲▲▲
Walk Time: 4-5 hours
Walk Distance: 9.5 miles (15.3km)
Trig Points Bagged: Kinder Low, Brown Knoll
Peak District Peaks Bagged: Brown Knoll, South Head, Mount Famine
Peak District Ethels Bagged: Brown Knoll, South Head, Mount Famine (Mill Hill and Kinder Scout aren’t too far away if you wanted to extend the route)
Red Brook to Kinder Scout Walking Route:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Red Brook Scramble to Kinder Scout
Nether Red Brook and Fair Brook Scramble
This is a much quieter way to get up onto the plateau, using the bleaker northern edge of the Kinder plateau and follows the course of Ashop Clough before scrambling up Nether Red Brook. The walk meanders around the beautiful northern edge of the plateau before heading across the moors to The Edge trig point and Kinder Downfall. It then heads over the bleak plateau to Fair Brook before following the brook down to the starting point, past waterfalls and pools.
Kinder Scout Scramble Walk:
Parking: A lay-by on the A57 near the Snake Pass Inn (S33 0BJ)
Facilities: None
Walk Time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: ▲▲▲ – this route involves a scramble and is navigationally challenging
Distance: 6.7 miles (9 km)
Trig Points Bagged: The Edge
Peak District Peaks Bagged: None
Peak District Ethels Bagged: None
Kinder Scout Waterfalls Map:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Nether Red Brook Scramble to Kinder Scout
Edale to Kinder Scout via Ringing Roger scramble
This Edale to Kinder Scout walk scrambles up Ringing Roger on the southern side of the Kinder plateau before heading along Upper Tor and Nether Tor and scrambling back down Grindsbrook Clough into Edale. This walk is a great one for avoiding the crowds on Kinder Scout!
Parking: Edale Car and Coach Park S33 7ZQ
Facilities: There is a cafe and toilets in the car park, and pubs and a village store in the village of Edale.
Walk Time: 1-2 hours depending on speed and fitness
Difficulty: ▲▲▲
Distance: 5.5 miles (8.85 km)
Trig Points Bagged: None
Peak District Peaks Bagged: None (you could extend the walk and head to Grindslow Knoll)
Peak District Ethels Bagged: None (you could extend it and head to Grindslow Knoll)
Ringing Roger Walk Map:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Ringing Roger Scramble to Kinder Scout and Grindsbrook Clough
Edale to the True Summit of Kinder Scout
Most walkers use the trig point at Kinder Low as their summit marker for Kinder Scout. As the plateau is so huge, there isn’t a defined peak and the Kinder Low trig point is just 3m lower than the actual summit, so I can see why they do. We took a trip to the actual proper summit of Kinder Scout, which is off the main path and on the bleak plateau. It can be hard to navigate on the plateau in bad weather.
This 7.5 mile walk starts in Barber Booth and heads up Grindslow Knoll before exploring the Peak District’s highest mountain and the true Kinder Scout summit. With amazing rock formations and spectacular views, this is a classic Peak District walk.
Parking: Barber Booth, Edale Rd High Peak S33 7ZL. W3W:// version.plod.secures Pay and Display: £4.75 for the day
Facilities: None
Walk Time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: ▲▲▲
Distance: 7.5 miles (12.1km)
Trig Points Bagged: None
Peak District Peaks Bagged: Kinder Scout
Peak District Ethels Bagged: Grindslow Knoll, Kinder Scout
True Kinder Scout Summit Walk Map:
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Edale to Grindslow Knoll and Kinder Scout True Summit
Other Kinder Scout walks include:
Kinder Scout Dog Stone via Sandy Heys and Cluther Rocks
Edale to Kinder Scout and Mam Tor | 12 Miles
Edale to the Dragon Rapide on Kinder Scout
Kinder Scout is such an amazing place to explore. Whether it’s the remote northern edge or the southern edge with amazing views over Kinder Reservoir, there’s bound to be a walk on Kinder Scout that suits you. For more Peak District walking inspiration, come follow The Wandering Wildflower on Instagram.
Leave a Reply