Whinlatter forest walks

If you are thinking about visiting Whinlatter Forest then you need to read on to find out about all the fun things to do and all the Whinlatter forest walks. I will cover everything you need to know especially if you are visiting with kids. Find more fantastic Family walks Lake District here.

Table of Contents

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Where is Whinlatter Forest?

Whinlatter Forest is in the northern Lake District, not far from Keswick.

The Sat Nav Postcode is CA12 5TW

Child walking on balancing beams in the woods

There are several car parks but the best one for families is the main visitors centre one as this is where the play trail is as well as the start of the Gruffalo trail.

In the summer months (end of March to early November), you can get a bus from Keswick to Whinlatter. This is the 77/77a Honistor rambler bus and the timetable is here – 77&77A.

How much does it cost to visit Whinlatter Forest?

If you arrive by bus, there is no charge for walking in the forest or the play trail.

If you arrive by car, expect to pay for parking. They operate a pay-on-exit ticket machine system where you add your registration plate to the machine at the end of your walk and it shows you how much you owe. Please check the current signs in the car park as this could change.

Charges correct on 22nd April 202

Up to 20 minutes: No charge
First hour: £2.60
Additional time: £0.50 per 15 minutes
All day maximum charge: £10
Members: No action is required

Are there any pram-friendly walks in Whinlatter Forest?

Whinlatter is a mountain forest so don’t expect any flat walks. The paths are wide and smooth though so you could take an off-road pushchair. I’d stick with baby carriers for these walks if you can but you could take a pushchair on some trails.

The play trail is manageable with a pram but after that, the trails start to go uphill. The Gruffalo trail is also pushchair friendly.

Sleeping Gruffalo's child wooden sculpture

Although pram walks aren’t the easiest, Whinlatter is still a fantastic place for family walks. There is an amazing play trail over approximately 1 mile as well as a permanent Gruffalo and friends (wooden sculptures) trail and an annual changing Julia Donaldson trail. For 2026 the trail is Room on the Broom and it will run from late January 2026. Find full details here – Forestry England Room on the Broom trails North West.

For older kids, there is Go Ape, mountain biking trails, orienteering trails, segways, longer walking routes and parkrun events.

Find more Easy walks near Keswick here.

Whinlatter forest play area

As I mentioned above, there is an amazing play trail over approximately 1 mile directly from the visitor centre. The Wild play trail is one of the best play trails we have done.

There is play equipment spread over the trail, which is high quality, safe and really fun for kids.

The trail includes slides (the first one is really big too), climbing frames and walls, water play equipment, various swings, wooden playhouses and a play frame based around a pulley system of buckets for moving pebbles around.

Two children walking through the forest towards a large climbing frame

Gruffalo trail at Whinlatter forest

This trail is 1 mile long and is suitable for pushchairs if you are prepared for some steep uphill sections early on.

There are various wooden sculptures along this trail including the Gruffalo, the Grufallo’s child, fox and snake. The trail is well signposted and you don’t need to purchase a map or anything to do this family-friendly walk.

There is also a Gruffalo orienteering trail which is £1.50 from the visitor centre. You will use the trail to find 12 Gruffalo markers.

More Whinlatter forest walks

paths and bridges in a woodland clearing

There are several more walking trails in Whinlatter Forrest. From the main visitor centre, there are:

Wow trail which is 4.5 miles long
Comb Beck trail which is 1.75 miles long
Seat How Summit Trail which is 3.5 miles long
Lord’s Seat and Barf which is 5 miles long
Whinlatter top which is 2 miles long
Grizedale Pike which is 3.5 miles long

You can download a map of all the trails here – Whinlatter Walking Trails 2023.pdf or pick one up from the visitor centre.

There are also several walking routes from the other car parks. Full details can be found at the link above.

We walked the Comb Beck trail (and the play trail) on our visit which was a fantastic family walk. There were uphill sections as well as downhill ones too. We saw small waterfalls and stunning views of the surrounding area. My children were 9 and 6 at the time and managed it well. I wouldn’t have wanted to be pushing a pushchair on this route.

Whinlatter Forest visitors centre

The visitor centre is in the main car park. Here you will find a small shop, Cyclewise bike shop and hire and Toilets. There is also a picnic area nearby.

Whinlatter forest visitor centre at the top of a path with grass banks on either side

Whinlatter Forest accessibility

There is level access from the car park to the visitor centre, cafe, wild play trail and picnic area. You can also hire one of their trampers (the all-terrain mobility scooter) which is suitable for the Wow trail. Full details here – Tramper hire at Whinlatter Forest.

Go Ape at Whinlatter Forest

There is a fantastic Go Ape centre at Whinlatter Forest. This is a great place to bring older children and teenagers. There are activities suitable for younger children too from when they are over 1 meter tall. This is the Treetop Adventure which is up to 6 meters high and includes a zip wire.

Go ape course in the distance in a forest

Treetop Adventure plus is for children from 6 years old (minimum 1.2 meters tall). This is a step up from the standard Treetop Adventure for those wanting more speed, air, freedom, height, and thrills.

There is also a forest segway activity for anyone who is at least 7 stone.

Find out more about all these great adventures here * Go Ape Whinlatter.

4 vertical strips of photos of countryside including mountains, waterfalls and a wooden gruffalo sculpture

Enjoy family walks? Join the Family Walks North West Facebook group to be part of a community sharing the best walks for families across the region. Join here.