Ambleside dog walks

From woodland wanders to lakeside ambles and hilly hikes, there are plenty of ways you can get out and about with your furry friend from the centre of Ambleside.

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Have you tried any of these?

There are obviously plenty more walks to choose from but these are just a few of our favourites!

Stock Ghyll Force
Loughrigg Fell and Rydal Caves
Stagshaw Garden
Skelghyll Woods
Ambleside Roman Fort

Stock Ghyll Force walk

Only a short trot from Ambleside and you’re soon on the gently ascending woodland trail up to Stock Ghyll Force – take some time to sniff the air (pooch) and admire the spectacular double-drop falls (you) before heading back down into town.

Walk guide >

See more Lake District Falls >

Loughrigg Fell and Rydal Cave walk

A bit more of a leg-stretcher for you and your hound but, not too strenuous. This popular walk starts in Ambleside at the Rydal Road car park and takes in Loughrigg Fell, with its fabulous views of Grasmere, and continues onto Rydal Cave where your canine companion can have a splash about in the cave or pad across the stepping stones if they don’t fancy getting their paws wet.

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Discover more of the Lake’s caves >

Stagshaw Garden walk

We think your four-legged friends (and you) will love exploring Stagshaw Garden. It’s a bit of a paradise for pooches, with its rambling paths, wooden bridges over babbling becks, and peaceful woodland setting.

Full of rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas, along with other interesting trees and shrubs, this National Trust-owned garden is about a 20 minute walk from the town centre and is worth visiting at any time of year, although it’s at its colourful best in spring.

Walk guide >

Skelghyll Woods walk

A sticks-throw away from Stagshaw Garden, on a hill above it, you can find Skelghyll Wood – an ancient forest and home to the well-signposted Champion Tree Trail and also Cumbria’s tallest tree – the Grand Fir.

Walk anti-clockwise to get the best out of the trail. From the woodland, you and your trusty hound can then head up to the viewpoint at Jenkin Crag for views to die for over Windermere and the fells beyond.

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Ambleside Roman Fort walk

Right next to the open green space of Borrans Park by the lake shore, where there’s plenty of room for your pooch to pelt around, you can find the remains of a Roman Fort – called Galava.

Here, you and your furry friend can explore the outlines of the fort and some of its rooms – we don’t know if there were any kennels – before heading off for a mosey along the banks of the River Rothay or along the shoreline of Windermere.

Walk guide >