Today we did part of the Forestry Commission’s High Bowkerstead trail, south of Grizedale.  It’s a well marked walking trail, and you can get a neat little map from the main visitor centre (£1.50 for map plus numerous trails).

We parked for free at the Blind Lane car park, GR 343912 on OS map OL7.  From here you could just follow the signs leading from the car park and do the short trail (2.5 miles) or the long trail (4 miles).  We didn’t follow the trail in the right order, but still followed the markers for the top loop of the figure of 8.  This took us up to the viewpoint and past some interesting sculptures.

When you leave the car park, take the path on the right, (not the signed path to the left).  Follow this path through the woods until you emerge onto a forestry commission track.

Take the left fork and follow the white trail markers all the way up to the viewpoint, which is almost hidden by the forest.  There is a way marker near the top – you can leave the path here if you wish to safely climb the rock to get to see the view!  Keep following the white trail markers and it will loop back round to the car park.  It’s just under 2.5 miles in total.  See map below in photos.

The forests were alive today with so much to discover and explore.  The foxgloves and thistles were making an appearance, along with hundreds of butterflies, slugs, beetles, spiders and ants!  We even saw a gaggle of geese flying high in the sky above us.  And the bracken has finally uncurled and was dominating many slopes.

There is a pub in Satterthwaite, although today we didn’t visit as we’d promised the kids a run around the playground at the Grizedale Visitor Centre, which is a short drive up the road.

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