5 Beginner Lake District Landscape Photography Locations You Can Reach Without a Long Hike

Welcome back! I am going to keep this one as short as possible, but at the same time try to give you enough information in a short space of time so that you can get out and shoot.

What follows is a list of 5 places you can take incredible landscape photos in The Lake District, without having a massive hike to get there. These will be great if you’re short on time, or if you’re short on energy but still want to get out. Nothing in here has more than a 20 minute to reach a great spot and get some great photos in the bag.

Gummer’s How

This one is the one with longest and most demanding walk, which is saying something as this one is an easy trek, which should take no longer than 20 minutes from the car, has a bit of climbing but is rewarded with incredible views across Windermere and many of the Lake District fells.

There’s a free car park just off Fell Foot Brow, which is run by Forestry England. You can find it at ///rated.soup.looms on What Three Words.

From here, cross the road and follow the signs which will lead you along a short trail with a slight incline, and then you’ll be met by a short, but much steeper climb up to the top of the hill.

Walk towards Windermere (you will be able to see it) and you will be rewarded with some breath taking views. This is a great place for sunset and you’ll get some incredible shots if the weather is in your favour. I prefer a long lens here as it lets you pick some of the detail in the scene.

Don’t forget your head torch for the way back if you’re planning on staying late.

If you’re planning for sunset, then check out my sunrise and sunset photography in the Lake District blog.

Queen Adelaide’s Hill

This is another one which is a short walk from the car and rewards you with great views across Windermere, without the walk up Gummer’s How. There’s even a bench at the top if you’re feeling a little out of breath. This is another good one for sunset. You can park at at Rayrigg Meadow Car Park (What Three Words: ///magpie.permanent.agent).

The path to Queen Adelaides Hill is largely paved, but there is a small section which is through a bit of woodland that can be uneven underfoot and isn’t paved so make sure you have the right footwear on.

Arrive in plenty time if you’re going for sunset, as this car park allows motorhomes overnight and it fills up quickly. It’s also not cheap and is run by the council so there’s no discount/free parking with your National Trust Card.

Head towards ///waiters.risky.loudness and you will be in position for some great views.

Surprise View

We’re heading out of the Southern Lake District and up to Borrowdale for this one. You’ll find Surpise View at What3Words ///copying.shadowed.bounding , with parking really close by. I would estimate the walk from the car to the viewpoint to be around 30 seconds… This is the shortest ‘walk’ on the list! You have incredible views of Derwent Water and down into Keswick from up here, and it’s great for sunset shoots, and also looks great at Blue Hour.

Whilst you are here, you can also bag a Lake District classic and bag yourself a shot of the packhorse bridge at Ashnesss, What3Words ///pills.index.remarried. This is a great place to go and do some long exposure work! Check out my long exposure blog by clicking here.

Wastwater

Moving out into the Western Lake District now, and we’re headed to Wast Water. I am not going to include a what3words location for this one, because there are so many great places to shoot from here. You’ll end up on the north eastern shore of the lake (the opposite shore is inaccessible unless you fancy a swim across England’s deepest lake) when you arrived and there is lots of parking at the side of the road (stay out of the passing places and park respectfully, please!). Once you’re parked, you can walk along the side of the lake and scope out some of the compositions that are spread out in front of you. Explore and have fun. This is another one that is great at sunset.

Blea Tarn

This one takes a little more central and comes with a weather warning. If the weather is poor, don’t go - check before your travel. In the winter, the roads leading up here become treacherous and are impassable in bad weather. You have been warned!

That said, in the summer, whilst you need to be careful on the roads, many of which are single track, your patience (and careful driving) will be rewarded with an easy walk up shot at Blea Tarn.

You can park at the National Trust Car Park (free for members!) which you will find at What3Words ///destroyer.marked.groomed . Leave the car park via the entrance you got in through, cross the road and follow the path. From here, the tarn is on your right and you can walk down to it. Make sure you watch where you put your feet and take good shoes - it can be very boggy. There are great shots across towards the Langdale Pikes and you will see some interesting wildlife here if that’s your bag as well.

This one is a good sunrise spot, get here early to secure the best spots.

Bonus Hidden Gem

This one is often overlooked and is little known. It is called Kelly Hall Tarn, which is in a village called Torver on the way into Consiston. There is parking at What3Words ///backdrop.shelters.quitter. Once parked, take a walk towards the back of the car park and follow the path which will lead you to the Tarn. It’s about a five minute walk, which can be boggy after rain and also boggy when it hasn’t rained for days. Be prepared. This is a great sunset spot, and is super dark at night for you astro fans!

And that concludes the blog! If you try any of these locations, let me know how you get on. I’m always interested to hear where people head first, and what conditions they find when they get there. Keep an eye on the blog for more beginner-friendly Lake District photography guides.

These guides are all written from time spent out in the Lakes with a camera in hand. If you’ve found it useful, buying me a coffee is a great way to support the site. You can also join my newsletter for future guides, photography tips, and new content as it’s published.

Check out some more of my latest blog posts below…