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Explore Whinlatter
(Average user rating: 5 unrated 4.4/5)

Whinlatter, England's only true Mountain Forest, is home to stunning views, fantastic walks, exhilarating mountain biking, rare wildlife and adventure play.

Picnic cinema comes to Whinlatter

Picnic CinemaA unique experience for film lovers, outdoor adventurers and culture vultures. Come along and see the Shallow Grave (18) on 25 May 2013. Tickets are now on sale at www.picniccinema.co.uk.

Walking trails

Whinlatter is a great place for walking with unrivalled views across Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater and Keswick and many miles of gravel roads, surfaced paths and tracks to explore.

Mountain bike trails

Whinlatter is home to the longest purpose-built mountain bike trails in the Lake District. The Altura Trail puts altitude into Mountain Biking by offering stunning views and a great single track trail which rises to 500m (1600ft) above Keswick and the northern lakes. 

WildPlay

Whinlatter WildPlay trail is a unique play trail for children, with 9 different play zones to explore through the trees. You can practice your engineering skills and draw water from the stream with an Archimedes screw or use the gravel mover to shift gravel around the pit.

Events at Whinlatter

Whinlatter has a programme of events throughout the year from family events run by the ranger team to large scale sporting events including adventure races, trail runs and car rallies. And of course, visiting the forest through the year gives you a host of different sights and sounds, from the changing colours of the trees, to the different wildlife you can see.

Food and drink

Siskins Café offers a fabulous range of freshly prepared home cooked food. There's a huge variety of sandwiches and toasted paninis, jacket potatoes and soups.

Wonderful wildlife

Whinlatter Forest is home to a host of wonderful wildlife, from red squrriels who live amongst our mature conifer trees to the Bassenthwaite Ospreys who nest near the forest from April to August. Watch these amazing birds of prey from the live nest camera or visit the Lake District Osprey Project.

Volunteering                                                                                        

The Friends of Whinlatter is a group of volunteers who work with the Whinlatter ranger team to help look after the forest. They get involved in different activities from mountain bike trail maintenance and squirrel surveying to tree planting and dry stone walling.http://visitlakelandforests.co.uk/index.php/volunteer

Go Ape. UK’s No.1 Forest Adventure Enjoy two to three hours of adventure high above the forest floor, taking on Zip Wires, Tarzan Swings and a variety of Crossings.
Take a look and book at our Go Ape page.

What do other visitors say?

5 Stars 5 Stars

this park is amazing so i choose to do my leaflet on it for school it was homework i only wish you had a trail map online.

shannon 2457, 25/Nov/2012
5 Stars 5 Stars

Amazing cycling routes, blue one harder than expected but great fun, wouldnt recommend it to non mountain bikers. The red South loop is a bit complicated but my dad and I climbed for 50 minutes to get to the summit, which gives you incredible views, then had 25 minutes of complicated awesome downhill track which really gets the adrenaline pumping! Had a few close calls but thats what mountain bikings about!

James Scott, 28/Oct/2012
5 Stars 5 Stars

Brilliant site with amazing playground that takes ages to try all the bits, GoApe, osprey nest and a cool bike trail. Awesome day out up a mountain.

Jenna, 12/Oct/2012
More user comments

Please tell us about your visit

Please email us at whinlatter@forestry.gsi.gov.uk if you have an enquiry or would like a reply to your comments.

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What's Here?

  • Cafe
  • Educational
  • Picnic
  • Visitor centre
  • Toliets
  • Cycling
  • 2 Mountain Bike trails, 7.5km and 19km long
  • Cycling Hire
  • Cycle hire available onsite from Cyclewise
  • Orienteering
  • Orienteering maps available from the Visitor Centre
  • Parking (chargeable)
  • 1 hour £1.60
    2 hours £3.20
    4 hours £5.30
    All day £6.90
  • Play area
  • Unique WildPlay trail opened in Spring 2011.
  • Walking
  • Wide range of waymarked walking trails and children's trails
  • Viewpoint
  • Spectacular views of the Lake District Mountains, Keswick and Bassenthwaite lake.
  • Wildlife
  • Osprey nest live video camera from April to August
More about what's here

Location

OS Grid ref: NY209245
Postcode: CA12 5TW

Get directions

Contact

Recreation Ranger
01768 778469
whinlatter@­forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Opening & Parking

Opening Times:
Visitor Information & Exhibition Centre
10am-4pm
Cafe & Shop have varying hours, please ring for details.
Parking
1 hour £1.60
2 hours £3.20
4 hours £5.30
All day £6.90
Discovery Pass
£20 Dodd
£40 Whinlatter
£50 Whinlatter & Grizedale

Useful sites

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