New research from Daffodil Hotel has revealed the Lake District’s most popular (and most Instagrammable) lake walks and fell walks: https://www.daffodilhotel.co.uk/blog/the-most-popular-hikes-walks-in-the-lake-district/
The 10 most popular walks in the Lake District:
| Rank | Walk | Search Term | Type | Instagram hashtags | Annual Google searches | Combined searches and hashtag mentions |
| 1 | Windermere | Windermere | Lake | 882,276 | 779,200 | 1,661,476 |
| 2 | Ullswater | Ullswater | Lake | 159,360 | 997,500 | 1,156,860 |
| 3 | Scafell Pike | Scafell Pike | Fell | 88,473 | 513,200 | 601,673 |
| 4 | Catbells | Catbells | Fell | 55,982 | 319,300 | 375,282 |
| 5 | Haystacks | Haystacks | Fell | 45,108 | 241,700 | 286,808 |
| 6 | Derwent Water | Derwent Water | Lake | 150,970 | 84,300 | 235,270 |
| 7 | Blencathra | Blencathra | Fell | 39,188 | 193,500 | 232,688 |
| 8 | Whinlatter | Whinlatter | Fell | 24,294 | 175,300 | 199,594 |
| 9 | Coniston Water | Coniston Water | Lake | 29,018 | 145,600 | 174,618 |
| 10 | Thirlmere | Thirlmere | Lake | 22,071 | 133,500 | 155,571 |
The research has revealed that:
- Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in Britain, is the Lake District’s most popular and most Instagrammable fell walk, with 601,673 searches and over 88,000 Instagram hashtags.
- Windermere, the largest natural lake in England, ranks as the most popular lake for walks in the Lake District. It has been searched for online over 1 million times and happened to be the most Instagrammable walk in the lake district, with 882,276 Instagram hashtags.
- The Lake District is also a significant place for admirers of romantic-era poetry to visit. “Lake Poets” including William Wordsworth, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge all lived in the area. Bowness-on-Windermere has an attraction for children’s writer Beatrix Potter. What’s more, William Wordsworth was inspired to write his poem “Daffodils” upon witnessing the flower growing along Ullswater’s bank.
Daffodil Hotel spoke to Amy Irvine, an avid fell walker who has completed many of these popular walks. She runs an Instagram page, “roamingthelakes” dedicated to her adventures around the Lake District.
Amy has commented on the health benefits of fell walking and her favourite walks in the Lake District:
“The Lake District has always been my home but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I fell in love with fell walking. I definitely took growing up here for granted but now I’m so grateful to call this beautiful part of the world my home.
“Hiking is one of the only ways I can switch off from the outside world. I have seen so many improvements to my physical and mental health since taking up fell walking as it helps clear my mind, reduces any feelings of stress and is a great workout! I regularly hike with my 3 dogs, as it gives me the chance to bond with them and take photographs of them enjoying the great outdoors.
“I’m currently on a mission to complete all 214 of the Wainwrights in the Lake District – I’ve just ticked off number 95! I’ve already climbed both Catbells and Haystacks, and they are both amazing walks. Catbells has amazing views of Derwentwater, where Haystacks boasts impressive views of Buttermere and Crummock Water, it’s easy to see why Haystacks was Alfred Wainwright’s favourite. I’m saving Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, as my last Wainwright to climb.”
You can see Amy’s Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/roamingthelakes/?hl=en
See Daffodil Hotel’s research on the Lake District’s 50 most popular walks here: http://www.daffodilhotel.co.uk/blog/the-most-popular-hikes-walks-in-the-lake-district/
