Yew Crag should be a Lake District walk that’s on sunrise walk list. The walk is an easy and short but the views are spectacular over Ullswater. It can also be easily be extended into a longer one or tied in with the beautiful Aira Force waterfall. Read on for all the route details for this Lake District sunrise hike up Yew Crag, how to get there and how to extend your walk.

Where is Yew Crag in the Lake District?

Yew Crag is a small but stunning viewpoint which overlooks Ullswater and the Eastern Fells. It is best reached from the National Trust Car Park for Aira Force with just a 45 minute walk. On a calm and sunny day, the water sparkles and the mountains loom in the distance; it really is absolutely beathtaking.

Lake District sunrise hike; Yew Crag route and maps

From the car park, head out the back past the visitor centre and through the woodlands. Be sure to keep the river on your right. Eventually, you reach a wooden bridge; cross over the river and head up through the woodland. Keep slightly right and pass through a wooden swing gate.

The path then heads right before meeting a junction where you need to take the higher path to the left. This rises gradually onto the hillside. Stay on this path and eventually you’ll reach Yew Crag. You’ll know you’re there because there’s a little gate to go through to get onto the rocky viewpoint. Be sure to regularly look back behind you to take in the views!

From here, you have a couple of options; head back down the same way or follow the path underneath Yew Crag. This will take you back to the car park.

Downloadable map routes for Yew Crag

Here’s the loop on OS maps and the link to download the route;

Or, if you have time, I would instead recommend a slightly different route. From the car park head up through the woods to Aira Force waterfall following the signs for Gowbarrow Fell. From that summit you can loop back down, past Yew Crag and to the car park. This is a longer 7km ish walk. Here’s the route on OS maps with the link to download the map.

For an incredible Lake District sunrise hike, Yew Crag should definitely be on your list! You can easily spend half a day in this area and Aira Force is worth a visit to see the waterfall. You can even swim in the higher falls; check out my previous blog post for how to find the swim spot here.

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