Campsites in the Lake District

The Lake District is a stunningly beautiful region of mountains, forests and lakes - and a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts thanks to the fantastic scenery and wide range of landscapes.

Don't Miss

• Derwent Water
• Cartmel
• Scarfell Pike
• Honister Slate Mine

Sightseeing

If you're camping in the Lakes you should, of course, take a look at some of the famous lakes. Lake Windemere is the largest lake in England and is a popular place to enjoy a boat cruise. The Ullswater Steamers run tours of beautiful Ullswater Lake and you can hop on and off and find a good spot to enjoy lunch. You can also take boat trips on Derwentwater - this lake is a real favourite with visitors and there are breath-taking views here. You can hire a boat on any of the larger lakes if you would like to row or drive yourself.

Here are some more interesting Lake District facts.

The poet William Wordsworth was born and lived in this region and you can visit his family home Rydal Mount which provides fascinating insight into his life and work. Nearby, the lovely little town of Grasmere contains the excellent Wordsworth Museum.

Literary lovers will also wish to visit Beatrix Potter's farmhouse at Hill Top to see where she was inspired to write her world famous tales. The Castlerigg Stone Circle and the High Street Roman Road are other fascinating landmarks in the area too.

The bustling market town of Keswick has good shops, restaurants and pubs, and two weekly markets. The busy and pretty town of Ambleside has no shortage of things to do.

There are some fantastic little villages throughout the lakes, offering cosy pubs backed by stunning scenery. Highlights include the village of Coniston and the village of Cartmel, home to the lovely Cartmel Priory.

Activities

Billed as the Adventure Capital of the UK, the Lake District is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. There are a huge number of walking and hiking routes to be enjoyed in the park and top of the list for most hikers is conquering Scarfell Pike, the highest peak in England.

All types of cycling are popular here, from ambling through country lanes to hard core mountain biking. The forest of Whinlatter offers a number of excellent walks and a fantastic environment for mountain biking.

Hiking and walking in the Lake District is superb with many walks and climbs to choose from. The Great Langdale is where you can tackle some of the most well-known hikes such as the Langdale Pikes, or the Crinkle Crags and Bowfell. Buttermere and Crummock Water, are overlooked by striking fells and the Honister Pass is where you can find one of the last working slate mines. Helvellyn via Striding Edge and the Newlands Valley are other popular routes. Other peaks include Loughrigg Fell, Helm Crag, Skiddaw and the Old Man of Coniston.

The Lakes are a real draw for adventure activities such as climbing, caving, canyoning and abseiling. You can even try canyoning and ghyll scrambling, which involves working your way through river gorges, crossing rock faces, sliding down waterfalls, jumping across boulders and plunging into pools. Awesome!

And don't forget the watersports! You can sail, canoe, kayak, windsurf and wakeboard to your heart's content on the regions many lakes and rivers.

Family days out

The World of Beatrix Potter will enchant Peter Rabbit fans. Also definitely worth a visit is Hill Top in Hawkshead, Beatrix Potter's cottage which is now run by the National Trust and is still filled with all of her favourite things.

If you love animals, at the Lake District Wildlife Park you can see over 100 species of including zebras, lemurs, meerkats, birds of prey and cute little pigs.

Tree Top Trek in Brockhole and Go Ape in Whinlatter offer high ropes courses and zip wires among the trees which your little monkeys are bound to enjoy.

Both older kids and adults will enjoy an underground tour of the Honister Slate Mine. A big attraction here is the via ferrata, which allows you to rope up and traverse the rock faces of the mine, following the original miner's route for truly breath-taking views. Thanks to the setting, the drive up to the mine is also a real thrill.

The unusual Pencil Museum is a surprise hit. Home to the world's largest colouring pencil and the world's first ever pencil, there are lots of activities for children here. Another unique attraction is the Puzzling Place which contains all kinds of puzzles, illusions and even an anti-gravity room.

Muncaster Castle makes for a great day trip and also houses in its grounds the excellent World Owl Centre. There is something here for everyone.