Guide · Planning Lake District
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Lake District parking is one of the most searched topics about visiting the area — and with good reason. In summer, particularly on weekends in July and August, the parking situation at the most popular sites is genuinely difficult. Car parks fill before nine o'clock. Verges are full. The approach roads become slow queues of cars looking for spaces.
This guide explains why it is difficult, which sites are worst and how to avoid the problem entirely.
The Lake District receives approximately 19 million visitors per year. The National Park is approximately 25 miles across at its widest point. The road network is largely Victorian-era, built for horse traffic, and has not been significantly widened. The most popular attractions — Tarn Hows, the Langdale valley, Grasmere, Bowness waterfront, Coniston — all have limited parking that was adequate when visitor numbers were lower and is completely inadequate now.
The National Park Authority has been managing this problem for decades with a mixture of pricing (the car parks are not cheap), encouraging public transport and, most recently, experimenting with timed entry systems and pre-booking at the most congested sites.
The practical reality for visitors is that in summer, planning where you will park is as important as planning where you will go.
Tarn Hows — fills very quickly on summer weekends. The National Trust car park is the only official parking. Overflow parking on the verges has been progressively removed.
Grasmere — the main car parks fill by mid-morning on summer weekends. The village is not large, and the overflow is significant.
Bowness — the most consistently congested. The waterfront is the main draw, and the approach roads to Bowness back up significantly in summer.
Langdale — the valley car parks at the Old Dungeon Ghyll and New Dungeon Ghyll are frequently full on summer weekends from early morning.
Honister Pass and the western Lakes — the car parks at the main viewpoints on the Honister Pass and at Buttermere and Crummock Water fill quickly.
Arrive early — before nine o'clock at the most popular sites. The car parks that are full by ten are usually accessible at eight.
Visit on weekdays — midweek visitor numbers are noticeably lower than weekends throughout the summer season. If your dates are flexible, a Tuesday or Wednesday visit is considerably more relaxed than a Saturday.
Come in shoulder season — September, October, November and the winter months are dramatically better than July and August. The parking problem largely disappears outside the peak summer period.
Use the bus — the 599 bus between Windermere and Grasmere runs regularly and covers most of the southern Lakes. The 555 service covers Windermere to Keswick. For the Langdale valley, seasonal bus services operate from Ambleside.
Come by train and join a tour — this is the cleanest solution. Arrive at Windermere station by train, join a guided tour, and the parking is never your problem. We handle all the logistics, including the approach to the most popular sites.
The Lake District road network was not designed for 19 million visitors. The most rewarding way to experience the landscape is not from a queue of cars on the Bowness approach road or from a car park that is full. Coming by train and either joining a tour or using the bus network gives you a better experience of the Lakes than most visitors who arrive by car.
It is also faster. In peak summer, the train from Manchester to Windermere is quicker door-to-door than the drive for anyone arriving from the south-east of Manchester.
Our tours include pickup from Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside and Oxenholme. No parking required — we handle everything. See all tours.
Avoiding the parking problem? Keep exploring:
Approximately 19 million.
Often before nine o'clock in the morning on July and August weekends.
Tarn Hows, among other popular sites like the Langdale valley, Grasmere and Bowness waterfront.