This was my absolute favourite place that we visited over our stay in the Lake District. In my opinion it was a scene straight out of a fairytale, with a multitude of trees and many rivers and waterfalls.

Grizedale Forest Walks

No matter your ability/mobility or time restrictions there is a walk you can do. There are eleven different trails available (eight if you discount the three that have long and short trails), some starting from different locations (mainly car parks) but all properly sign posted.

There are signs explaining the differences between each walk as well as the distance between each walk as well as the distance of the trails. The longest being 16km and the shortest being 1km.

The Clockwork Forest

So, we might have been a bit too old for this, but as kids we would have loved this and even now, we spent a fair bit of time turning each of the keys.

Walking up the hill towards the start of the trail Mum and I thought we could hear music but didn’t realise that it was actually the trees.

There are seven trees at the beginning (or end- depending on the way you walk) of one of the trails that have keys sticking out of them. There are instructions on how to use these (turn 10 times) then when this is complete each tree produces a different melody.

Jo and I took turns trying out the keys on our way past, some weren’t working but it was nice to hear the different tunes. It was also a challenge to try to spot the hidden keys and fairy homes dotted around the trail.

It was something straight out of a novel.

Bikes at Grizedale Forest

The trails at Grizedale Forest aren’t just for walking, there are also some available for cycling and/or mountain biking. We actually saw quite a few people riding around the forest, some small children while others were adults.

There is also the opportunity to hire bikes on site so if you are visiting and haven’t bought one with you or you don’t own one, you won’t have to miss out on this fun activity.

Grizdale Forest Sculptures

As you’re exploring the forest you may stumble across a few sculptures. These are all a part of an art project and have been created by some contemporary artists. We got the opportunity to see a few of these and they are truly stunning.

Go Ape at Grizedale

There are so many different activities on offer at Grizedale Forest, especially from Go Ape. Many people will automatically think of the Tree Top Challenges when they’re thinking of Go Ape, and that is definitely available at this location. However, they also offer segway trips and ziplines.

Unfortunately, we didn’t try any of this at this location even if they sound like a lot of fun. We have however, done the Tree Top Challenge at a different location so I can imagine how great it is here.

Other Activities at Grizedale Forest

• Horse Riding
• Orienteering
• Picnics (I can confirm this is a great location for a picnic)
• Children’s Playground
• Zog Activity Trail

Conclusion

Grizedale Forest was definitely one of my favourite places during our holiday. It was somewhere that I was always returning to and hoping that we could spend some time there.