Wow Trail, Whinlatter Forest
4.5 miles (7.2 km). About 2 hours, easy.
Start: NY 216 252. Finish: NY 220 255. OS grid.
Take it with you: download the GPX file of the part mapped so far (it opens in OS Maps, Komoot, Outdooractive or a GPS unit) or open the start in OS Maps.
Map incomplete. Forestry England’s line for this walk is about 3.1 miles of the 4.5 miles its page gives, so the map falls short of the real thing. See the whole route on the publisher’s page.
Up and down
About 153 m of climbing and 200 m of descent; highest point 411 m.
Facts
- Code
- NW 1191
- Distance
- 4.5 miles (7.2 km). We measure 3.1 miles along the mapped line
- Publisher’s page
- forestryengland.uk
- Walking time
- About 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy (how we grade)
- Designation
- Regional route
- Region
- North West
- County
- Cumbria
- Total ascent
- About 153 m. Highest point 411 m
Getting there
- Bus stops
- Galleries (N bound), 830 m from the start. Directions NY 223 254Galleries (S bound), 830 m from the start. Directions NY 224 254
- Car park
- Car park (free), 950 m from the start. Directions NY 222 244
Getting back
Stations and bus stops near the finish:
- Bus stops
- Galleries (N bound), 360 m from the finish. Directions NY 223 254Galleries (S bound), 380 m from the finish. Directions NY 224 254The Swan Hotel (N bound), 830 m from the finish. Directions NY 220 264
What to expect
Steepest climb: about 76 m in a kilometre (1 in 13), starting 1 mile in.
From OpenStreetMap, where mappers have recorded it: check before you go.
Pubs and cafés
- Cafés
- Cafe Ambio, Thornthwaite: 0.9 miles in. Dogs on leads, step-free.Tea Shop, Thornthwaite: 3.1 miles in, about 350 m off the way.
As OpenStreetMap records them. Opening times change, so check before you set off.
Walked it? Log it
Connecting routes
- NW 1057Seat How Summit TrailShares 1.3 miles of path with this route. This route starts on it at Whinlatter visitor centre.
- NW 1147Two Gills TrailShares 0.7 miles of path with this route. Starts and finishes on this route at Thornthwaite.
- NW 1124Comb Beck TrailShares 0.5 miles of path with this route.
Walks nearby
- NW 1200Masmill Beck Trail, Whinlatter Forest1.3 miles, circular. Starts 0.6 miles away
- NW 1195Heavy Sides Trail, Whinlatter Forest1.5 miles. Starts 0.6 miles away
- NW 1198Words in the Woods Trail, Whinlatter Forest1.5 miles, circular. Starts 0.7 miles away
- NW 1201Revelin Moss Trail, Whinlatter Forest1 mile. Starts 0.7 miles away
- NW 1089Force Crag Mine Accessible Trail2.3 miles, there and back. Starts 1.1 miles away
- NW 1151Douglas Fir Trail1 mile, circular. Starts 2.2 miles away
Sources
Checked against forestryengland.uk on 12 October 2026.
- Route line: Forestry England, Recreation routes, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Forestry England).
- Facts: forestryengland.uk
Something wrong or missing?
Tell us what to change about this walk: a wrong distance, a moved start, a path that's closed.