Paddle the glacial lake of Wastwater in the western Lake District. England’s deepest lake is surrounded by wild beauty and towering mountains, including Scafell Pike, providing a stunning backdrop to a serene trail.
Distance: 3.2km (1.9 miles)
Time: 1 hour
Sat Nav: CA20 1ET
What3Words: ///tell.trainers.charts
Find out more about Wastwater on PaddlePoints >>
We parked at the National Trust’s Over Beck Car Park next to the Overbeck River (CA20 1ET – ///tell.trainers.charts).
It costs £9 for the day, and is an ideal starting point. You simply have to cross the road to reach the shore of Wastwater.
Alternatively, you can park at Lake Head, near Seascale (CA20 1EX – ///spelling.cold.alongside).
There’s public toilets, including an accessible one, and a welcome centre with information and safety advice.
Wasdale Campsite (CA20 1EX – ///resolves.owns.performs) can be found close to the visitor centre.
There is a track leading down to the beach which takes about 10 minutes to walk.
Wasdale Hall Youth Hostel (CA20 1ET – ///rezoning.rust.chill) also has a launch point to explore the lake, but parking is for guests only.
There are lay-bys on the road near the hostel.
After launching across the road from Over Beck car park, we headed right (south) towards Nether Beck.
Checking the information at Over Beck car park
Wastwater is the deepest lake in the Lake District, and designated a special area of conservation.
The lake is surrounded by spectacular fells and breathtaking wilderness
The low lying clouds added to the drama.
On a warm and dry day you could spend hours here taking in your surroundings.
However, like anywhere in the Lake District the weather and wind direction can change very quickly.
We stayed close to the shore before turning back after reaching Nether Beck.
Heading to the shore from Overbeck car park
Once out of the water, and back at Over Beck car park, we got changed out of our wet kit.
The Wasdale Head Inn (CA20 1EX – ///wanted.plums.press) is the nearest pub and restaurant, and only six minutes away.
However, due to a power cut, we had to travel in the opposite direction.
We stopped at The Screes Inn, in Nether Wasdale (CA20 1ET – ///dares.surfer.gurgling).
The pub was busy, which is always a good sign.
The food was great with a good choice of local beers.
As always with the Lake District, plan ahead with the weather and be well prepared for a day on the water.
You can find more information about paddling safely here.
