Grizedale Forest - Forestry England — Attraction in Great Britain

A great place for a day out if you're in the Lake District. Around the visitor centre you'll find a Go Ape activity centre (zip lines and tree top adventures) along with a shop, cafe, and information centres. From here you can set off on a number of marked trails, graded from easy to strenuous, taking you around the forest. The trails around the visitor centre are the busiest, but if you go just a short way into the trees you can find some other, quieter trails, all of which are marked on the maps you can buy. It's a working forest though, so obey signs that tell you not to proceed etc. Only one of the trails - Ridding Wood, close to the visitor centre - is flat and really suitable for the likes of small children, the elderly and the disabled. If you take any of the trails, be prepared to get a little muddy unless the weather has been kind, and don't wear your best shoes!

Grizedale Forest also has lots of interesting sculptures dotted through the woods. Some of them are marked on the map, but not all, so keep your eyes peeled!

Parking is charged on exit. They use an automatic number plate recognition system which tags your car on entry, and when leaving you enter your registration number into the pay station and it tells you how much you owe. A nice idea, but it didn't work for us or for a few other people we saw, so we had to estimate how long we'd been there and pay...

Grizedale Forest is a fantastic destination for outdoor enthusiasts, families, and nature lovers alike. Managed by the Forestry Commission, the forest offers a wide range of activities set within a truly beautiful landscape.

There are multiple well-maintained bike trails and walking routes suitable for various levels of ability, though it’s important to note that the terrain is very hilly—this isn’t the place to visit if you’re looking for a gentle stroll or an easy ride. That said, if you’re up for the challenge, the scenery is absolutely worth the effort. Towering trees, open glades, and occasional sculptures along the trails make every turn feel like a discovery.

The visitor centre is a great starting point, offering helpful information about the area, trail maps, and advice on the best routes to take. Next to it is a café that serves hot drinks, light meals, and snacks—a welcome stop after a long hike or ride.

Families with young children will appreciate the well-equipped playground, and thrill-seekers can get their adrenaline fix at the Go Ape treetop adventure course located on site.

All in all, Grizedale Forest is a rewarding place to explore with plenty to do. Just come prepared for the hills, and you’ll leave with great memories and probably a good...

I'm a bit disappointed with this place. While it's got a massive potential and the views can be amazing in a few places, there's a clear feeling that any sort of activities is just an afterthought. Especially mountain biking - you basically end up cruising on fire roads admiring various stages of logging going on. On the official route, there's only a few dedicated trails and they are in really poor condition and seem forgotten. I do understand there's a pandemic, but being in Whinlatter earlier on the same day and seeing how great are the trails over there, I was hoping for something similar, at least in terms of trail upkeep. Instead there were branches hiring my face, big chunks of boardwalk missing on one trail and another trail completely closed with diversion through a fire road. Like there weren't enough of those already. The last descent is pretty ok, but is ruined by two gates right in the middle of it, which just sums up the whole place. Do yourself a favour and go to Whinlatter - it's way better for biking or hiking and the car park is in the shade, which makes it a blessing...