Facts checked against the linked sources on 2026-11-02. Prices, dates and session details can change; confirm with the provider before booking or ordering.
The five new routes
The Lake District National Park Authority has added five routes to the network, working with partners including the National Trust, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Councils, Forestry England and the Grasmere Society. The new routes are the Jubilee Walk in Grasmere, the Ridding Wood and Millwood Trail in Grizedale Forest, Revelin Moss in Whinlatter Forest, and Howrah's Path, which runs from Keswick to Portinscale. Two existing routes have also been extended: one at Loweswater and the Swirls Trail route at Thirlmere, supported by United Utilities. To earn the status, the partners improved surfacing, installed bridges, removed stiles and upgraded gates, so these are not just rebadged paths: the ground itself was changed to meet the standard.
How the grades work, and routes to start with
Routes are graded by surface quality and gradient, so the grade is the first thing to check, not the distance. The network's own descriptions use grades such as route for all, route for many, and route for some, and the difference matters: a route for some may include steeper sections that suit a powered chair or an assisted manual chair better than a solo manual chair. Good starting points from the published route list include Pooley Bridge, a linear route of 0.9 kilometres each way along the Ullswater shore; Brothers Water, a gently undulating 3.75-kilometre round trip on a wooded shoreline; and Buttermere lakeshore, which offers 1.5-kilometre and 7.5-kilometre options depending on ability. Tarn Hows, Orrest Head above Windermere, Friar's Crag on Derwentwater, and the Loweswater level walk are also named among the network's most popular accessible outings.
Hire, viewpoints and planning before you go
If you do not have your own all-terrain equipment, the park's hire points offer mobility scooters, all-terrain wheelchairs and Tramper vehicles, and Shopmobility services operate in Kendal and Penrith; booking in advance is recommended, especially in busy seasons. The same network is the best route to the Lake District's famous viewpoints without a climb: Orrest Head, Derwentwater, Tarn Hows and Friar's Crag are all reachable through accessible routes. Two practical warnings apply to every route. First, path conditions can change: rain and bad weather can damage or erode surfaces, and a route can occasionally be closed or diverted for essential repairs, so check the individual route page before you travel. Second, facilities such as toilets and bus timetables change too, so confirm those alongside the route, not after you arrive.
