Address: Rydal, Ambleside, LA22 9LW, United Kingdom
Rating: 4.7
based on 245 reviews.
Accessibility and Walk Difficulty
Pros:
"Lovely easy walk for just about any level."
"The entire circuit is a sensory delight, with the earthy aroma of the forest, the gentle breeze off the lake."
"Its approximately 1.4 miles and beautiful scenery along the way."
"An easy hike suitable for families."
"Easy to reach. Hike can be long if you decide to go all around the lakes but it is a relatively easy hike."
"A nice walk takes you from White Moss Common up to the Cave."
"The walk has a view and isn't too long. It's only one cave but very large."
"A very family friendly walk for normal trainers/footwear. Nothing too strenuous."
Cons:
"The trail is through woodland and then over open land which is quite rocky in places so wouldn't be great for a push chair or wheelchair unfortunately."
"Stepping stones in the cave are a good experience but needed extra care."
"Not all paths are suitable for a stroller and it’s not possible to get it up to the cave."
"The climb is not that tough, so it's family friendly.. good place to spend few hours."
"Nice and relatively easy to visit. I say relatively, as the paths are uneven, so not good for people with mobility problems, pushchairs etc."
"Some of the paths leading to caves are quite rocky, so bear this in mind if you have mobility issues or are considering bringing a pushchair etc."
"We never made it to the cave itself due to having a pushchair and the path up to the cave was quite rough and steep."
"Accessible and child-friendly feature that makes a great point of interest on walks around Rydal Water and Loughrigg fell, but subsequently can be very busy."
Scenery and Views
Pros:
"The serenity of the water mirrors the tranquility of the surroundings, setting a peaceful tone for the exploration ahead."
"Beautiful views from the top. Better to visit on a sunny day."
"The area is outstanding the cave is large with a large amount of water inside."
"So beautiful view from inside the Cave. It is free to visit any time."
"Wonderful place to walk and plenty to explore which we did."
"An awesome place to visit. The view from the walk does not disappoint."
"Situated in fantastic scenery, the cave itself is absolutely amazing it's well worth 👍."
"A beautiful view and nice big cave which was fun to explore inside for 10 minutes and do some stepping stones."
Cons:
"The cave was extremely cool but didn't have any explanation."
"Enjoyed the pleasant walk to Rydal Cave. It was smaller than expected, probably could spend about 30min in total exploring and photographing the entire cave."
"It was raining the day I went. The rocks are slippery so be careful when going to the caves."
"The walk is lovely with fantastic views all the way up."
"Absolutely stunning! Places like this can help put a lot of things in perspective, very calming."
"Not the cave’s fault at all but it was so busy and so many people are unaware of their surroundings when visiting places like this."
"A pleasant walk up behind Rydal Water to the old slate workings. The cave is quite large with a lake crossed by stepping stones."
"Very much recommend the walk to here from the white Moss car park."
Parking and Accessibility
Pros:
"Car park & toilets are at the bottom and we found a hot drink stall at the beginning of our walk to the cave."
"Nearby Carpark is £5 for two hours so enough to get to the cave and enjoy the area."
"Car park is ridiculously expensive though. £4.70 for a 2 hour minimum."
"We parked at the Rydal Water Car Park, which is a 15-20minute walk from the cave itself."
Cons:
"Car park is ridiculously expensive though. £4.70 for a 2 hour minimum. Another reason to prefer Snowdonia but the lakes are still great."
"It can be quite busy, especially as we went during summer holidays."
"Parking is a nightmare on busy weekends. Decent hike up from parking to the caves, worth it as it’s a unique cave with steps on water."
"Parking a little expensive and the method leaves the final cost to the imagination."
"Warning be careful of the White Moss car park payment system."
"£7.20 for three hours Parking, need a mortgage!"
"Paid £6.70 for three hours. Definitely worth a visit and we will be coming again."
"We parked on the main road, walked round the lake and followed a path up the hill."