Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre

About

Whinlatter is England's only true mountain forest. Rising 1000ft above sea level, the forest and visitor centre provides a whole range of outdoor activities for everyone.

Start at the visitor centre where the staff will give information and help plan your day. Enjoy some retail therapy in the forest shop or sample the home made food at Siskins café, eating out on the balcony whilst viewing the woods, red squirrels and woodland birds.

For children, the Whinlatter WildPlay trail is a fantastic 600m long trail with 9 different play zones. Try the climbing wall or giant timber climbing frame, the archimedes screw to move water uphill and the fairy kingdom with its secret path. Whinlatter is great for walking, with miles of waymarked trails that start near the Centre. There are suitable walks for people of all abilities, which take in spectacular views across the fells and forests.  For people who are less mobile we also have a Tramper for hire, which you can take up into the forest on the specially designed route.
 
The forest also offers excellent mountain biking, with the red-graded Altura trail, blue graded Quercus trail and the Gorse trail which isn’t a nationally graded route and is on forest fire roads. If you've never tried orienteering, Whinlatter's permanent orienteering courses are the perfect place to start.
 
The Bassenthwaite Ospreys can be seen live from their nest on the giant screen in the exhibition or in their natural environment from the Dodd Wood open air viewpoint (April - Aug). The Viewpoint will be unmanned for the 2020 season.