Grizedale Forest, in the heart of the Lake District, offers an unrivalled day out for everyone.
You can find walking & cycling trails or simply discover a quiet spot to admire the wildlife, amazing sculptures, a place to relax and enjoy some great food.
We are proud to be loved by our visitors on Yelp!” To see our Grizedale page on Yelp
Ride the Super 6
6 amazing forests in 6 breath-taking locations. Chopwell, Gisburn, Grizedale, Hamsterley, Kielder, Whinlatter are the Super 6! Grab your bike and discover our exhilarating trails!
Stargazing in the forest
Away from light pollution of large cities, experience stars in the night sky like never before when visiting Grizedale Forest this winter. See Robert Ince at our Valentine's day night sky event, or visit our family-friendly "Why stars matter" trail to bring the night sky to life. The trail runs from 10 Jan 2017 until 31 March 2017, and you can find it along the Millwood trail short loop, starting at the Visitor Centre.
Planning Your Visit
Check out our information page to help you plan your visit to Grizedale.
Walking Trails
Situated between the lakes of Coniston and Windermere, Grizedale is an ideal place to go walking on one of our waymarked trails, with views of the lakes and mountains, the shelter of the trees and sculptures in the forest.
Cycling Trails
Grizedale Forest is a fantastic place for biking. The North Face single track route gives experienced mountain bikers an adrenaline rush while the forest roads and bridleways have a range of safe, off-road routes for different abilities.
Go Ape Tree Top Adventures
Enjoy adventure high above the forest floor, taking on zip-wires, tarzan swings and a variety of obstacles! Mini-Tarzans can also get in on the action with Go Ape’s Tree Top Junior course. And for those who love zooming down zip-wires, try Zip-trekking! For more information and to book visit Go Ape.
Go Ape Forest Segway
Get off the beaten track on board an all-terrain forest segway – Go Ape’s epic forest adventure with a down-to-earth twist. It’s a totally unique way to tackle our trails. Min age 10yrs and min weight 7 Stone. For more information and to book visit Go Ape Forest Segway.
More things to do
Along with walking & cycling we have lots of activities on offer all year round, for the highly adventurous to those seeking peace & tranquility around the forest.
Events
Grizedale has a programme of events throughout the year from family events run by the ranger team to art exhibitions and large scale sporting events.
Art & Sculpture
Grizedale Forest is famous for its outdoor sculptures. Since 1977 leading international artists have created sculpture in response to Grizedale Forest's unique environment. Now around 40 sited artworks are located across the forest.
Volunteering at Grizedale
We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities that you can get involved in: from volunteering in visitor experience, guided walks and arts to practical conservation and maintenance of walking and biking trails.
Dogs at Grizedale
At Grizedale we welcome dogs as well as their owners. There are a number of waymarked trails for you to explore and enjoy.
Wildlife
Grizedale Forest is a haven for wildlife. It’s home to the only remaining indigenous woodland herd of red deer in England. There are also roe deer living in the forest, while the birds include buzzards and barn owls as well as red kites, thanks to the recent Grizedale Red Kite re-introduction project.
Learning Opportunities
Grizedale Forest for Schools. Ranger-led programmes delivered by our partner Newton Rigg College.
We offer a range of educational experiences that make the most of this unique learning environment. From EYFS through to KS3 we provide for a progression in delivery style and depth of learning.
Accessibility
We would like everyone to enjoy Grizedale and pride ourselves on being a site that has excellent facilities and access. For help planning your visit please go
What do other visitors say?
Dominic Topping, 28/Nov/20164 Stars
I came up to Grizedale for the first time with my girlfriend to watch the Grizedale rally and we loved every minute of it despite the cold weather. The only down side was that my girlfriend lost a pair of sunglasses. We only realised when we got back home and came back up the next day to find them to no avail. They were a pair of Oakley Breadbox sunglasses with a dark grey frame and purple/blue mirrored lens. We were parked at bowkerstead farm and they were lost from walking up the footpath there to the spectator spot. We suspect somebody has found and taken them but hope you had them handed in?
We will definately be back next year for the rally and probably again to see the forest as we were really surprised how nice it all was.
Forestry Commission ResponseSo pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit. We've checked through hall our lost property and I'm afraid there's nothing matching the description of the sunglasses you lost.
Jane M, 25/Oct/20165 Stars
I love Grizedale Forest and am a frequent visitor.
*Please can you repair 'The Bathers' - the chute is blocked with leaves and the water is falling over the sides instead of cascading onto the man.
(We had an interesting debate about how one could get a ladder up there)!
Many thanks in anticipation.
Andy & Heather, 10/Sep/2016We visited Grizedale on Monday 5th September and after a lovely (yet wet!) walk in the forrest, our 2 year old had an accident on the slide in the playground and banged her head on the way down. I went to the information desk and asked that a first aider come to look at her as she wasn't very well after this.
In the time it took me to get my daughter from her dad the first aider was already there and waiting for us. He checked her over and the lady on the desk even booked her a doctors appointment in the nearby village so we could ensure she was ok as we were on holiday. Unfortunately in the panic we didn't get their names but we cannot thank the first aider and the lady on reception enough. They even waved the car parking fee for us to get out and get to the doctors asap.
Thankfully out daughter was fine later that day and we can come back again in better circumstances. Thank you again to the lovely and helpful staff at Grizedale.
Forestry Commission ResponseThank you, we've passed your appreciation on to the staff in the visitor centre. Glad to hear your daughter is ok and we hope to see you again soon.
Please tell us about your visit
Please email us at grizedale@forestry.gsi.gov.uk if you have an enquiry, a complaint or would like a personal reply to your comments.