Orienteering

More Activities

• Walking
• Biking
• Horse Riding
• Climbing
• Orienteering
• Canoeing

Activity Guides

• Visitor Guide
• Historic Sites
• Smithy Beck Walk
• Sawdust Lonning
• Round the Lake
• The Liza Path
• Bike the Big Valley

Ennerdale offers a number of great opportunities for orienteering. Our work to restore a more natural landscape has opened up the valley bottom and the well thinned forests provide some great navigational challenges.

Parking. There are two sets of courses available in the valley starting from our two car parks at
Bowness Knott and Bleach Green. In addition the Bowness Knott courses include a second start point
near Ennerdale YHA. Please note only customers of the YHA or Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre may drive up the valley beyond Bowness Knott. Cars must be left in accommodation parking.

Suitability. Our orienteering courses are suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to fit and expert navigators. The easy courses stay on paths and forest roads which can sometimes be uneven. The harder courses cross rough terrain which may include steep slopes, scree and will be difficult to navigate through.

Bleach Green Courses are suitable for the novice through to intermediate orienteer. Please read our Course Guide and download the A4 course map.

Bowness Knott Course are suitable for novice through to experienced orienteers. For more information please read our Course Guide. Course maps are available as either two A4 Maps or one A3 Map. For A4 downloads, print the information sheet and then either or both of the Ennerdale West and Ennerdale East A4 maps.

West Cumberland Orienteering Club. If you have enjoyed orienteering in Ennerdale you might want to join the West Cumberland Orienteering Club. The club organisers regular Thursday evening events throughout the year. There are courses to suit all abilities, usually including an easy course suitable for novices. The club has an extensive junior programme with a large and very active team.

Other Permanent Orienteering Courses

If you have enjoyed our Ennerdale courses why not try out the permanent courses at Whinlatter near keswick..