Esk Falls is a waterfall like no other. The upper falls would be a must visit destination in its own right, yet there are a whole series of spectacular waterfalls that cascade down the valley, creating some of the Lake District’s most sensational swimming holes. The pools all have the wow factor and vary in colour from emerald to turquoise.
The bottom of the falls can be reached via a relatively flat easy walk, but if you want to reach the top you have to work a touch harder - but it’s worth it!
Here’s everything you need to know about Esk Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Lake District.
The walk to Esk Falls
The stats
Distance: 2.2 miles (3.5km) each way
Elevation gain: 200m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Summary: The walk to reach Esk Falls is on a well formed path for almost the entire way. Although there are some gradual inclines, much of the walk is flat. To reach the pools along the upper part of Esk Falls requires crossing a bit of land which is boggy, though much of it can be skirted around if you tread carefully.
Reaching the upper falls requires walking along one narrow bit of track for a short distance, but it’s a good dirt path and doesn’t feel precarious.
Starting the trail
For the first part of the walk, the path follows the same route you’d use to get to Tongue Pot. From the parking area (details below) you need to head along the road (Hardknott Pass) and turn off beside the red phone box (co-ordinates: 54.3997956, -3.2154583).
Continue along the flat gravel road, past the farmhouse (bearing left) and you’ll see a wooden bridge at the 330m mark. Don’t cross the bridge, instead continue straight, along the dirt track.
The trail is flat or very gently uphill and varies between smooth and a little rocky, but the rocky bits are not difficult, just uneven.
Once you’ve been walking for 750m you’ll pass through a gate and from here the walk becomes spectacular.
Reaching Tongue Pot
Roughly 400m beyond the gate you’ll come to a tiny stream crossing, there are several of these throughout the next section of the track, but there are always rocks to use as stepping stones.
At the 1.5km mark, you’ll come to a large stile and the views get even better.
The mountains loom taller and you can also see the river to your left. Soon after crossing the stile there is a social trail leading down to the river - which will get you there - but tends to be muddier than keeping to the higher path (straight on from the stile), which is stony. The two trails join up a little further down the track.
Both paths soon follow the river and the water colour is out of this world.
You will reach Tongue Pot 550m later, which is 2.9km from the parking area. We won’t go into too much detail on swimming at Tongue Pot, as we have a detailed guide you can read here.
Heading up to Esk Falls
Just 200m beyond Tongue Pot, up the dirt path, there is a small stone bridge. To the right of the bridge is another beautiful waterfall, with a much taller cascade - Lingcove Beck Falls.
It’s a real beauty, but the pool is only very small, so for proper swimming you want to continue heading up the valley.
Although if you have time and don’t mind a very minor scramble, you can visit the secret cave falls before you go. We’ve detailed finding the cave and what it’s like to swim there in this guide.
To continue to Esk Falls you cross over the stone bridge and begin heading uphill (straight on from the bridge). There are a whole series of pools and we chose to start by making our way to the top, to the upper falls, and then heading back down to Tongue Pot via all the other pools along the way.
The top of Esk Falls is just 300m from the bridge. The first 150m are on a grassy path with some intermittent bog, however on the way up you can avoid most of it by keeping right, rather than hugging the path closest to the river.
You will then come to a narrow dirt path which isn’t boggy. This path follows the river, but you’re now relatively far above it. Keep following this narrow path for another 150m and you’ll round a corner to see the upper falls ahead of you.
Wild swimming at upper Esk Falls
Rounding the corner to get your first glimpse of the upper falls is incredible. It’s such a spectacular waterfall that it’s hard to believe it hides in plain sight above one of the Lake District’s most popular wild swimming spots.
It’s the sort of place you would be in awe of if it were a stand alone attraction, yet it’s one of a whole series of sensational waterfalls. There really is nowhere like the Esk Valley.
Entering the pool at the upper falls does require a very short scramble down the rock slab. It’s tiered nicely, but it is slippery when wet, so go really carefully at the section just above the pool, which is likely to be wet even on a dry day.
Once you’re in the pool the rocks are much less slippery and after a few steps, the water is deep enough for you to swim off. Whilst the pool is not huge, it is big enough for a bit of a swim and the setting is majestic.
It’s not just the huge waterfall, but also the craggy rock face and fells that provide the most beautiful backdrop. The fact you are round a corner - out of sight of the rest of the river - also makes it feel slightly hidden and nicely secluded.
The water is really clear and almost like a golden green in colour when the sun is shining. We were lucky enough to visit on a hot day and the water felt pretty warm.
As with all pools in the Lakes, in cooler times, they will feel cold and sometimes very cold, so if you’re not used to UK wild swimming it might be a shock!
When the water level is relatively low like it was for us, the current is not strong at all, but with more water the current would be more powerful.
The lower pools of Esk Falls
To reach the lower pools you’ll start by retracing your steps, but when you get to the grassy area leading downhill, you want to stick close to the river.
You will find intermittent boggy ground, some of which can be skirted around, or rocks can be used as stepping stones, but some cannot be avoided. It’s not really deep bog, but it is very wet and reached ankle height in places. Still it is worth it for access to some truly sensational swimming spots.
There is one large waterfall we missed, which is between the upper falls and the spots I describe below.
It didn’t have a walking track down to it and required you to scramble up from the lower pools (or down from the upper falls, but this is a bit dodgy as the rock is wet and jagged. It’s always safest to scramble up rather than down this kind of rock).
We didn’t want to take our camera gear on a scramble through the water, so missed it this time, but it looked stunning and definitely one we’d like to explore next time without our proper camera!
The first pool is just 200m from the upper falls and it’s a small cascade with a lovely blue/green swimming hole. It’s quite easy to access (you only have to walk down a couple of rocks, which are grippy when dry) and a really beautiful spot for a dip, especially if you get it all to yourself.
The next spot is 50m further on and another lovely pool, which in the shallower parts shines turquoise in the sunshine. Access is again quite easy and it’s relatively deep straight away, so you can swim straight off.
Both pools have a bit of current, due to the bigger waterfalls that flow into them, but it’s not the type of pressure that feels like it will sweep you away (and there are plenty of boulders preventing this).
However, we visited when the flow was very low, so be wary if there has been heavy rainfall because you don’t want to get pushed into rocks.
There are also lots of flat rocky areas around these pools which you can lay out on inbetween dips, which makes it very relaxing.
My favourite pool at Esk Falls
Just 100m further along the grass is my favourite pool of them all - and that’s saying something! This one is a larger pool, so there’s more room to have a proper swim and the water colour is exquisite.
It shimmers emerald in the sunshine and that combined with the cascade, tall gorge walls and setting amongst the fells creates one very magical spot. I fell in love with it instantly.
Getting into this one requires walking a few steps down some rocky terrain, it’s tiered nicely and grippy when dry. You can then make your way into the pool, which is shallow at first and then quickly deepens.
You do have to climb over a couple of rocks to access the deeper water, but it’s all smooth sailing after that. We have swum at dozens of waterfalls in the Lake District and this still remains one of my all time favourites.
If you continue further down the path you will see one more pool and then you will come to Tongue Pot. From Tongue Pot you can continue downstream to Kail Pot, which is pure turquoise and absolute paradise. We have the coordinates for it in our Tongue Pot post.
Water colour at Esk Falls
To see the pools in their best light you need a sunny day and some pools only get the sun in the morning due to the gorge walls. Tongue Pot looks pretty green no matter when you visit, but some of the smaller pools, like my favourite one in particular, look very dark when in shadow.
Even on a sunny day, by the afternoon the water can look more black than green. It’s still very green when you’re in the water, but it doesn’t look it from above and it doesn’t photograph well.
The upper falls are more open and do get some good afternoon sun, although not across the whole pool.
In addition to light, the water colour can be affected by heavy rain. The pools tend to lose some of their vibrancy after heavy rain.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the national park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for Esk Falls
There isn’t a whole lot of parking for Tongue Pot and Esk Falls, and certainly not enough for how many people visit during hot days in the summer holidays! There are two main parking areas, to the left and right of the trailhead. The first area is a large lay by (which is just south of the trailhead, co-ordinates: 54.3997956, -3.2154583), and the second is a section of road with flat grassy areas where people pull over (it’s just north of the starting point of the walk). The postcode for the area is CA19 1TH.
Both areas are free of charge and there are portaloos by the trailhead, but nowhere else along the walk.
Eskdale is located 1 hour 25 mins from Keswick, 1 hour 20 mins from Ambleside and 1 hour 30 mins from Buttermere.
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