Nestled in a craggy gorge under the shadow of Scafell Pike lie two spectacular wild swimming spots. To say the setting is something special seems an understatement.
The first spot is a small waterfall which cascades into a secluded emerald pool. The second is a set of four cascades that have near continuous rainbows shimmering in the spray. The fact you’re surrounded by England’s tallest mountains is the icing on the cake.
It’s a magical place to come on a warm summer’s day and though the waterfalls are not the biggest in the Lakes by any means, the vibe is second to none.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Netherbeck Waterfalls.
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.
The walk to Netherbeck Waterfalls
The stats
Distance: 0.7 miles (1.1km) each way
Elevation gain: 100m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Summary: So here’s the rub: the walk is not hard, but it is boggy! There is almost no way of avoiding at least some of the bog, but it is worth it.
The trail is not particularly defined, but bog aside, the terrain is not difficult. There’s a bit of a hill, but honestly not much of one. Were it not for the bog I would say this was a straightforward easy walk.
Starting the trail
From the parking area in Wasdale (full details below), you head through the gate on the left bank of the river as you face upstream (the west side).
Follow the path beside the river and enjoy this first 100m of breezy bog free terrain. The path is easy to follow and a decent track, although there are some rocks to watch for as you continue.
Happily, by the time the bog begins, you can already see some little pools which give you some idea of the beauty of what’s to come.
In fact, if you don’t fancy the full walk, you can even stop at some of these little plunge pools, which still make for a lovely place for a dip.
However, continuing on is worth it, as the waterfalls higher up are even more special.
Climbing the hill
The small pools stop after about 250m and from here the path begins heading uphill. Some of the big stones that helped you avoid the boggy bits now give way to a marshy path, which takes you more steeply uphill to the left.
Luckily this hill is very short and not slippery on the way up. It was hard to keep dry boots here though - although I should preface this by saying that we were walking after weeks of heavy rain, so perhaps it’s not always as bad as it was for us!
At the 400m mark you’ll see a junction and keep left, still heading uphill. The path soon flattens out and you’ll have some truly fabulous views of Scafell Pike and back towards Wastwater.
Arriving at the first pool
At the 600m mark you’ll see a tiny stile (the one plank kind). Cross this carefully because it’s on the wobbly side and the fence feels quite high.
Follow the obvious, flat path which is mercifully in very good condition now and not boggy at all.
You’ll see another small stile down on the right 200m later. Don’t follow this. Instead keep up on the path high above the river a little longer.
You’ll quickly see a couple of slightly beaten down social trails leading downhill towards the river. These lead to the first series of pools, but not the best ones in my opinion.
The biggest pool is lovely, but a bit shallow and has small cascades rather than a proper waterfall. Pop down and see what you think, but the best pools are just a little further up the main path.
Incidentally if you do head down to this first pool, walk a minute to the right and you can look down over a big gorge waterfall. I longed to get down there, but access is via gorge scrambling up river, so maybe that’s something we’ll look at with the right equipment another time!
There are a series of fixed ropes leading down into the falls, but I believe these must belong to the gorge scrambling companies and used to ascend the falls.
Arriving at the main waterfall pool
If you went down to check out the cascade pool and gorge waterfall now head back onto the main path. Just 200m further along the gravel path you’ll see a trail leading downhill on the right.
You can also see and hear the falls! The first few steps are a little steep, but it’s not slippery when dry and the gradient soon slackens. From the main trail to the base of the falls is just 25m.
You can use these coordinates to guide you if needed: 54.4546972, -3.2973797 (or you can click here to find it on Google Maps - which comically calls the river “Neither Beck”).
Wild swimming at Netherbeck Falls
Netherbeck Falls is absolutely stunning. It’s nestled in a gorge with a few trees surrounding it, which keeps it feeling lovely and secluded. The pool at the base of the falls has crystal clear water, which shimmers a spectacular emerald colour in the sunshine.
We visited after so much rain that we thought the colour of the water might be affected, but it was still glorious and the waterfall was even more impressive, so we ended up lucking out with perfect conditions.
Be careful of the wet rocks around the edge of the pool (the ones inside the water) as these are very, very slippery.
If you access the pool via the rocks on the left side of the pool, you drop straight into deep water, which avoids most of the slippery rocks. If you go off the middle section you will walk into shallow water, but need to be mindful of the banana skin rocks.
The water was cool, but it didn’t feel overly cold (in summer) and it was warmer than many waterfall pools I’ve swum in. There is a bit of a current if the waterfall has a decent flow, but you can avoid it for the most part.
You can swim either side of the rocky area in the middle of the pool, so though the pool is not massive, you can definitely get a few strokes in.
It really is a wonderful spot and one we felt very lucky to get to ourselves in the middle of the day in August.
Continuing to the four waterfalls
Once you’ve enjoyed the main waterfall pool - which is the best for swimming by far - head back onto the main path. Just 75m from the first falls you’ll see the four waterfalls pool.
You can either access it by heading down the steep grassy path directly off the main trail, or by continuing on a touch further and then walking down over the rocky plateau, which is more gradual.
The rocks inside the water are very slippery, as with the first spot, so tread carefully.
Although the waterfall pool is very shallow, so swimming is not possible, simply sitting in the water and watching the rainbows in the spray is magical.
There is also a nice stony ‘beach’, and grassy patch, as well as a large flat rocky plateau which is ideal for drying off and taking in the views.
The fells look stunning, but I particularly liked looking across to Wastwater. It felt like we were in a little mountain paradise and as we got so lucky with a warm sunny day it really was a hard spot to leave.
Please enjoy it and take all rubbish with you afterwards so we can keep it pristine.
Heading back
Although we followed a different path back in the hope we could avoid the bog, we would probably recommend retracing your steps. We were congratulating ourselves for the first 900m or so before it got even boggier than our original route!
If you do want to try a different way back, you don’t cross that first stile, but instead continue straight past it. It’s a gradual descent on a good gravel track until you reach a stream crossing 180m after the stile.
You’ll use the rocks as stepping stones and it’s pretty shallow anyway. Roughly 100m after you began crossing the stream you’ll see a path leading downhill to the left. Just a touch down the path you’ll see a cairn (you can see it from the main trail).
Unfortunately it’s just after this bit that you’ll hit the bog and it’s more extensive than the original route. Keeping following the path and cross the stile before rejoining the original path.
The only other thing you can do to avoid the bog is not take that left path where the cairn was and continue on the gravel path instead. However, this will take you out onto the road, which is narrow and often has foolhardy drivers who take the bends too fast. I don’t think I’d risk this option.
Parking for and getting to the Netherbeck Waterfalls
The Netherbeck Waterfalls are located in Wasdale. There is no official car park for this walk, but there are several large lay-bys which can be found at these coordinates: 54.4476151, -3.2947739 (you can find it by clicking here for Google Maps).
Parking can be found on both sides of the cattle grid. Please make sure you don’t block the narrow road.
Netherbeck is located a 1 hour 15 drive (39 miles) from Keswick, 1 hour 30 drive (35 miles) from Ambleside and 1 hour drive (27 miles) from Cockermouth.
The road around Wastwater is narrow and windy with limited passing places, so it’s best to take it slowly.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support.
