Haystacks from Gatesgarth

Haystacks is the rocky knoll above Buttermere that Alfred Wainwright called the best fell top of all, and the direct route from Gatesgarth Farm at the foot of Honister is the classic way up. The path climbs steeply up Warnscale Bottom before reaching the hidden tarns and scrambly ridge of the summit, with sudden views down to Buttermere, across to Pillar, and up to the Honister pass. It is a dog friendly walk for confident owners, with sure-footed dogs on a lead or under close control on the rocky ground.

Park at Gatesgarth Farm, a private pay and display car park run by the working farm, which means Highland cattle and Herdwick sheep are often grazing right at the trailhead. Keep dogs on a short lead from the gate and throughout the open fell where livestock roam. The path is rough underfoot with several short rocky steps near the top, and Innominate Tarn and Blackbeck Tarn provide water on a warm day. There are no toilets at Gatesgarth and the nearest facilities are the pubs and cafes in Buttermere village, a short drive north.