Easedale Tarn, Codale Tarn, and Tarn Crag

From the centre of Grasmere take the lane towards Allan Bank, just after the cattle grid bear right onto the new permissive path, go through the kissing gate to come out on Easedale Road. This bypasses the narrow and twisty section of Easedale Road.

Continue over Goody Bridge and the gentle rise past houses to where the road sweeps right. Cross the footbridge on your left signposted Easedale Tarn. A slate bridge crosses another small stream, and join the rough cobble like track beyond.

The river on your right often overflows in heavy rain and any less engineering would simply be washed away - the water flow from that huge catchment area is very impressive!

Go through the gate and continue on the track. The river remains on your right. Through the next gate and into the field. Beware if there are cows here, especially with calves.

Bear right, and then left away from the track onto the path signposted "Public Bridleway". The field gradually narrows with the river back alongside. Go through the kissing gate and onto the fell.

The track starts climbing with a wall on the right hand side. After a while it bears left to climb alongside Sourmilk Gill. At the top of the gill the aspect opens and the tarn is revealed!

Continue round the tarn on the left hand shore line. The path is narrow, rough at times and rather boggy. Stepping stones cross some areas but not all. Past the far end of the tarn the path bears right and climbs alongside the gill. Approx half-way up the path has a few scrambly sections where hands-on-rock would be a good idea as much of it seems to be permanently wet and slimy.

A few scattered cairns seem much more useful in descent. Above the waterfall, the path reaches a junction, left for the Langdale ridge, or for you: turn right. Cross the small stream and follow the narrow clear path around the back of Belles Knot.

Rounding a bump the tarn is comes into view.

Continue round the right hand side of the tarn, the path is fairly clear here. Now you need to strike up hill, a path of sorts easier to see at a distance of course zigzags onto the castellated plateau like area of Tarn Crag. The best views of both Codale and Easedale tarns is from the small beehive cairned rocky outcrop to the right.

From the beehive cairn, walk away from the edge about 100m (110 yards), over a small ridge, to a grassy ramp heading down to the right. Drop down here but keep to the left, a zigzag on the faint path aids the descent. Don't stray right and find yourself descending a gill. Aim directly for the crest of the ridge below you. Having dropped down from the summit area follow the path as it descends along the ridge.

At the col with the unnamed knoll above Greathead Crag, a clear though narrow path turns off right. As Easedale tarn comes into view the path descends bearing right slightly and enters bracken. Continue downwards to a faint junction. Left takes a long zig' taking a descending traverse of the fellside. In summer this can be hard to follow as bracken covers much of the path from view.

Alternatively you can simply drop down the obvious steep and slightly eroded fellside to the middle of the shoreline.

At the tarn turn left to the outflow.

Do not cross the outflow but turn left onto the path on this side of the outflow. Follow the easy path as it drops down and then bears left skirting many boggy areas via stepping stones. Eventually the path crosses the crest of the ridge and bears left slightly. Meeting the wall turn left, as directed by the inscription on the large rock!

Cross the footbridge, this is Stythwaite steps as there used to stepping stones here, and turn right.

Continue with the river on your right, and then between stone walls.

Climb slightly to the junction with the Helm Crag path, go straight ahead. Go through the gate at the top of the lane and at the bottom, by the houses, bear left. This is Easedale Road.

Back at Goody Bridge you can take the permissive path back into the village or remain on Easedale road.