Escape to the Great Outdoors
Activities
Equipment
Cumbria with its 16 Lakes and numerous rivers, has excellent opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. Amongst the most popular lakes for kayaking is Derwent Water. There are safe places to launch your own canoe or kayak as well as organisations who hire out canoes and kayaks and who can also offer instruction. Beware that canoeing is not allowed on all lakes and rivers and on some such as Bassenthwaite, a permit is required. Kayaking on the River Eden is severely restricted, although the Eden River Trust has an excellent leaflet for canoeing Ullswater. See UK Rivers Guidebook for further information.
Kayaking is allowed on Derwent Water. One of the best places for launching on Derwent is at Kettlewell car park at the South East corner of the lake.
View Kettlewell Car Park in a larger map
River Kayaking in the Lake District
| Easy Touring Rivers | Intermediate and Extreme |
| Kayaking River Derwent | Kayaking River Calder |
| Kayaking River Eden | Kayaking Borrowdale |
| Kayaking River Greta | Kayaking River esk |
| Kayaking River Lune | |
| Visit UK Rivers Guidebook for infomation on kayaking these rivers | |
| QUEST 4 ADVENTURE Penrith Quest 4 Adventure offer a whole range of open canoe courses from beginner sessions to skills training and river expeditions www.quest4adventure.com  |
LODORE BOAT LANDINGS - Derwentwater, Cumbria 017687 77282 |
| LOW WOOD - Windermere, Cumbria 015394 39441 Offer climbing courses in the Lake District for all levels for groups and individuals |
LAKE-LANDER - Ambleside, Cumbria 015394 34606 |