3 Mountain Passes to Explore in Cumbria

Checkout places to visit in Cumbria

Cumbria

The largest and most widespread industry in Cumbria is tourism. The Lake District National Park alone receives some 15.8 million visitors every year.World-famous for its beautiful lakes and mountainous fells, carved out long ago by glaciers, the Lake District today is a playground for walkers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Activities Around

Mountain Passes to Explore in Cumbria

Hardknott Pass

Hardknott Pass is known as one of Britain's most challenging roads. This single-track road right through the middle of the Lake District National Park, in the region of Cumbria, England, it’s a heart-stopping series of sharp and narrow hairpin bends. It’s said to be the steepest road in England with a gradient of 1 in 3. The pass is often closed in winter due to ice that makes the route impassable for vehicles​​​​​​​.

Honister Pass

Honister Pass is a mountain pass in the mountainous Lake District in England. It reaches 356 m high, one of the highest in the region, and it is also one of the steepest. The summit of the scenic pass has trailheads that lead to some of the mountains in the region.

Kirkstone Pass

Kirkstone Pass is a beautiful and the Lake District’s highest pass that is open to motor traffic. The road is very steep and narrow, with a gradient of 1 in 4. This steep twisty road connects Ambleside in the Rothay Valley to Patterdale in the Ullswater Valley. Winter conditions can be hazardous. It was once a vital coaching inn, it now caters primarily for tourists. It is the third-highest public house in England.

Map of Mountain Passes to explore in Cumbria