Top Family Friendly things to do in Keswick

  • Camping

Keswick offers a great selection of family friendly campsites with plenty of space for kids to enjoy ball games and a night under the stars… 

  • Castlerigg Farm Camping and Caravan Site 

Adults £8 per night, Children £4 per night (prices vary during peak seasons)

Situated on the edge of Keswick, around 1 mile away from the town centre, this open all year round campsite is ideal for a family trip away in all seasons. The site is a large field with plenty of space for children to play and is surrounded by stunning mountain views. The campsite is a short distance away from Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake.

  • Dalebottom Farm 

Prices start from £8 for tents and £20 for tourers.

Around 2 miles south of Keswick, Dalebottom Farm is a picturesque, family run site surrounded by views of Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Blencathra. The site is ideal for large family’s and is also dog friendly.

  • Derwentwater Camping and Caravanning Club Site 

Prices vary with basic tent camping pitches starting at £11 per person per night

Situated beside Derwentwater Marina within walking distance of Keswick town, this campsite is a perfect base for family activities in and around Keswick. The site is suitable for tents, campervans, motorhomes and offers camping upgrades in their ‘glamping’ tents and yurts.

  • Little walks for little legs

When hiking with kids, you want to choose an easy, accessible walk with lots of exciting features. Here are a few family walks from Keswick to start with…

  • Catbells

One of the most popular routes starting at Keswick, Catbells is an ideal little starter mountain to introduce kids to fell walking.  It’s a short climb, easy to navigate and easily accessible. You can start the route from Keswick town centre, taking the Keswick Launch to Hawes End. The walk offers everything from fantastic lake views to fun, little scrambles, offering children a day to remember.

  • Frairs Crag

A stile-less route for everyone, even children still in a pushchair, finishing at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking Derwentwater, the Frairs Crag walk is a simple yet rewarding route. Starting at the Theatre by the Lake, a woodland path is signposted up to the viewpoint and is easy to find.  There is a bench overlooking the unbroken view of the lake, looking up to Catbells, Walla Crag and Maiden Moor.  The start point at Keswick Launch has cafes offering ice cream and refreshments for children.

  • Whinlatter Forest

A low level woodland trail for all the family, exploring Whinlatter Forest on the trail at Revelin Moss is a great day out. The one-mile trail is way marked and flat making it suitable for prams and has benches dotted along the way for a rest and a picnic.  The forest also has a Go Ape centre for older children and a play park.

  • The Puzzling Place

A great day for the whole family, the Puzzling Place is a unique indoor attraction based on optical illusions that will blow your mind. Forget everything you know about the laws of physics and witness balls rolling uphill, an anti-gravity room, the grow and shrink room and more. The exhibition centre displays artwork and sculptures as well as a hologram gallery.

  • The Lake District Wildlife Park

Around 10 minutes away from Keswick on Bassenthwaite Lake, the Lake District Wildlife Park is an ideal family day out, exploring 24 acres of the park, which is home to over 100 species of wild and domestic animals including monkeys, zebras, red pandas, snakes and many more. The park offers presentations with the animals including bird of prey displays. There is also a café serving wholesome food and snacks as well as a gift shop.

  • Mirehouse and Gardens

Around three miles from Keswick on the shores of Bassenthwaite, Mirehouse and Gardens is a historic house set in a beautiful, natural landscape. The area is perfect for children, offering four woodland playgrounds and little walks around the gardens and grounds. The 17th century manor house is also open to visitors, exploring the history of the Spedding family with strong literary and artistic connections.

As well as Mirehouse, Keswick is home to a number of beautiful, spacious parks for a picnic with the family or ball games with the kids, including Fitz Park, Hope Park, Crow Park and Whinlatter Forest Park.

  • Museums

Keswick is home to a number of fantastic museums for a great family day out including Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, Derwent Pencil Museum and nearby Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum.