Old Dungeon Ghyll is the National Trust car park at the head of Great Langdale, where the road ends beneath the Langdale Pikes beside a hotel that has welcomed fell walkers and climbers for more than 300 years. It is the starting point for the high fells: the Mickleden valley trail, an easy 3.8-mile out-and-back along the Cumbria Way past Raven Crag to a walled sheep pen at the valley head; the steep paths up to the Pikes; and the long routes to Scafell Pike. Rejected Neolithic axe heads from around 3000 BC have been found on Pike O' Stickle. Dogs go on leads because of the grazing sheep. Reviewers rate the hotel's Hikers' Bar among the best walkers' bars in the country. Tips from the Trust: the car park is pay and display, free for members, and fills at busy times, so arrive early; the nearest toilets are at Stickle Ghyll, and the stony track calls for sturdy boots.
