With so many people embracing the outdoors and the UK National Parks, we are often asked, what can you do on the lakes. It would be easy to assume, with the increased interest in open water, that you can just dive in to any lake in the Lake District, or launch your kayak anywhere, but that is not the case.
For the safety of everybody and for the protection of the lakes, there are rules as to what activities are allowed on which bodies of water in Cumbria. Biodiversty is always something people should be aware of when taking their kit from place to place. Check out the hashtag ‘Spread The Word Not the Weed’ to understand the importance of this. There are certain lakes you are not allowed to swim in. Then there are places you need a permit to even float about on your paddleboard on.
We have noticed with our time spent on the Lakes that the activities change through out the day. You often find the swimmers first thing in the morning, the paddleboarders, canoes and boats in the day and the people enjoying sunset drinks in the evening. Our key tip is to have your safety gear on for your chosen activity. Ever noticed those neon orange and pink tow floats with swimmers? It is so they can be seen by boats when they are head down in the water and hence barely visible.
So if you need a guide for what you would like to do when visiting the Lake District take a look at this perfect guide that the Lake District National Park have put together and see also the article for further information on this and also why it is important to stop the spread of invasive species.
https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/water/access-to-the-lakes
