Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
597m (1959ft)
The Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 3.25ml (6km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,920ft (585m) |
| Time: | 3½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Gatesgarth - Peggy's Bridge - Buttermere - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Peggy's Bridge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 5.80ml (8.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,455ft (748m) |
| Time: | 4½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Gatesgarth - Peggy's Bridge - Buttermere - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Dubs Hut - Dubs Quarry - Fleetwith Pike - Honister Crag (Black Star) - Fleetwith Pike - Fleetwith Edge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 6.25mls (10km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,756ft (840m) |
| Time: | 5.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Honister Pass - Honister Hause - Bell Crags - Hopper Quarry - Honister Quarries - Honister Crag (Black Star) - Burnt Scarth - Fleetwith Pike - Dubs Hut - Dubs Quarry - Warnscale Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Blackbeck Tarn - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Loft Beck - Coast to Coast Walk - Brandreth - Grey Knotts - Honister Hause.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.25ml (13km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,334ft (711m) |
| Time: | 5½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Gatesgarth - Warnscale Bottom - Warnscale Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Black Beck - Blackbeck Tarn - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Burtness Wood - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.5ml (13.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,260ft (1,298m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Honister Pass - Honister Hause - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Black Beck - Blackbeck Tarn - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Ennerdale - River Liza - Black Sail Hut (Youth Hostel) - Black Sail Path - Kirk Fell - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Beckhead Tarn - Beck Head - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Windy Gap - Green Gable - Gillercomb Head - Brandreth - Grey Knotts - Honister Hause.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,132ft (1,259m) |
| Time: | 8.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Warnscale Bottom - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 16ml (25.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 6,285ft (1,915m) |
| Time: | 12.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Buttermere - Scale Force - Scale Beck - Blea Crag - Great Borne - Starling Dodd - Little Dodd (Ennerdale) - Ling Comb - Lingcomb Edge - Red Pike (Buttermere) - Dodd (Buttermere) - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Gamlin End - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Warnscale Beck - Dubs Hut - Dubs Quarry - Fleetwith Pike - Honister Crag (Black Star) - Fleetwith Pike - Fleetwith Edge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 18.75ml (30km) |
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| Ascent: | 7,309ft (2,408m) |
| Time: | 14.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Bowness Knott Car Park Ennerdale - Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre - High Gillerthwaite Yourth Hostel - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Great Round How - Brandreth - Gillercomb Head - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - High Beck - Low Beck - Ennerdale.
See Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
The Western Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download
The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download
See Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
You can find Hay Stacks (Haystacks) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Paul Roddam walked up Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on July 19th, 2025 [with] Barb, Bri [weather] Muggy
Caroline Winter climbed Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on May 13th, 2025 [from/via/route] Gatesgarth, Haystacks via Scarth Gap, skirted Fleetwith Pike- trail by stream [with] Becky [weather] Hot spell of weather - Late start, enjoyed ice creams & coffees at the shop van by CP. ventured off to find the infinity pool after return to car, then wild camped- amazing red skies tonight
Ian Ashton bagged Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on March 1st, 2025 [with] Ella jack and chelle
James Hughes hiked Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on June 3rd, 2024 [from/via/route] c207 The High Stile from Buttermere [with] Sara [weather] Misty & wet at times. Poor visibility on tops. - Amazing walk - met three men on Red Pike struggling to navigate. Bounded across tops & added Haystacks at end. Slip on way down from Haystacks. Pint at Bridge Hotel.
Christine Shepherd summited Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on June 4th, 2007 [from/via/route] I walked from Honister using walk c151 Did walk c287 on 29.8.17 to bag Haystacks for a 2nd time. On 19.5.24 I chose Haystacks to finish my third rounsd of The Wainwrights. I walked there & from Honister with four friends in glorious sunshine. Perfect [with] On my own [weather] Warm & clear - Climbed again on 29.8.17. This was the last fell of a glorious day's walking. Unfortunately, a slip on Haystacks meant that I walked back down to Buttermere limping with a bit of a hole in my knee.
Richard Fulcher conquered Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on March 11th, 2024 [from/via/route] We parked at Gatesgarth Farm near Buttermere (£4) & set off towards Peggy's Bridge. The ascent starts at the triangle of trees & steadily climbs to Scarth Gap. At this junction of paths we turned left & climbed (hands required) up to the summit(s) of Haystacks. From the top we descended to Innominate Tarn & then to Blackbeck Tarn. We then followed the path towards Dubs Quarry turning left & down just after crossing Warnscale Beck. We then picked our way down the boulder strewn path back to the car. [with] Jen [weather] Cloudy, very little wind .. felt warmer than it should have! Cloud was just above Haystacks.
Sarah Moore scaled Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on April 9th, 2023 [from/via/route] My own invention! Wanting not to drive from YHA Ennerdale & to make the most of the High Stile ridge [with] On my own [weather] Not so sunny - good... very windy at times - tough (lots of people coming off the tops / turning back, but glad I didn't) - Loved this - an 8 hour walk really started to test me lengthwise & absolutely adored the lack of people on what I thought would be a crazy busy Easter Sunday. One to remember...
Emma Simmonds walked up Hay Stacks (Haystacks) during August, 2019 [from/via/route] Peggy's Bridge [with] Kevin, Sam, Belle and the Martin girls. [weather] Dry, low cloud at the top.
Tina Parker climbed Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on November 19th, 2022 [from/via/route] Buttermere [with] Susan - We stayed at the yh.
Paul Macey bagged Hay Stacks (Haystacks) on June 6th, 2022 [from/via/route] C295 [with] Luke [weather] High Level cloud
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag (Buttermere) from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
The flank of Hay Stacks (Haystacks), High Crag and High Stile (left), Mellbreak, Buttermere and Crummock Water (centre) with Grasmoor and High Snockrigg (right) from Fleetwith Pike
Honister Pass (left), Fleetwith Pike, Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and High Crag (Buttermere) across Buttermere
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag and Crummock Water from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Pillar (left), Ennerdale Water, Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag (centre), Crummock Water and Grasmoor (right) from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Ennerdale with Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the High Stile ridge (right) and Looking Stead and Pillar (left) from Brandreth
Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End, High Crag (Buttermere), Mellbreak, Crummock Water, Buttermere Village, Rannerdale Knotts and the shoulder of Grasmoor from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Crummock Water and Buttermere with Grasmoor beyond from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Pillar (left) and Ennerdale Water from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
The view north from Looking Stead (Pillar) featuring Ennerdale with Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag, Seat, Scarth Gap, Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Brandreth (far right)
Mellbreak (left) Crummock Water, Buttermere Village, Rannerdale Knotts and the shoulder of Grasmoor (right) from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Hay Stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale (featuring Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel) from Black Sail Pass
. . . see all 47 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
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