Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
597m (1959ft)
The Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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Hay Stacks (Haystacks) is classified as:
Walk c406 Hay Stacks from Gatesgarth, Buttermere
Wainwright's favourite mountain
Download walk c406:
Vital Statistics for walk c406:
3¼
miles
(6 km)
1920
feet
(585 m)
3½
Hours
4
Moderate
Route outline for walk c406:
Buttermere - Gatesgarth - Peggy's Bridge - Buttermere - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Peggy's Bridge - Gatesgarth - Buttermere
Walk c295 Hay Stacks and Fleetwith Pike from Gatesgarth, Buttermere
Wainwright's favourite mountain
Download walk c295:
Vital Statistics for walk c295:
5.80
miles
(8.5 km)
2455
feet
(748 m)
4½
Hours
5
Moderate
Route outline for walk c295:
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
Walk c456 Fleetwith Pike, Hay Stacks, Brandreth and Grey Knotts from Honister Hause
Lots of ups and downs to stunning views
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Vital Statistics for walk c456:
6¼
miles
(10 km)
2756
feet
(840 m)
5¼
Hours
6
Moderate
Route outline for walk c456:
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.
Walk c228 Hay Stacks from Buttermere
Wainwright's favourite mountain
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Vital Statistics for walk c228:
8¼
miles
(13 km)
2334
feet
(711 m)
5½
Hours
6
Moderate
Route outline for walk c228:
Buttermere - Gatesgarth - Warnscale Bottom - Warnscale Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Black Beck - Blackbeck Tarn - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Burtness Wood - Buttermere
Walk c151 Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Hay Stacks from Honister Hause
Good paths on rough ground
Download walk c151:
Vital Statistics for walk c151:
8½
miles
(13.5 km)
4260
feet
(1298 m)
7¼
Hours
7
Hard
Route outline for walk c151:
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.
Walk c287 The High Stile Ridge and Hay Stacks from Buttermere
Unsurpassed views of Buttermere and Wainwright's favourite
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Vital Statistics for walk c287:
11¼
miles
(18 km)
4132
feet
(1259 m)
8¼
Hours
8
Hard
Route outline for walk c287:
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
Walk c397 The Buttermere Fells from Buttermere
Very long high level route with superb views
Download walk c397:
Vital Statistics for walk c397:
16
miles
(25.5 km)
6285
feet
(1915 m)
12¼
Hours
9
Very Hard
Route outline for walk c397:
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
Walk c120 The Ennerdale Horseshoe
Strenuous, high level route worth every step - if you have the energy!
Download walk c120:
Vital Statistics for walk c120:
18¾
miles
(30 km)
7309
feet
(2408 m)
14¾
Hours
9
Very Hard
Route outline for walk c120:
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:
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 on July 19th, 2025 [with] Barb, Bri [weather] Muggy
Caroline Winter climbed it 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 it on March 1st, 2025 [with] Ella jack and chelle
James Hughes hiked it 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 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 it 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 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 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 it on November 19th, 2022 [from/via/route] Buttermere [with] Susan - We stayed at the yh.
Paul Macey bagged it on June 6th, 2022 [from/via/route] C295 [with] Luke [weather] High Level cloud
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Seat (Buttermere), Gamlin End and High Crag (Buttermere) from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
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)
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
Looking back to Ennerdale (left), Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Crummock Water (right) from Moses' Trod near the top of Loft Beck
High Crag (left), Crummock Water and Grasmoor (right) from the summit of Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Three Lakes (Ennerdale (left), Buttermere (right bottom) & Crummock Water (right top) from Moses' Trod
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)
Fleetwith Pike and Hay Stacks (Haystacks) from the campsite near Buttermere village
Grasmoor, Robinson and Fleetwith Pike and Buttermere from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Hay Stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale (featuring Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel) from Black Sail Pass
Crummock Water and Buttermere with Grasmoor beyond from Hay Stacks (Haystacks)
Matt and Bex on Hay Stacks (Haystacks) with Gamlin End,High Crag and Crummock Water in the background
Ennerdale with Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and the High Stile ridge (right) and Looking Stead and Pillar (left) from Brandreth
. . . 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)
If you would like to your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of Hay Stacks (Haystacks) to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:
and we shall do our best to publish them.
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