Cofa Pike

Cofa Pike sits at 2,575 feet and frankly, it's not the fell you go to for the views alone. What you get instead is serious solitude - the kind of quiet you struggle to find on Helvellyn or Catbells. It's a proper grind from Penrith, roughly an hour's drive to the trailhead, but that remoteness is exactly why it works.

The approach rewards walkers who don't mind effort without fanfare. You're looking at a steep push through moorland, nothing technical, just relentless. The summit itself is modest - a cairn on open ground with sight lines across the northern Lake District. On clear days you'll pick out High Street and the Pennines beyond. On misty days (and there are many), you'll be alone with the clouds, which some people find meditative and others find a bit bleak.

This is walker terrain, not a family afternoon outing. If your kids are confident on rough ground and can manage three to four hours round trip, they'll love the isolation. But it's not a destination for casual hikers or those after Instagram moments.

Combine it with a base at Lakeside Retreat Glamping or Great Langdale Campsite, both within five miles, and you've got proper hill country on your doorstep. Give yourself a full day, bring a map - phone signal is patchy - and don't expect shelter at the top. Worthwhile if you value peace over acclaim.