Steel Rigg, Sycamore Gap and Crag Lough

From the Steel Rigg car park the walk joins the Hadrian's Wall Path and follows the Wall east along Peel Crags, down to Castle Nick and up again over Highshield Crags to Sycamore Gap, the dip where the Wall crosses the ridge. The Sycamore Gap tree was felled in 2023; the National Park says the stump has put out new shoots. Beyond the gap the path runs along the top of Highshield Crags, with Crag Lough below on the north side: the National Park says the lough was formed by glaciers in the last Ice Age and is one of the four Roman Wall loughs. At Milecastle 38 the walk leaves the Wall, turns north to the Hotbank track and returns west across the fields above the lough and by an old byway to the Steel Rigg lane.

It is 5.7 km round with 142 m of ascent; allow about 1¾ hours. The grade is Easy: the distance is short and the climbs are small, though the Wall path has flights of stone steps at Steel Rigg and Sycamore Gap.

The crags drop steeply on the north side of the path, so keep children and dogs close, and the rock and the grass on the slope below Steel Rigg are slippery when wet. Do not walk on the Wall itself. Sheep graze the fields on the return.

The National Park lists Steel Rigg among its charged car parks. Its Steel Rigg page says the AD122 bus stops at The Sill, about 1 km from the car park, while its Sycamore Gap page says the bus stops at Steel Rigg car park; check the stop and the timetable before relying on it. The nearest station is Bardon Mill, about 4 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.