17 hostels — from remote bothies to lakeshore mansions. Shelter, warmth and a bunk if a walk goes long. Book in advance wherever possible; some remote hostels have no signal so you can't book from the door.
Verified active 2026-05-15Triple-source coordinates (yha.org.uk + Wikipedia/Wikidata + OSM)
🚨 In an emergency — read first
1
Mountain emergency = 999
Hostels are NOT first-aid posts. If someone is injured / hypothermic / lost, dial 999 → Police → Mountain Rescue first. The hostel is a shelter destination, not the emergency service.
2
Need shelter only?
Hostels offer warm, safe space — even non-residents can usually shelter in a reception/café area while you sort yourself out. Knock and ask. Most staff will help.
3
Hostel might be closed
Black Sail, Honister, Wasdale, Eskdale are seasonal or no-phone-signal. Don't bet your shelter plan on one of these being open. Always have plan B (descend to a village).
4
Walking-wounded?
If a partner is injured but mobile, a YHA can be a sensible bail-out target — closer than home, has a warm bed + drying room. Call 999 if at all in doubt about the injury.
Some hostel locations on this map are noted as "no road access" (Black Sail), "no signal" (Honister), "Exclusive Hire only" (Hawse End Cottage) or "group bookings only" (Patterdale). Check the hostel detail card before relying on it as a destination.
🎒 Before you go: what to know about Lakes hostels
Booking
Book in advance via yha.org.uk — most don't take walk-ins
Members get cheaper rates · membership ~£20/year
Black Sail in particular books out months ahead in summer
Some are now Exclusive Hire only (Hawse End) — whole-hostel bookings, not individual beds
Check seasonal opening — many close in winter
What to pack for a hostel walk
Hostel-suitable sleeping bag liner (some YHAs supply bedding, some don't)
Earplugs (dorms can be noisy)
Sandals / crocs for the walk to the showers
Padlock for your locker
Cash for vending / honesty box / hut payments
All your usual walking gear — hostels expect you to be self-sufficient on the fell
Remote-hostel specifics
Black Sail: no road, foot/bike/horse only, no phone signal. Bring everything you need.
Honister: top of the pass — no signal, exposed weather, adjacent to working slate mine.
Coppermines: postcode geocodes to wrong property — use coordinate, not postcode satnav.
17
YHA hostels in extent
All verified active 2026
1
No road access
Black Sail — foot/bike only
~£20
YHA membership/year
Cheaper rates · joining helps the charity
2
Leaving network
Coniston Holly How + Buttermere · listed for sale May 2026
YHA Black Sail REMOTE · NO ROAD
"England's remotest hostel" · upper Ennerdale · foot / bike / horse only
Address
Black Sail Hut, Ennerdale, Cleator, CA23 3AX
What3Words
fights.rainbow.short
OS Grid
NY194124
Access
NO ROAD. 6-mile walk from Bowness Knott (Ennerdale forest track) · OR over Scarth Gap from Buttermere · OR over Black Sail Pass from Wasdale Head
Best for
Pillar · Great Gable · Haystacks · High Crag · multi-day Coast-to-Coast or Wainwright bagging
Phone signal
None. No mobile data either. Plan accordingly.
A former shepherd's bothy at the head of Ennerdale. Self-catering with a small communal kitchen. Books out months ahead in summer. Don't arrive without a confirmed booking — there is genuinely nowhere else to go.
Far End, Coniston village · main Coniston YHA · base for Old Man + Coniston Water
Address
Far End, Coniston, LA21 8DD
What3Words
spin.different.overhead
OS Grid
SD302981
⚠ Status
Leaving the YHA network — listed for sale at £895,000 (May 2026). Still operating at time of writing; may continue as an independent hostel under new ownership. Check before booking.
YHA (England & Wales) is a registered charity (303297). Surplus from bookings funds hostel upkeep, opens up the outdoors to schools and young people, and maintains historic buildings. Booking with YHA directly is the best way to support the network.
Membership
Joining costs around £20/year and gives you discounted rates plus reciprocal access to ~4,000 hostels worldwide (Hostelling International). Worth it if you stay more than twice a year.
Network change
YHA closed several Lakes hostels around 2010 (Cockermouth, Carrock Fell, Elterwater). Thorney How and Kendal continue as independent hostels post-YHA. Coniston Holly How and Buttermere were listed for sale in May 2026 — these too may transition to independent operation.
💰 Support YHA
YHA is a charity — bookings + membership + donations keep the hostels open and accessible. They run a separate "Breaks for Kids" programme that gives Lakes experiences to children who'd otherwise never see them. If this map helps you find a hostel, please book direct + consider supporting the charity.