Social media hype and extreme weather is putting Lake District paths at risk, a leading charity has warned.
The Lake District is Britain’s busiest national park, with around 15.8 million visitors a year.
Fix the Fells says that social media has prompted a huge surge in people going to hotspots like Scafell Pike, Helm Crag, Cat Bells, Coniston Old Man and Helvellyn, plus heavy rainfall has led to path erosion – up to a metre deep – across the national park.
Fix the Fells, a partnership between the National Trust, Lake District National Park Authority, Natural England, Lake District Foundation and Friends of the Lake District, deploys 21 rangers and 130 volunteers to repair paths – but said it was a constant battle to maintain them.
The rangers look after around 410 miles of paths and Fix the Fells said without maintenance and repair work, many of the Lake District’s most iconic fells would be inaccessible to the majority of visitors.
It added that if a Lake District beauty spot makes it on to TikTok, that area sees a massive surge in visitors and then needs more attention to make sure paths are maintained.
Work currently underway includes protective landscaping at Cat Bells, laying stepping stones and path drainage above Levers Water, and reuniting the path at Scafell Pike after it has split into multiple strands, eroding the mountainside.
Isabel Berry, partnership manager for Fix the Fells, said: “It was a very wet start to the summer holidays, which can have disastrous consequences for our fells. The ground is already churned up when we start to welcome millions of visitors to the Lake District and serious path erosion happens very quickly.
“Climate change is already making periods of extreme weather increasingly common, and means that the need for Fix the Fells has never been greater.
“It can cost up to £400 to repair a metre of path in some of the most damaged and inaccessible areas. We’re asking visitors to the Lake District this summer to consider making a donation to support us to keep this essential work going, so that everyone can enjoy spending time in these beautiful places.
“We’re finding that social media is having a huge impact on visit trends. If a place makes it to TikTok, which many of our more famous spots have, we inevitably see a significant uplift in visitors. Many are young people and we’re delighted to be welcoming them – the outdoors is and always will be for everyone.
“But the impact of the increasing footfall in these hot spots is undeniable and we need to be focusing more resources on protecting these special places.”
It is appealing for people to help it with its work by making a donation.
Donations to Fix the Fells can be made online, or by texting FELLS to 70525, which will donate £5 to the appeal.
