Peak District Summer Bucket List 2026
- Jen Bell I Editor I Good Life List Peak District
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
The first paddle at Padley Gorge. Ice cream that melts faster than you can eat it. Fish and chips by the river in Bakewell. Cold drinks in your favourite beer garden. Walking through the Monsal Trail tunnels just because they're gloriously cold.
If you're making the most of the warmer months, these are the Peak District experiences we'd suggest trying to squeeze in before autumn rolls around.
Download the FREE Peak District Summer Bucket List (downloadable, tickable PDF) and let us know how many you manage to tick off this year.
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Stretch Your Legs
☐ Watch the sunrise from Mam Tor.
☐ Walk through the Monsal Trail tunnels on a hot day.
☐ Cross the Hathersage stepping stones instead of battling the crowds at Dovedale.
☐ Explore Padley Gorge and dip your toes in the stream.
☐ Visit Thor's Cave and take that photo from the entrance.
☐ Walk part of the Great Ridge.
☐ Climb Kinder Scout.
☐ Collect a map from The Cupola and follow the circular route from Stoney Middleton to Eyam.
☐ Savour the views at Baslow Edge and then walk down to Chatsworth.
Escape The Heat
☐ Swim at the Hathersage Lido.
☐ Take a boat trip through Speedwell Cavern.
☐ Go wild swimming somewhere with a waterfall.
☐ Ride Stagecoach's Peak Sightseer open-top bus from Bakewell to Chatsworth. Then, explore the house and grounds.
☐ Visit Haddon Hall.
☐ Cool your feet next to the medieval Sheepwash Bridge at Ashford-in-the-Water.
☐ Stand in front of the magnificent Emperor Fountain at Chatsworth on a hot day. You won't be the only one.
Eat Your Way Through Summer
☐ Try a proper Bakewell Pudding.
☐ Find your favourite country pub beer garden.
☐ Eat fish and chips with a view.
☐ Have lunch at the Peak District's highest pub.
☐ Spend the afternoon eating cheese, cinnamon buns and other treats in Hartington.
☐ Buy strawberries from an honesty box.
☐ Discover a café you've never visited before.
☐ Finish the day with a locally made ice cream.
Summer is as much about food as it is scenery. The Peak District is packed with brilliant farm shops, cafés, bakeries, pubs and restaurants, and there's no better excuse than a sunny day to try somewhere new.
Nature & Outdoors
☐ Walk through the wildflower meadows at Longshaw Estate in early summer.
☐ Watch climbers tackle Stanage Edge.
☐ Listen for curlews on the moors.
☐ Find a field full of Highland cows.
☐ Spot an early morning hot air balloon drifting across the Hope Valley.
☐ Feed the penguins at Peak Wildlife Park.
☐ Watch the sunset from Curbar Edge.
☐ Spot a red deer.
☐ Go for a walk after 8pm.
☐ Stay out late enough to hear tawny owls.
Slow Down A Little
☐ Find a shady spot beneath a tree and stay there for an hour without looking at your phone.
☐ Visit a village well dressing.
☐ Watch the heather begin to colour the moors.
☐ Stay somewhere with a hot tub. Or spend the day at Losehill Hotel's spa.
See Somewhere New
☐ See the Milky Way from Surprise View on a clear summer night.
☐ Visit the plague village of Eyam and read the stories on the historic houses.
☐ Find Solomon's Temple in Buxton.
☐ Watch sheepdog trials.
☐ Ride the cable cars at the Heights of Abraham.
☐ Hop aboard a vintage tram at Crich Tramway Village.
☐ See Little John's grave in Hathersage.
☐ Get wonderfully lost wandering a Peak District village.
Make The Most Of Long Summer Days
☐ Cycle part of the Tissington or Monsal Trail.
☐ Watch Morris dancers at a village fête.
☐ Follow a handwritten "Fresh Eggs" sign.
☐ Browse a local agricultural show.
☐ Go to an outdoor cinema.
☐ Sit amongst the flowers at Thornbridge Hall.
☐ Take a scenic drive across the moors with the windows down. The road over Snake Pass, Rushup Edge or across the Longshaw Estate never disappoints.
☐ Stay until golden hour.
☐ Spot scarecrows and bunting during village carnival weeks.
☐ Promise yourself you'll come back next summer.
Have We Missed Something?
Summer means something different to everyone. If there's a Peak District tradition you think belongs on this list, we'd love to hear it. Drop us a message at hello@thegoodlifelist.co.uk and we'll keep adding to it.
