Great Dodd (meaning: big round hill) is a mountain or fell in the English Lake District.

Great Dodd, with a height of 857 metres (2,812 ft) is the highest of the fells in this range to the north of Sticks Pass.

Walkers may approach Great Dodd from either High Row near Dockray to the east, or from Legburthwaite to the west – or along the main ridge track from either north or south.

Calfhow Pike would have little significance in more rugged areas of the Lake District, but here in the midst of smooth green slopes it is a conspicuous landmark visible for miles around.

The more southerly ridge heads over High Brow (575 metres; 1,886 ft), fringed by Dowthwaite Crag which broods over the road-end settlement of Dowthwaitehead.

However, the eastern and southern slopes of Great Dodd drain into Deepdale and Aira Beck, which flows into Ullswater.

[2] (height and prominence) (authors’ listings) Nearly all of Great Dodd (above the intake walls in the valleys) is Open Access land.

Alternative routes begin by following the Old Coach Road, either to the path alongside Groove Beck and up Randerside, or into Mosedale from near the Mariel Bridge and up to Calfhow Pike.

[5] This unsurfaced road provides a fine walking route from Dockray around the northern end of the Helvellyn range to the Vale of St John.

The summit area of Great Dodd is a short rounded ridge, covered with grass but with many stones lying among it, and with the highest point at the north-west end where there is a cairn.

[2] The original cairn is a substantial affair, about 100 metres (330 ft) south of the highest point, and it incorporates a wind shelter.

[5] Another small cairn lies part way down the western slope on the path to Clough Head, marking the minor top of Little Dodd.

[8]: 46  The geological map shows a number of areas of volcaniclastic sandstone on the western slopes of Great Dodd, above Beckthorns and Fornside.

In the area to the north of Sticks Pass the Birker Fell andesites are overlain by the Lincomb Tarns Tuff Formation.

[8]: 189 There is evidence of historic mining activity in two locations on Great Dodd in efforts to exploit such mineral veins.

Fornside Mine on the western slopes consisted of two levels, one of which shows signs of copper ore, the other was on a barren quartz vein.

At the base of Wolf Crags there are the remains of a short level 30 metres (98 ft) long on a poor quartz vein.

Dod or dodd is a dialect word of unknown origin, but common in hill names in the Lake District and the Scottish Borders for bare rounded summits, either free standing or subsidiary shoulders to higher neighbours.