Lake District walkers are being advised to choose their routes with care as the area recovers from the recent devastating floods.

Staff from the national park have so far assessed nearly 900 paths and more than 800 bridges on Lakeland’s rights of way, 22 of which will need to be replaced. Low-lying routes near lakes and rivers have been worst affected.

The deluge in the last few weeks – the worst in memory – has played havoc with paths, bridges and some of the area’s information centres, though the Lake District National Park Authority is keen to emphasise that businesses are reopening and most of the district’s fells are accessible.

Mark Eccles, head of countryside services for the authority, said 892 paths had been assessed so far, along with 812 of the national park’s 1,319 rights of way bridges.

He said: “We are pulling out all stops to combat the worst effects of the devastating floods. A recovery group has been set up and is working hard to get services up and running again as soon as possible.

“We still haven’t got a complete picture, but our field-based teams are checking the safety of paths and putting up information notices where appropriate. Investigations show 144 bridges are damaged and at least 22 have to be replaced.

“There are also 21 paths where the surface has been washed away and we are advising walkers to choose routes carefully. We are working closely with Cumbria County Council and hope to get our countryside access information on its website later this week.

“It’s all about common sense. We are asking that walkers, horse riders and cyclists take note of cordoned off areas, along with ‘do not use’ and ‘take care’ notices. Riverside and lakeshore routes have been particularly hard hit and debris is still an issue.”

For those heading for the hills, Mr Eccles advised: “There are a huge number of routes open and the countryside can still be enjoyed. But we are saying plan ahead and take care, wear the right outdoor footwear and clothing, heed notices and where there is obvious damage, please keep clear.”

All the national park authority’s car parks are back in use, though toilets will need a thorough cleaning to bring them back up to standard. Keswick information centre is open and the Ullswater centre is running its normal winter weekend service, though Bowness Bay information centre will stay closed for some time because of substantial damage.

Proposals to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks are to be put to the public.

Natural England said the beauty of areas such as the Northern Howgill Fells and Birkbeck Fells makes them suitable candidates for inclusion.

A public consultation will begin in mid-December and end in March 2010.

The plans have been criticised by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) which said tougher planning regulations could restrict local firms.

The areas proposed for inclusion in the Lake District are Birkbeck Fells to Whinfell, Helsington Barrows to Sizergh Fell and the Lyth Valley.

The Northern Howgill Fells, Mallerstang and Wild Boar Fell, Middleton, Barbon and Leck Fells, Firbank Fel, Lower Lune Valley and adjacent fells to the west, could become part of the Dales.

Orton Fells is being considered for inclusion in either national park.

The Friends of the Lake District (FLD) charity, which works to conserve the landscape, has welcomed the plans as a “real economic opportunity”.

But CLA surveyor Helen Lancaster said the additional layer of bureaucracy which exists within national parks could make it more difficult for local businesses to diversify.

A range of events will also be held throughout the area to raise awareness about the proposals, said Natural England.

What Christmas gift do you buy for the walker who has everything?

If the committed hiker in your life has the latest garish Gore-tex, an all-singing, all-talking GPS receiver and a rucksack full of top gear, where do you start when compiling your letter to Santa? Well, how about a metre of upland path, or a bag of grass seed?

Fix the Fells, the partnership working to repair the Lake District’s rights of way, suggests a range of gift from a bargain path landscaping for £10, to the top-of-the-range one hour helicopter ride at £600 – the catch being that it’s not you who will be making the trip, but bags of stone for path repairs. And £50 will buy that grass seed to repair eroded sections of the Cumbrian mountains.

Fix the Fells admits wrapping these presents might present a problem, so anyone making a donation will receive a gift certificate.

A spokesperson for the project said: “Your gift donation could make someone very happy this Christmas, and help the fells in a way that no pair of socks ever could.”

Fix the Fells is funded mostly by donations. The Heritage Lottery fund adds an extra £2 for every £1 you donate – tripling the value of any gift.

Over 10 million people tread the paths on the Lakeland fells each year, causing wear and tear. The National Trust, Lake District National Park Authority, Friends of the Lake District, Natural England and the Tourism and Conservation Partnership have teamed up in Fix the Fells to combat path erosion and keep our upland areas pleasant places to visit.

Details of how to make a Christmas gift donation are on the Fix the Fells website.

A series of spectacular outdoor arts events will take place across the Lake District and other parts of Cumbria in the spring and summer of 2010.

Lakes Alive will run from 29 April to 5 September and feature performances by leading international acts set against Cumbria’s beautiful and varied landscape and heritage.

These mainly free shows will include modern circus, dramatic outdoor theatre, contemporary dance and exciting, fiery processions.

Highlights include:

The events start on 29 April to 2 May, with evening performances of a new show created for Lakes Alive by the critically-acclaimed Akademi, a South Asian Dance Company, in the atmospheric ruins of Furness Abbey.

A series of events across the May half term holidays will start with a thrilling outdoor animation festival in Whitehaven showcasing the town’s historic harbour on 29 and 30 May, including a dramatic procession with fire, light and giant illuminated fish by Spanish artists Sarruga.

Zircus Plus a unique International Circus Festival, will put on an amazing show in Barrow from 4 to 6 June, with some of the best and most exciting modern circus acts from Britain and overseas.

On 23 and 24 July German group Theater Titanick, one of Europe’s leading outdoor performance companies, will stage a stunning, large-scale show involving illusion, fire, water, music and dance at Carlisle Castle.

Leading French artists Commandos Percu will stage a dazzling extravaganza of sound, fire, light and colour at Maryport on 30 August.

The season of events will culminate in Mintfest, one of the country’s largest street arts festivals, which takes place in the market town of Kendal at the gateway to the Lakes. Running from 2 to 5 September the festival will include a host of the very best street artists from across the world.

The Lakes Alive programme will also include a series of other performances in Lakeland forests and towns across the county.

Further details about all the shows will be available at lakesalive.org in the New Year.