Riverside glamping in Bellever Forest

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Tree-lined trails lie along the banks of the East Dart River in Bellever Forest at the centre of Dartmoor National Park. Enjoy short walks through the woodlands, stop for a picnic by the riverside, then climb up to Bellever Tor for magnificent views across the moors. Seasoned hikers can set out along the 11-mile Lich Way from Bellever, and wildlife lovers will be in their element—the forest is a popular grazing spot for the park’s free-roaming herds of Dartmoor ponies. Camping is not permitted within the forest, but campers will find plenty of options throughout the national park.

95% (295) 97 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds in Bellever Forest

The Enchanted Wilderness

1. The Enchanted Wilderness

92%
(51)
Yelverton, England · 6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Simple riverside camping pitches in the Tamar Valley on the edge of Dartmoor
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Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

2. Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

97%
(148)
St Kew, England · 83 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Wake up to the sound of birdsong, go swimming before breakfast in the clear water of a secluded lake. Cook your bacon and eggs over an open fire while you plan your day, or just laze it away in the peace and quiet of your own personal tipi. You can always go fishing tomorrow, and walk along the cliffs the day after that… The site is a unique woodland valley folded around a clear, spring-fed lake created from the old Tregildrans Quarry. Our tipis and tent pitches are dotted about this secret 20 acres full of ferns, bluebells, oak and meadowsweet. Left in peace for many years there's been no modern chemicals or poisons on the land, meaning we've got bluebells, dormice, Red Admirals and shy woodland Jays for you to spot. It’s a place set apart from the rush and clutter of the modern holiday experience, with an atmosphere that makes you forget the world outside, and just lounge, ramble, or potter about in a boat. We're committed to giving you a genuinely individual service from first contact to your time staying with us. We established CTH in 1996. This was the first and we believe still is the best tipi holiday site in the UK. We know our area inside out and can always help with local knowledge or contacts if you need them. We want to offer our guests a sustainable holiday. A return to real camping means the lowest possible impact on the land and environment - our tipi poles don’t even break the surface of the earth. Your footprint while here could only be bettered by a survival expert. You don't have to fly! a major bonus, and we source all our wood, fish and canvas locally and work with local people wherever possible.
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WILDSWIM2SAUNA

3. WILDSWIM2SAUNA

100%
(5)
England · 32 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Set within 146 acres, the wildswim2sauna campsite at the Yeo farm estate lends itself to adventurous and active families looking for a unique off grid camping experience. If alfresco living, wild swimming, hot tubbing, saunas, wild fire cooking, rivers, woods, fishing and being surrounded by nature and wildlife then you’re in the right place. fantastic beaches and cool places to visit such as Salcombe, Totnes, Bantham Beach, Hope Cove are just 20mins drive away.. Facilities include private riverside pitches, outside gym, trampoline adventure playground, fire pits, picnic tables, cinders gas bbq and outside dining area. The riverside sauna needs to be booked. Please visit; WWW.WILDSWIM2SAUNA.COM for a detailed description of our boutique riverside camp Ps Don’t forget your swimmers
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Potable water
Longash

4. Longash

Merrivale , England · 1 unit
Longash is a traditional granite farmhouse smallholding on the southern edge of Dartmoor, sitting above the moor with views stretching across open moorland towards Princetown. This is proper Dartmoor — wild, ancient and extraordinary. Sleep in a Lotus Belle canvas tent on a raised timber platform, with a wood burner for cool evenings, a king bed, and the sound of nothing but wind and birdsong. Step outside to a fire pit under one of the darkest skies in the South West. The land itself is the attraction. Natural wild swimming on site, a Neolithic stone row a thousand metres from the door, and unlimited moorland walking from the gate. The Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale is a 750 metre walk — an acclaimed open-fire restaurant serving exceptional meat, well worth the short walk across the moor. This is a place to slow down, go outside, and remember what quiet feels like.
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Westland Farm

5. Westland Farm

100%
(144)
Barnstaple, England · 21 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Camping and glamping on a working farm, with yurts, huts with hot tubs, and simple, spacious, sociable camping pitches
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Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

6. Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

91%
(70)
St Austell, England · 67 units · Tents, Glamping
Lakeside camping with streams, rope swings and farmyard animals in rural Cornwall
Campfires
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Potable water
Wylde Valley Camping

7. Wylde Valley Camping

97%
(16)
Bude, England · 130 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A popular festival space that's now a bona fide campsite, with modern, pop-up facilities and a top North Cornwall location
Electrical hookup
Campfires
Showers
Ruby Country Camping

8. Ruby Country Camping

100%
(31)
Highampton, England · 6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A natural, spacious meadow campsite perfect for exploring North Devon and Cornwall
Pets
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Showers
Pure & Rustic

9. Pure & Rustic

88%
(8)
Croyde, England · 6 units
Acres of beautiful woodlands & pastures for those that like to sleep under canvas with or without electric. Hot showers, Pure Greenfields spring water on tap, designated fire pits to bring out your rawness of nature!! Pure & Rustic is close by to some fantastic local pubs, and the beaches of Croyde, Saunton, Putsborough & Woolacombe. A magical woodland retreat to watch the moon & stars float by..!
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Ancient Woodland Eco-Glamping

10. Ancient Woodland Eco-Glamping

100%
(6)
Liskeard, England · 1 unit
An exclusive-hire site for riverside wild glamping in an ancient Cornish woodland
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Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

11. Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

100%
(4)
Landulph, England · 3 units
Yurts on a farm site with its own riverside beach in Devon’s Tamar Valley
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Campfires
Strawfields Cabins and Camping

12. Strawfields Cabins and Camping

100%
(27)
Titching Park Lane, England · 13 units · Tents, Glamping
Camping and rustic glamping with campfires on an idyllic smallholding close to North Devon’s best-loved beaches
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Summit Camping Panoramic views

13. Summit Camping Panoramic views

83%
(3)
Callington, England · 33 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Cornish camping at the foot of Kit Hill in an area of outstanding natural beauty
Pets
Showers
Potable water
Lickham Bottom Camp

14. Lickham Bottom Camp

100%
(9)
Taunton, England · 3 units
Ready-made camping in Devon’s Blackdown Hills
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Campfires
Rocombe Valley Retreat

15. Rocombe Valley Retreat

97%
(17)
Lower Rocombe, England · 5 units
Glamping near the English Riviera, with wood-fired hot tubs and coarse fishing lakes
Showers
Campfires
Hot Tub
Dartmoor Domes

16. Dartmoor Domes

100%
(34)
Plymouth, England · 4 units
Geodesic glamping domes with a ceiling that lets you stargaze and a dark-sky setting on the edge of Dartmoor
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Cotna Eco Retreat

17. Cotna Eco Retreat

100%
(10)
Gorran Churchtown, England · 3 units
An peaceful, eco heaven near the coast, on a 10-acre organic smallholding in Cornwall with yurts, a shepherd’s hut and a strawbale barn
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
Tremeer Farm Yurts Cornwall

18. Tremeer Farm Yurts Cornwall

83%
(6)
Polperro, England · 5 units
Yurts oozing luxury, one cedar hot tub, and the entire starlit Cornish sky
Showers
Campfires
Hot Tub
Wild About Campers

19. Wild About Campers

100%
(2)
Honiton, England · 5 units
Wild About Campers is a peaceful retreat amid spectacular hiking country in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and 25 minutes’ drive from cliff-top treks along the South West Coast Path. The Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis is within 25 minutes’ drive, and if you feel a major shopping expedition coming on, the historic cathedral city of Exeter (35 minutes) will see you right. Both Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks are less than an hour’s drive away, while the pretty neighbouring town of Honiton (10 minutes) offers pubs and tearooms as well as antique shops to browse. But if it’s a rural retreat you’re after, well, this is the place. The camping paddock is surrounded by peaceful farmland and borders the River Otter (look out for the resident beavers, otters and kingfishers, which occasionally appear), so you can fall asleep lulled by the burble of the river along with the distant hoot of barn owls – and wake up fresh in the morning to the sound of birdsong. A popular family-run pub is five minutes’ stroll from the campsite, and you can pick up emergency supplies from a well-stocked village shop run by volunteers (five minutes’ drive).
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Rushford Shepherd's Hut

20. Rushford Shepherd's Hut

83%
(6)
Narrowbridge, England · 1 unit
A dog-friendly shepherd's hut in the Teign Valley at the heart of Dartmoor National Park
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Bellever Forest camping guide

When to go

Summer, especially July and August, is peak season in Dartmoor National Park and popular spots such as Bellever Forest can get crowded—get there early to snag a picnic bench. Forest walks are enjoyable at any time of year, but autumn is particularly beautiful, with its rainbow of fall foliage. Dartmoor weather is notoriously changeable, so bring your raincoat and something warm, even in summer.

Know before you go

  • Bellever Forest is located in Dartmoor National Park, a 5-minute drive south of Postbridge. There are pay and display car parks (payment by card only) at Bellever village, by the entrance to the forest, and at Postbridge village, a 1-mile walk. 
  • Both car parks have restrooms, but there are no other facilities, so bring everything you need with you. The closest village is Postbridge, home to a pub and a few small shops. 
  • Some walking trails at Bellever Forest are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
  • Dartmoor has free-roaming ponies, sheep, and cattle, and these animals have right of way on moorland roads. There is a strict speed limit of 40 mph throughout. It is a fineable offence to feed any of the animals in the park, and visitors are also advised to keep a distance for their own safety—these are feral animals and may kick or bite.
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

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