Riverside glamping in Bellever Forest

·

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% (284) 96 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Bellever Forest

Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

1. Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

97%
(147)
168 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
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.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£25
 / night
Pure & Rustic

2. Pure & Rustic

86%
(7)
6 units · Glamping · Croyde, Devon, South West England
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..!
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£15
 / night
The Enchanted Wilderness

3. The Enchanted Wilderness

93%
(43)
6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Yelverton, England
Simple riverside camping pitches in the Tamar Valley on the edge of Dartmoor
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£28
 / night
Riverside Meadow Landpods Max4Adult

4. Riverside Meadow Landpods Max4Adult

100%
(1)
1 unit · Glamping · Bodmin, Cornwall, England
An exclusive, riverside, glamping meadow on Bodmin Moor, ideal for swimming and hiking.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£99
 / night
Westland Farm

5. Westland Farm

100%
(140)
21 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Barnstaple, Devon, South West England
Camping and glamping on a working farm, with yurts, huts with hot tubs, and simple, spacious, sociable camping pitches
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£13
 / night
Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

6. Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

91%
(70)
67 units · Tents, Glamping · St Austell, England
Lakeside camping with streams, rope swings and farmyard animals in rural Cornwall
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Strawfields Cabins and Camping

7. Strawfields Cabins and Camping

100%
(26)
14 units · Tents, Glamping · Titching Park Lane, England
Camping and rustic glamping with campfires on an idyllic smallholding close to North Devon’s best-loved beaches
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£30
 / night
Ruby Country Camping

8. Ruby Country Camping

100%
(30)
6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Highampton, England
A natural, spacious meadow campsite perfect for exploring North Devon and Cornwall
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£15
 / night
Rocombe Valley Retreat

9. Rocombe Valley Retreat

97%
(17)
5 units · Glamping · Lower Rocombe, England
Glamping near the English Riviera, with wood-fired hot tubs and coarse fishing lakes
Showers
Campfires
Hot Tub
from 
£80
 / night
Summit Camping Panoramic views

10. Summit Camping Panoramic views

83%
(3)
33 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
Cornish camping at the foot of Kit Hill in an area of outstanding natural beauty
Pets
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

11. Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

100%
(4)
3 units · Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
Yurts on a farm site with its own riverside beach in Devon’s Tamar Valley
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£90
 / night
Bulstone Springs Devon Eco-Glamping

12. Bulstone Springs Devon Eco-Glamping

100%
(7)
1 unit · Glamping · Devon, South West England
A unique combination of off-grid glamping and spa days in Devon
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£112
 / night
Cotna Eco Retreat

13. Cotna Eco Retreat

100%
(10)
5 units · Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
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
from 
£72
 / night
Exclusive use Cornish Eco-Glamping

14. Exclusive use Cornish Eco-Glamping

100%
(6)
4 units · Glamping · Liskeard, Cornwall, South West England
An exclusive-hire site for riverside wild glamping in an ancient Cornish woodland
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£95
 / night
Wylde Valley Camping

15. Wylde Valley Camping

97%
(16)
132 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Bude, Cornwall, South West England
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
from 
£15
 / night
Wild About Campers

16. Wild About Campers

100%
(2)
5 units · Glamping · Stockland, Devon, South West England
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).
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£89
 / night
Dartmoor Domes

17. Dartmoor Domes

100%
(34)
4 units · Glamping · Plymouth, England
Geodesic glamping domes with a ceiling that lets you stargaze and a dark-sky setting on the edge of Dartmoor
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£140
 / night
Lickham Bottom Camp

18. Lickham Bottom Camp

100%
(9)
3 units · Glamping · Taunton, England
Ready-made camping in Devon’s Blackdown Hills
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£100
 / night
Enchanted Valley Yurts

19. Enchanted Valley Yurts

100%
(9)
2 units · Glamping · Looe, England
About There’s something ever so right about describing this valley as ‘enchanting’. The stream that bubbles its way through the 34-acre small holding ranges from a soundscape of gurgling to an almost silent trickle when the weather is dry. The long grasses change from a buttercup speckled yellow in June to a light, sun-scorched green by August. And the trees, hedges and saplings are as inviting to children as any artificial playground. It’s a wonderful place to explore. The Yurt and Lodge here have been fittingly finished to provide the same enchanting feel. Solar-powered fairy lights and lanterns cast their ambient light across the exposed wooden lattice on the inside of each structure, while wood burners and colour-schemed furnishings give a warm and cosy feel. They are, of course, also perfectly practical. Each one sleeps up to five people and are accompanied by a neighbouring cabin with your own private shower and toilet facilities. The mown grass provides children a space to play and also leads you to a communal log cabin that’s home to the main kitchen and dining area. It comes complete with everything you need (including a range cooker) and there’s an outside cooking area with a proper pizza oven and a campfire. Owl Yurt is perhaps the more secluded of the two, with the stream and a line of bushes slightly separating it and involves crossing a tiny bridge to get there, while Pheasant Lodge is closer to the kitchen area. When the sun’s out, it’s all so nice it’s difficult to leave. The raised wooden platforms on which each Yurt and Lodge sits has outdoor furniture where you can sit and enjoy a sun-downer and you can even put your feet up and relax under the guise of ‘supervising the kids’. Enchanting though it may be, there is life beyond the valley (really, there is) and once you drag yourself away you’ll be quick to realise that the coast is the real draw here. It’s a 15-minute drive to the beaches of the south and the charming harbour town of Looe, stacked up along the steep sides of the river valley. From there you can chug out on the ferry to the nature reserve of Looe Island or join the coastal path to wander to neighbouring coves and beaches.
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£86
 / night
Solitary Bee Retreat

20. Solitary Bee Retreat

1 unit · Glamping · Paignton, Devon, South West England
Replenish and Rewild… …in this tranquil river valley. Spend time in retreat from the hustle and bustle of life in this beautiful and unique location where you will have the valley to yourselves. Perfect for a romantic night or two, a family wilderness adventure or a solitary retreat in the heart of South Devon’s beautiful rolling hills. Lie in the Tall Grass… ….counting butterflies and watching the buzzards fly overhead, serenaded by the buzzing of insects, birdsong and the chattering stream. Cool off by jumping in the waist deep plunge pool or relax in the hammock in the shade while your children splash about.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£70
 / night

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% (284) 96 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Bellever Forest

Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

1. Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping

97%
(147)
168 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
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.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£25
 / night
Pure & Rustic

2. Pure & Rustic

86%
(7)
6 units · Glamping · Croyde, Devon, South West England
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..!
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£15
 / night
The Enchanted Wilderness

3. The Enchanted Wilderness

93%
(43)
6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Yelverton, England
Simple riverside camping pitches in the Tamar Valley on the edge of Dartmoor
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£28
 / night
Riverside Meadow Landpods Max4Adult

4. Riverside Meadow Landpods Max4Adult

100%
(1)
1 unit · Glamping · Bodmin, Cornwall, England
An exclusive, riverside, glamping meadow on Bodmin Moor, ideal for swimming and hiking.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£99
 / night
Westland Farm

5. Westland Farm

100%
(140)
21 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Barnstaple, Devon, South West England
Camping and glamping on a working farm, with yurts, huts with hot tubs, and simple, spacious, sociable camping pitches
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£13
 / night
Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

6. Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

91%
(70)
67 units · Tents, Glamping · St Austell, England
Lakeside camping with streams, rope swings and farmyard animals in rural Cornwall
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Strawfields Cabins and Camping

7. Strawfields Cabins and Camping

100%
(26)
14 units · Tents, Glamping · Titching Park Lane, England
Camping and rustic glamping with campfires on an idyllic smallholding close to North Devon’s best-loved beaches
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£30
 / night
Ruby Country Camping

8. Ruby Country Camping

100%
(30)
6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Highampton, England
A natural, spacious meadow campsite perfect for exploring North Devon and Cornwall
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£15
 / night
Rocombe Valley Retreat

9. Rocombe Valley Retreat

97%
(17)
5 units · Glamping · Lower Rocombe, England
Glamping near the English Riviera, with wood-fired hot tubs and coarse fishing lakes
Showers
Campfires
Hot Tub
from 
£80
 / night
Summit Camping Panoramic views

10. Summit Camping Panoramic views

83%
(3)
33 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
Cornish camping at the foot of Kit Hill in an area of outstanding natural beauty
Pets
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

11. Glamping, wild swimming, tennis

100%
(4)
3 units · Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
Yurts on a farm site with its own riverside beach in Devon’s Tamar Valley
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£90
 / night
Bulstone Springs Devon Eco-Glamping

12. Bulstone Springs Devon Eco-Glamping

100%
(7)
1 unit · Glamping · Devon, South West England
A unique combination of off-grid glamping and spa days in Devon
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£112
 / night
Cotna Eco Retreat

13. Cotna Eco Retreat

100%
(10)
5 units · Glamping · Cornwall, South West England
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
from 
£72
 / night
Exclusive use Cornish Eco-Glamping

14. Exclusive use Cornish Eco-Glamping

100%
(6)
4 units · Glamping · Liskeard, Cornwall, South West England
An exclusive-hire site for riverside wild glamping in an ancient Cornish woodland
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£95
 / night
Wylde Valley Camping

15. Wylde Valley Camping

97%
(16)
132 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Bude, Cornwall, South West England
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
from 
£15
 / night
Wild About Campers

16. Wild About Campers

100%
(2)
5 units · Glamping · Stockland, Devon, South West England
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).
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£89
 / night
Dartmoor Domes

17. Dartmoor Domes

100%
(34)
4 units · Glamping · Plymouth, England
Geodesic glamping domes with a ceiling that lets you stargaze and a dark-sky setting on the edge of Dartmoor
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£140
 / night
Lickham Bottom Camp

18. Lickham Bottom Camp

100%
(9)
3 units · Glamping · Taunton, England
Ready-made camping in Devon’s Blackdown Hills
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£100
 / night
Enchanted Valley Yurts

19. Enchanted Valley Yurts

100%
(9)
2 units · Glamping · Looe, England
About There’s something ever so right about describing this valley as ‘enchanting’. The stream that bubbles its way through the 34-acre small holding ranges from a soundscape of gurgling to an almost silent trickle when the weather is dry. The long grasses change from a buttercup speckled yellow in June to a light, sun-scorched green by August. And the trees, hedges and saplings are as inviting to children as any artificial playground. It’s a wonderful place to explore. The Yurt and Lodge here have been fittingly finished to provide the same enchanting feel. Solar-powered fairy lights and lanterns cast their ambient light across the exposed wooden lattice on the inside of each structure, while wood burners and colour-schemed furnishings give a warm and cosy feel. They are, of course, also perfectly practical. Each one sleeps up to five people and are accompanied by a neighbouring cabin with your own private shower and toilet facilities. The mown grass provides children a space to play and also leads you to a communal log cabin that’s home to the main kitchen and dining area. It comes complete with everything you need (including a range cooker) and there’s an outside cooking area with a proper pizza oven and a campfire. Owl Yurt is perhaps the more secluded of the two, with the stream and a line of bushes slightly separating it and involves crossing a tiny bridge to get there, while Pheasant Lodge is closer to the kitchen area. When the sun’s out, it’s all so nice it’s difficult to leave. The raised wooden platforms on which each Yurt and Lodge sits has outdoor furniture where you can sit and enjoy a sun-downer and you can even put your feet up and relax under the guise of ‘supervising the kids’. Enchanting though it may be, there is life beyond the valley (really, there is) and once you drag yourself away you’ll be quick to realise that the coast is the real draw here. It’s a 15-minute drive to the beaches of the south and the charming harbour town of Looe, stacked up along the steep sides of the river valley. From there you can chug out on the ferry to the nature reserve of Looe Island or join the coastal path to wander to neighbouring coves and beaches.
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£86
 / night
Solitary Bee Retreat

20. Solitary Bee Retreat

1 unit · Glamping · Paignton, Devon, South West England
Replenish and Rewild… …in this tranquil river valley. Spend time in retreat from the hustle and bustle of life in this beautiful and unique location where you will have the valley to yourselves. Perfect for a romantic night or two, a family wilderness adventure or a solitary retreat in the heart of South Devon’s beautiful rolling hills. Lie in the Tall Grass… ….counting butterflies and watching the buzzards fly overhead, serenaded by the buzzing of insects, birdsong and the chattering stream. Cool off by jumping in the waist deep plunge pool or relax in the hammock in the shade while your children splash about.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£70
 / night

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Riverside glamping in Bellever Forest 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.