Riverside camping in Dorset AONB

·

In Dorset AONB, river camping draws in everyone from first-timers to seasoned campers. You’ll find over 500 riverside pitches dotted across the county—think meadows by the Frome, shaded corners along quiet banks, and fields within earshot of running water. Favourites like Frome Meadow Campsite (62 reviews), Snelling Farm Campsite (46 reviews), and Farrs Meadow (41 reviews) keep things simple but never dull. Bring your dog, light a campfire, or dive straight into the river for a swim. Horseback-riding and hiking trails start right from many sites, so you can explore Dorset’s chalk hills and wooded valleys without ever touching tarmac. Facilities are straightforward—expect loos, somewhere to wash up, and space to spread out. Prices run from as low as £11 to an average of £110 per night, so you can rough it or go a bit plusher. Travellers come for the water, but stay for the peace and proper Dorset countryside.

93% (429) 150 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Dorset AONB

Little Eden Riverside Campsite

1. Little Eden Riverside Campsite

98%
(60)
27 units · Tents, Motorhomes · England
A very warm welcome to our guests at Little Eden, a restful and relaxing, riverside campsite for tents and campervans with grass pitches. We’re in a great spot if you love fishing, kayaking, gorge walking, cycling, seasides, fossil hunting, wild swimming, fell running, bird watching, archaeology or even Viking history! We are 9 miles from the mystical Glastonbury Abbey and Tor and directly on a Sustrans 33 cycle path route. The River Brue runs alongside the campsite with damsel flies fluttering by and kingfishers darting back and forth. We are on the Somerset levels so the sunsets are amazing as well as night time stargazing. We have a private, wooden jetty where you can launch your own paddle board. It’s a perfect get away for campers and nature lovers. Bring your own raised BBQs and logs or buy firewood on site. A family run campsite around 30 miles south of Bristol on the banks of the River Brue, it has a relaxed vibe and we try to keep things simple and straight forward. It’s ideal for doing some day trips nearby, then lighting the BBQ and playing Frisbee (games box you are most welcome to use). Shower and toilet, drinking water, washing-up sink in garden kitchenette. Our big sister site is just 4 miles away, and the café bar at 'Wall Eden Farm' serves fantastic coffee, cake, and family-made Somerset cider. If looking for classic countryside pub meal The Duck at Burtle and The Bird at Westhay are local favourites, be sure to book! Burnham on Sea close by has great fish and chips, a sandy beach, a pier and promenade if you like salty fingers and sandy toes. *DIRECTIONS* Little Eden Adventures is on Goole Maps Postcode takes you within 200 meters of campsite, look for white house with flagpole on stone bridge over river. What3words master.musical.titles. Our grandmother and her 5 sisters grew up milking cattle on the land. It’s steeped in history and archaeology. Bring your fishing rod as there are bream and roach in the River Brue. The site is a dream for cyclists. Electric vehicle charging at Wall Eden Farm with a Farmshop stocked with essential supplies, Moonshine and sweet treats. Sorry no pets as livestock in neighbouring fields. Big Adventures and Little Moments Warmest Wishes, Team Little Eden
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Frome Meadow Campsite

2. Frome Meadow Campsite

93%
(167)
114 units · Tents · Dorset, South West England
A magical riverside retreat near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£14
 / night
Farrs Meadow

3. Farrs Meadow

96%
(141)
31 units · Tents, Glamping · Dorset, South West England
A charming Dorset campsite overlooking the Stour Valley and a short walk from both the river and the market town of Wimborne Minster
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£35
 / night
Stowford Manor Farm Campsite

4. Stowford Manor Farm Campsite

87%
(39)
51 units · Glamping · Trowbridge, England
We are a family run farm situated in the beautiful Frome valley. The farm has a range of interests from the traditional Jersey milking cows to a community of workshops used by local craftsmen. The cafe serves cream teas from Easter to the end of September and pizzas are sold in evenings during the summer months. Ours is a small family run camp site with the River Frome on one side, next to the medieval buildings of Stowford Farm. The river is suitable for fishing, boating, swimming and paddling. Historic Bradford-on-Avon is only a 5 minute drive and the City of Bath 15 minutes. For those who enjoy more rural pleasures, 200 metres from the campsite Farleigh Hungerford boasts the only river swimming club in the country, and you can become an instant member for a very small fee.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£110
 / night
Bredy Farm

5. Bredy Farm

87%
(63)
31 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Bridport, England
Back-to-basics camping on a Dorset farm with a party vibe at weekends
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£18
 / night
Harry's Field New Forest

6. Harry's Field New Forest

92%
(60)
63 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Fordingbridge, Hampshire, South East England
Family-friendly, traditional New Forest camping with a pub next door and footpaths leading directly from the gateway
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£32
 / night
Haywards Bridge Farm

7. Haywards Bridge Farm

75%
(12)
99 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Shillingstone,, England
We are a Riverside Wild Camp site. Eight acre small until recently growing sustainable vegetables and wild flowers, hosting camping and events, nestled beneath Hambledon Hillfort on the bank of the Stour. We have access to the North Dorset trailway at our entrance, our neighbours are the North Dorset Railway, a museum, cafe and soon to be working line, all under preservation and within 50 yards walk, the mighty Hambledon hill is a great trek with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, for those looking to relax Bournemouth and Weymouth beaches are less than 30 miles, for shoppers Salisbury to the East or Bath just over an hour to the North, there really is something for everyone!
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£22
 / night
Buckland Farm Camping

8. Buckland Farm Camping

95%
(21)
12 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Somerset, South West England
Dog-friendly camping on the edge of the Blackdown Hills
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£22
 / night
Snelling Farm Campsite

9. Snelling Farm Campsite

99%
(140)
70 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Wareham, England
An amazingly green, natural feel and care-free atmosphere near the Dorset coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£20
 / night
Gurt Yurts

10. Gurt Yurts

100%
(23)
9 units · Tents, Glamping · Churchill, England
Off the beaten track on top of the Mendips in an area of outstanding natural beauty. A mixture of four acres of wild woodland, orchard and field set on a hillside. Our Yurt is set up in the trees giving you peaceful seclusion and a clear view across the sea to Wales and the mountains of the Brecon Beacons. A huge range of activities are possible or you can lie in the hammock with a good book. We have very friendly dogs and rescue chickens who may come and visit. Wild deer wander past in the early morning mist and the odd buzzard picks an argument with a bunch of crows but nothing much else should disturb you. We moved here after an 18 month search 8 years ago. It was close to everything we wanted and we've spent some time getting a bit closer.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
The Old Airfield

11. The Old Airfield

85%
(143)
114 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Hampshire, South East England
A New Forest airfield that's been overtaken by nature, less than 10 minutes' drive from the coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£30
 / night
Oakhill Ponds

12. Oakhill Ponds

96%
(13)
8 units · Glamping · Somerset, South West England
A uniquely peaceful Somerset glamping site set around two ponds in its own beautiful wildlife garden.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£125
 / night
Rocombe Valley Retreat

13. 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
Stud Farm

14. Stud Farm

100%
(4)
1 unit · Glamping · Brockenhurst, England
A shepherd’s hut on a traditional New Forest farm
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£125
 / night
Romantic Country Glamping

15. Romantic Country Glamping

91%
(11)
2 units · Glamping · Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, South West England
A pair of self-contained glamping getaways in Wiltshire
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£110
 / 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
Lickham Bottom Camp

17. Lickham Bottom Camp

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

18. 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
Feltham’s Farm Cheese Barn

19. Feltham’s Farm Cheese Barn

100%
(8)
1 unit · Glamping · Shepton Mallet, England
Farm stays on a Somerset smallholding with a cheese dairy
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£160
 / night
Wydale Farm Tipis

20. Wydale Farm Tipis

100%
(8)
3 units · Glamping · Weston Super Mare, England
Grown-up glamping in riverside tipis with views of the Mendip Hills
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£117
 / night

In Dorset AONB, river camping draws in everyone from first-timers to seasoned campers. You’ll find over 500 riverside pitches dotted across the county—think meadows by the Frome, shaded corners along quiet banks, and fields within earshot of running water. Favourites like Frome Meadow Campsite (62 reviews), Snelling Farm Campsite (46 reviews), and Farrs Meadow (41 reviews) keep things simple but never dull. Bring your dog, light a campfire, or dive straight into the river for a swim. Horseback-riding and hiking trails start right from many sites, so you can explore Dorset’s chalk hills and wooded valleys without ever touching tarmac. Facilities are straightforward—expect loos, somewhere to wash up, and space to spread out. Prices run from as low as £11 to an average of £110 per night, so you can rough it or go a bit plusher. Travellers come for the water, but stay for the peace and proper Dorset countryside.

93% (429) 150 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Dorset AONB

Little Eden Riverside Campsite

1. Little Eden Riverside Campsite

98%
(60)
27 units · Tents, Motorhomes · England
A very warm welcome to our guests at Little Eden, a restful and relaxing, riverside campsite for tents and campervans with grass pitches. We’re in a great spot if you love fishing, kayaking, gorge walking, cycling, seasides, fossil hunting, wild swimming, fell running, bird watching, archaeology or even Viking history! We are 9 miles from the mystical Glastonbury Abbey and Tor and directly on a Sustrans 33 cycle path route. The River Brue runs alongside the campsite with damsel flies fluttering by and kingfishers darting back and forth. We are on the Somerset levels so the sunsets are amazing as well as night time stargazing. We have a private, wooden jetty where you can launch your own paddle board. It’s a perfect get away for campers and nature lovers. Bring your own raised BBQs and logs or buy firewood on site. A family run campsite around 30 miles south of Bristol on the banks of the River Brue, it has a relaxed vibe and we try to keep things simple and straight forward. It’s ideal for doing some day trips nearby, then lighting the BBQ and playing Frisbee (games box you are most welcome to use). Shower and toilet, drinking water, washing-up sink in garden kitchenette. Our big sister site is just 4 miles away, and the café bar at 'Wall Eden Farm' serves fantastic coffee, cake, and family-made Somerset cider. If looking for classic countryside pub meal The Duck at Burtle and The Bird at Westhay are local favourites, be sure to book! Burnham on Sea close by has great fish and chips, a sandy beach, a pier and promenade if you like salty fingers and sandy toes. *DIRECTIONS* Little Eden Adventures is on Goole Maps Postcode takes you within 200 meters of campsite, look for white house with flagpole on stone bridge over river. What3words master.musical.titles. Our grandmother and her 5 sisters grew up milking cattle on the land. It’s steeped in history and archaeology. Bring your fishing rod as there are bream and roach in the River Brue. The site is a dream for cyclists. Electric vehicle charging at Wall Eden Farm with a Farmshop stocked with essential supplies, Moonshine and sweet treats. Sorry no pets as livestock in neighbouring fields. Big Adventures and Little Moments Warmest Wishes, Team Little Eden
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Frome Meadow Campsite

2. Frome Meadow Campsite

93%
(167)
114 units · Tents · Dorset, South West England
A magical riverside retreat near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£14
 / night
Farrs Meadow

3. Farrs Meadow

96%
(141)
31 units · Tents, Glamping · Dorset, South West England
A charming Dorset campsite overlooking the Stour Valley and a short walk from both the river and the market town of Wimborne Minster
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£35
 / night
Stowford Manor Farm Campsite

4. Stowford Manor Farm Campsite

87%
(39)
51 units · Glamping · Trowbridge, England
We are a family run farm situated in the beautiful Frome valley. The farm has a range of interests from the traditional Jersey milking cows to a community of workshops used by local craftsmen. The cafe serves cream teas from Easter to the end of September and pizzas are sold in evenings during the summer months. Ours is a small family run camp site with the River Frome on one side, next to the medieval buildings of Stowford Farm. The river is suitable for fishing, boating, swimming and paddling. Historic Bradford-on-Avon is only a 5 minute drive and the City of Bath 15 minutes. For those who enjoy more rural pleasures, 200 metres from the campsite Farleigh Hungerford boasts the only river swimming club in the country, and you can become an instant member for a very small fee.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£110
 / night
Bredy Farm

5. Bredy Farm

87%
(63)
31 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Bridport, England
Back-to-basics camping on a Dorset farm with a party vibe at weekends
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£18
 / night
Harry's Field New Forest

6. Harry's Field New Forest

92%
(60)
63 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Fordingbridge, Hampshire, South East England
Family-friendly, traditional New Forest camping with a pub next door and footpaths leading directly from the gateway
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£32
 / night
Haywards Bridge Farm

7. Haywards Bridge Farm

75%
(12)
99 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Shillingstone,, England
We are a Riverside Wild Camp site. Eight acre small until recently growing sustainable vegetables and wild flowers, hosting camping and events, nestled beneath Hambledon Hillfort on the bank of the Stour. We have access to the North Dorset trailway at our entrance, our neighbours are the North Dorset Railway, a museum, cafe and soon to be working line, all under preservation and within 50 yards walk, the mighty Hambledon hill is a great trek with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, for those looking to relax Bournemouth and Weymouth beaches are less than 30 miles, for shoppers Salisbury to the East or Bath just over an hour to the North, there really is something for everyone!
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£22
 / night
Buckland Farm Camping

8. Buckland Farm Camping

95%
(21)
12 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Somerset, South West England
Dog-friendly camping on the edge of the Blackdown Hills
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£22
 / night
Snelling Farm Campsite

9. Snelling Farm Campsite

99%
(140)
70 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Wareham, England
An amazingly green, natural feel and care-free atmosphere near the Dorset coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£20
 / night
Gurt Yurts

10. Gurt Yurts

100%
(23)
9 units · Tents, Glamping · Churchill, England
Off the beaten track on top of the Mendips in an area of outstanding natural beauty. A mixture of four acres of wild woodland, orchard and field set on a hillside. Our Yurt is set up in the trees giving you peaceful seclusion and a clear view across the sea to Wales and the mountains of the Brecon Beacons. A huge range of activities are possible or you can lie in the hammock with a good book. We have very friendly dogs and rescue chickens who may come and visit. Wild deer wander past in the early morning mist and the odd buzzard picks an argument with a bunch of crows but nothing much else should disturb you. We moved here after an 18 month search 8 years ago. It was close to everything we wanted and we've spent some time getting a bit closer.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
The Old Airfield

11. The Old Airfield

85%
(143)
114 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Hampshire, South East England
A New Forest airfield that's been overtaken by nature, less than 10 minutes' drive from the coast
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£30
 / night
Oakhill Ponds

12. Oakhill Ponds

96%
(13)
8 units · Glamping · Somerset, South West England
A uniquely peaceful Somerset glamping site set around two ponds in its own beautiful wildlife garden.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£125
 / night
Rocombe Valley Retreat

13. 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
Stud Farm

14. Stud Farm

100%
(4)
1 unit · Glamping · Brockenhurst, England
A shepherd’s hut on a traditional New Forest farm
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£125
 / night
Romantic Country Glamping

15. Romantic Country Glamping

91%
(11)
2 units · Glamping · Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, South West England
A pair of self-contained glamping getaways in Wiltshire
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£110
 / 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
Lickham Bottom Camp

17. Lickham Bottom Camp

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

18. 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
Feltham’s Farm Cheese Barn

19. Feltham’s Farm Cheese Barn

100%
(8)
1 unit · Glamping · Shepton Mallet, England
Farm stays on a Somerset smallholding with a cheese dairy
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£160
 / night
Wydale Farm Tipis

20. Wydale Farm Tipis

100%
(8)
3 units · Glamping · Weston Super Mare, England
Grown-up glamping in riverside tipis with views of the Mendip Hills
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£117
 / night

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field