Bell tents in Fernworthy Forest

·

Set on the banks of the Fernworthy Reservoir at the heart of the Dartmoor National Park, Fernworthy Forest has some of the NP’s most rewarding short walks. Follow the lakeside trail, enjoy bird-watching or fish for brown trout around the lake, then stop for a picnic by the lakeside. Hikers can choose from a variety of forest trails. Explore Bronze Age stone circles, follow scenic woodland walks, and spot herds of native Dartmoor ponies grazing the moors. There are no campsites at Fernworthy Forest, but wild camping is permitted—pitch your tent beneath the trees for a real back-to-nature experience.

98% (361) 142 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds in Fernworthy Forest

Girt Down Camping

1. Girt Down Camping

99%
(93)
Ilfracombe · 23 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
UPDATES FOR 2026! Set the edge of Exmoor, we have unrivalled coastal views, direct access to the South West Coast Path and Combe Martin bay is just a little walk away (perfect for paddle-boarding and dolphin spotting!). Choose your pitch, settle down by a fire pit and watch the sun set across Combe Martin bay. With pizza’s available on some weekends, breakfast baguettes for breakfast and a selection of farm produce available - we have everything you could need, we are campervan friendly too. With footpaths from the farm in all directions you can join the South West Coast Path or just ramble down to the village where there are shops, cafes and pubs a plenty. With full flushing toilets and hot showers, as well as a washing up area, there is even an old railway carriage with electric plugs to charge your phone or dry your hair, with a fridge and freezer to look after your supper too. We are a small site focusing on that quiet get-away. There is no road noise, just the farmer going about his day job, who’s more than happy to chat about the wildlife, birds and weather!
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Forest Edge Camping & Glamping

2. Forest Edge Camping & Glamping

100%
(33)
Sidbury, England · 18 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A welcoming and wild-ish camping and glamping site on the edge of a forest in East Devon
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Pittaford Farm

3. Pittaford Farm

99%
(69)
Kingsbridge, England · 15 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A campfire-friendly site in South Devon, with a beach, a nature reserve and a pub all less than 45 minutes' walk away
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

4. Pleasant Streams Farm Camping

92%
(71)
St Austell, England · 67 units · Tents, Glamping
Lakeside camping with streams, rope swings and farmyard animals in rural Cornwall
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Wylde Valley Camping

5. Wylde Valley Camping

97%
(16)
Bude, England · 110 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
Showers
Potable water
The High Nature Centre

6. The High Nature Centre

93%
(22)
Salcombe, England · 10 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A stay at The High Nature Centre is sure to reinvigorate the soul as only a sojourn by the sea can
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Ruby Country Camping

7. Ruby Country Camping

100%
(34)
Highampton, England · 6 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
A natural, spacious meadow campsite perfect for exploring North Devon and Cornwall
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Buckland Farm Camping

8. Buckland Farm Camping

95%
(21)
Wellington, England · 12 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Dog-friendly camping on the edge of the Blackdown Hills
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Gatcombe Park Farm Glamping

9. Gatcombe Park Farm Glamping

85%
(20)
Littlehempston, England · 16 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Adult-only camping and glamping within striking distance of Totnes and the South Devon coast.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Cheglinch Camping (Wild Camping)

10. Cheglinch Camping (Wild Camping)

100%
(20)
Ilfracombe, England · 26 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Unspoiled countryside camping on the outskirts of a working Devon farm, offering far-reaching views and a relaxed atmosphere
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
Bowhayes Farm - Glamping & Camping

11. Bowhayes Farm - Glamping & Camping

98%
(21)
Sidmouth, England · 12 units · Tents, Glamping
Nearly-wild camping in a Devon cider orchard, 5 miles from the Jurassic Coast
Pets
Showers
Potable water
Livit, Glamping by the coast

12. Livit, Glamping by the coast

98%
(48)
Bideford, England · 3 units
Adventure-filled glamping with sea views to savour
Pets
Showers
Campfires
Lower Marlpits Farm Campsite

13. Lower Marlpits Farm Campsite

95%
(10)
Honiton, England · 2 units
A well-connected family farm, near Honiton and the Jurassic Coast.
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
Camp De Lank Cornwall

14. Camp De Lank Cornwall

100%
(11)
St Breward, England · 17 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Bell tents and pitches close to Bodmin Moor and the Camel Trail
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Coppet Hill

15. Coppet Hill

100%
(88)
Bridport, England · 18 units · Tents, Glamping
Wildlife-friendly camping and glamping with private loos at each pitch, 15 minutes' drive from the coast
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Wild About Campers

16. Wild About Campers

100%
(3)
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).
Pets
Showers
Campfires
West Kellow Yurts

17. West Kellow Yurts

96%
(23)
Nr Looe, England · 8 units
A small glamping site on a family farm in Cornwall, set just outside the idyllic seaside village of Polperro
Pets
Showers
Campfires
Knowle Meadow Camping

18. Knowle Meadow Camping

100%
(2)
England · 4 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Knowle Meadow Camping is a multi-award winning lavish camping and glamping site in a tree-enclosed meadow located in the heart of south Somerset, eight minutes from Ilminster. The site offers a small, intimate number of camping pitches as well as fantastic glamping options, including a Shepherd's Hut and Lotus Stargazer Belle tents. The site has a Scandinavian wood-fired barrel sauna available for all guests on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays typically from 5pm until 6pm. It has a half-moon window showcasing the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and an accompanying cold water bucket shower. There are hotel-style washrooms, with powerful rainfall showers. With ten generously sized pitches available for tents or small campervans, the site offers a memorable and intimate camping experience. The camping pitches are all individual, surrounded by wildflowers and long grass, creating a picturesque setting for all campers. There is also an all-weather barn with seating, and campers have access to a fridge freezer. The Yarrow Shepherd's Hut is a two person hut made locally in Merriott. It boasts a superbly comfortable double bed, warming log burner, mini kitchen, and private Scandinavian woodfired hot tub. Yarrow's private hedge-enclosed garden has a firepit with a grill and outside seating, offering stunning views of the surrounding area. The site also offers two Lotus Stargazer Belle Tents (each sleeps up to two adults and two children), Bluebell and Foxglove, each with its own unique style. Both tents are six metres in diameter with skylight windows, providing uninterrupted views of the night sky. Each tent has a king-size bed and two single "camp" beds suitable for children. There are log burners, fire pits and outdoor kitchens. Electricity is available too. There are a wealth of walks direct from the campsite to a number of local pubs and other attractions. Further down our lane is a cycle path which links to Ilminster, Chard and beyond. The Jurassic Coast (and Lyme Regis) can be reached within 25 minutes. Knowle Meadow Camping won gold for the New Tourism Business of the Year and silver for Campsite of the Year at the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards 2024/25 and silver for Campsite of the Year in 2025/26.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Moorland Holt (Dartmoor)

19. Moorland Holt (Dartmoor)

100%
(5)
England · 1 unit
Moorland Holt is a private hideaway nestling in a corner of south east Dartmoor, where a stunning 4m lotus belle tent offers a unique camping experience in a peaceful meadow glade surrounded by woodland, adjacent to open moor. This will be an offgrid experience but with the luxury of a 'proper' toilet and shower. It is the only unit so you get the whole place to yourself, and the space includes a field kitchen equiped with a gas burner and cold box, along with a firepit for BBQ, campfire cooking, or just toasting marshmallows under Dartmoor's famous night sky. Moorland Holt is a nature-lovers paradise, home to a wide variety of insects and birds, as well as resident tawny owls, and with fallow, roe and red deer, badgers and foxes regularly passing through. Stoats and lizards have also been known to make an appearance. Our location is secluded and peaceful, ideal for walkers and those who want to be immersed in the wilds of Dartmoor, but is easy to reach from the A38 (Devon Expressway), and is just 10 minutes from the historic stannery town of Ashburton. It's 15 minutes walk to Buckland Beacon with views to the coast, and stunning night skies, and just 10 minutes walk to Ausewell Wood, one of Dartmoor's rare temperate rainforests ( looked after by the Woodland Trust and English Heritage) which includes wild, rugged wood and heath with dramatic rocky outcrops. As well as nearby Ashburton, with a 12th century inn and award winning restaurants, just 10 minutes in the opposite direction is the moor town of Widecombe, an ideal destination for a morning's walk and pub lunch. Landmark tors are also within a 10-minute drive, including one of Dartmoor's most popular attractions Haytor, and neighbouring Hound Tor. The River Dart is 20 minutes drive away, the famous medieval clapper bridge less than half an hour and Devon's stunning coast within 40 minutes drive. Our Moorland Holt lotus belle tent is kitted out with a standard double bed but an extra air mattress could be added for a third person on request, but please note the site is not suitable for young children. One dog would be welcome but would need to be on a lead or tethered at all times to protect wildlife and livestock as the site is not secure.
Pets
Showers
Potable water
Jurassic Airstreams Spa Glamping

20. Jurassic Airstreams Spa Glamping

England · 4 units
Hartridge Springs – Jurassic Glamping with Rare Vintage Trailers Tucked into wildflower meadows and ancient woodland, Hartridge Springs is a soulful glamping retreat near the World Heritage Jurassic Coast — home to one of the UK’s rarest collections of original American trailers from the 1940s and ’50s. These aren’t just vintage caravans — they’re icons of travel history. Stay in a 1946 Spartan Manor, once owned by Roger Daltrey of The Who, with a twinkle-effect starlight ceiling, plain wing seats, wood fractal-burn tables, air conditioning, and hand-finished birch details. Or step inside the 1949 Silver Streak “Minnie” Clipper, believed to be one of only seven ever built, personally crafted by Wally Byam, the founder of Airstream. We also have two larger Silver Streak Clippers from 1950 — aerodynamic beauties nicknamed the “Twin Alien” for their space-age curves. With fewer than 200 left in the world, these trailers are considered some of the coolest-looking caravans ever made. Each has been lovingly restored by hand. Elegant domes and luxury canvas tents complete the site — each with its own fire pit / barbecue, perfect for slow evenings under the stars. Facilities include a luxury eco toilet block with hydrotherapy showers, incinerator toilets, and a large wood-fired sauna adds to the off-grid indulgence. All water comes from our own borehole, providing pure Jurassic spring water filtered through 180-million-year-old rocks — crisp, mineral-rich, and flowing throughout the site. Just 20 minutes from the coast, we offer exclusive night fossil hunts to what many call the best beach in the world for finding golden pyritized ammonites, revealed under torchlight and tide and due to it being at night you get the whole beach to yourself. Nearby, explore a peaceful monks’ monastery, enjoy the region’s amazing local food — fresh, seasonal, and lovingly prepared by local restaurants and pubs. Hartridge Springs is where vintage Americana meets ancient Earth — a place to unplug, reconnect, and experience something truly rare.
Pets
Showers
Potable water

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

Fernworthy Forest camping guide

When to go

July and August are the peak season in Dartmoor National Park, and popular spots such as Fernworthy Forest can get crowded—parking is limited, so get there early. Forest walks can be enjoyed year-round, but it’s most magical in autumn, with its canopy of fall foliage. Dartmoor weather is notoriously changeable, so pack a sweater and raincoat even in summer.

Know before you go

  • Fernworthy Forest is located north of Dartmoor National Park, about a 15-minute drive southwest of Chagford. There is a pay and display car park by the entrance to the forest.
  • Restrooms are located at the forest car park, but there are no other facilities, so bring everything you need with you. The closest village is Chagford, which has a few pubs and small shops. 
  • Trout fishing is possible on the lake between March and October, and fishing permits can be purchased on-site. 
  • Parts of the lakeside trail are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
  • Dartmoor National Park is one of the few places in the UK where wild camping is permitted. Tents must be pitched away from roads and attractions, and large group camping is not allowed. 
  • Dartmoor has free-roaming ponies, sheep, and cattle, and these animals have the right of way on moorland roads. There is a strict speed limit of 40 mph throughout. It is a fineable offense 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

Popular Fernworthy Forest holidays

Popular Fernworthy Forest glamping styles