Bell tent camping near Manchester
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Bell tent camping near Manchester guide
Where to go
Peak District National Park
A mere 30-minute drive east of Manchester will take you to Peak District National Park, a 555-square-acre park that's popular for walkers, cyclists, and water sports enthusiasts. It's among the most popular national parks in the country and a fantastic spot for wildlife watching, with populations of hares, hedgehogs, and all sorts of birds. The park also has four show caves open to public visits and a museum dedicated to the Black Plague.
Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
Due north of Manchester, the Forest of Bowland AONB feels much more remote. Here you'll find massive expanses of fells and peat moorland, short hills, and lots of outdoor recreation opportunities. Popular things to do in the area include walking, cycling, and wildlife-watching, and the lack of city lights makes it ideal for a night of stargazing.
Loggerheads Country Park
Just over the border with Wales, inside the Clwydian Range And Dee Valley AONB, Loggerheads Country Park offers a visitors centre, a historic mill, and a few miles worth of short trails that lead alongside the River Alyn, past wooded groves and limestone cliffs. Keep your eyes out for Bloody Cranesbill, a type of wildflower named as such because its leaves turn red in the autumn, much like a tree.
When to go
Manchester is very much a summer destination, and the likelihood of good weather is at its highest between June and August, with highs in the low 20s, though you should still be prepared for rain no matter when you visit. The summer months also offer plenty of things to do, and music fans from across the UK flock here in June for the celebrated Parklife Festival in Heaton Park.