Campsites with swimming in Dorset

Dorset’s swimming spots pull in campers who want more than just a patch of grass and a view. With over 220 campsites across the county where swimming’s on tap—from tidal creeks to old quarry pools—you’ll find places that make a dip part of the daily routine. Prices range from as low as £11 per night, with the average sitting closer to £100. Top picks like Sweet Hill Farm (142 reviews) stand out for their access to the coast and fields where you can set up campfires, shower off the salt, and bring your dog along for the ride. Wildlife-watching, fishing, and fresh-water swims are regular perks here. Facilities are straightforward: think hot showers, rubbish points, and plenty of space to spread out. Dorset’s camping scene keeps things simple, practical, and focused on the water—just the way locals like it.

89% (635)

Top-rated campgrounds

Dorset’s swimming spots pull in campers who want more than just a patch of grass and a view. With over 220 campsites across the county where swimming’s on tap—from tidal creeks to old quarry pools—you’ll find places that make a dip part of the daily routine. Prices range from as low as £11 per night, with the average sitting closer to £100. Top picks like Sweet Hill Farm (142 reviews) stand out for their access to the coast and fields where you can set up campfires, shower off the salt, and bring your dog along for the ride. Wildlife-watching, fishing, and fresh-water swims are regular perks here. Facilities are straightforward: think hot showers, rubbish points, and plenty of space to spread out. Dorset’s camping scene keeps things simple, practical, and focused on the water—just the way locals like it.

89% (635)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Sweet Hill Farm

94%

(296)

10 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Dorset, South West England

Simple, almost-wild, seaside camping on the Isle of Portland

2. Frome Meadow Campsite

93%

(167)

114 units · Tents · Dorset, South West England

A magical riverside retreat near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

3. Walnut Farm Glamping

97%

(39)

8 units · Glamping · Bridport, Dorset, South West England

Cosy en-suite yurts with acres of space, campfires, a hot tub and wild swimming on site.

4. Snelling Farm Campsite

99%

(140)

70 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Wareham, England

An amazingly green, natural feel and care-free atmosphere near the Dorset coast

5. Hardyes Countryside Camping

98%

(43)

35 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Weymouth, Dorset, South West England

Camping in a Dorset field between Dorchester and the Jurassic coast.

6. Haddon Copse Farm

99%

(49)

10 units · Tents, Glamping · Dorset, South West England

Simple camping and glamping in an unspoilt location with glorious views of the Dorset Downs

7. Bredy Farm

87%

(63)

31 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Bridport, England

Back-to-basics camping on a Dorset farm with a party vibe at weekends

8. Flowerdew Farm

100%

(18)

22 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Bridport, Dorset, South West England

Bell tents and camping with alpacas near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

9. West Holme Glamping, Wareham,Dorset

100%

(6)

6 units · Glamping · Wareham, Dorset, South West England

West Holme Glamping is a micro-site with pre-erected bell tents in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Just the job for romantic mini-breaks or holidays for small families, it's set in 20 acres, so there’s plenty of privacy and lots of space to roam around. The bell tents here come equipped with a double bed, rugs, picnic tables, lanterns, a gazebo and a gas barbecue. The three showers and three toilets are shared between six tents.. You'll just need to bring your own bed linen and towels or add them to your booking. You can explore the area by car – medieval castles, beaches, National Trust sites and the Jurassic Coast are all less than half an hour’s drive away. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are 20 minutes' drive away. Pretty market towns like Dorchester (also 30 minutes) or seaside resorts like Swanage (20 minutes) are all worth a mosey, while historic Wareham has Saxon town walls and riverside churches to explore. The sandy beaches of Studland and Swanage are also within half an hour's drive of the site. If you’re feeling energetic, the Isle of Purbeck has plenty of walks and bike rides on the rocky peninsula overlooking the English Channel, as well as parts of the South West Coast Path. The local farm shop is a five-minute walk and sells the very best of local Dorset produce if you fancy cooking on the barbecue. And if you don’t, there’s a cosy tea shop attached, and there are plenty of gastropubs serving real ales and great grub in less than a 15-minute drive too.

10. Wild Offgrid Cabin w/ Unspoilt View

33%

(3)

2 units · Glamping · Weymouth, Dorset, South West England

In The Guardians Top 10 Best UK Off-Grid Retreats *Dog Friendly* Is it time for an escape from too much concrete and too many commitments? Escape Off The Grid will give you just that: this totally off-grid experience in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is so peaceful that it’s hard to believe you’re just one-two hours from London. So what’s on offer here? A cool, sustainably made wooden cabin with a woodburner to keep you cosy, simple but comfy furniture, and best of all, a double bed set next to vast glass windows looking out on a wonderfully quiet landscape. Chances are you’ll want to stay there all day looking down the valley… breakfast in bed may well become a necessity. Everything is ready for you (bedding, cooking stuff, a fridge, kindling for the firepit and woodburner) so all you need to bring with you is food – pick up supplies from local farm shops – or eat at the rural pubs in the quaint local villages. With no phone signal and no wifi connection to distract you, you’ll have all the time in the world to chill out, read a book, write a journal, hike the unknown, or meditate in nature.

11. Glamping at Parley by PitchingIt

12 units · Glamping · Bournemouth, England

Set on the Parley Estate near Bournemouth, with a Georgian mansion sitting in four-acres of lovely Dorset parkland, Glamping at Parley by PitchingIt offers pre-erected bell tents on level grass meadows. No fuss, no puzzling tent poles to mess around with. Just arrive on site, move in and your holiday has started. Local attractions and activities include: - Bournemouth Beach & town centre for shops and restaurants 5min drive - Golf: on site 18 hole course and driving range! - Local pub short 10 min walk - Adventure Wonderland (kids’ theme park): five minutes’ drive - Snowtrax Alpine Activity Centre: 10 minutes - Go Ape Moors Valley (tree-top zipwires): 15 minutes - Bournemouth Beach: 15 minutes - Splashdown (water park): 20 minutes - Moors Valley Country Park and Forest: 20 minutes - Mudeford Sandbank: 20 minutes - Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum: 20 minutes - Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park: 25 minutes.

Camper favorites in and near Dorset

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Bredy Farm

87%

(63)

31 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Bridport, England

Back-to-basics camping on a Dorset farm with a party vibe at weekends

Flowerdew Farm

100%

(18)

22 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping · Bridport, Dorset, South West England

Bell tents and camping with alpacas near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

West Holme Glamping, Wareham,Dorset

100%

(6)

6 units · Glamping · Wareham, Dorset, South West England

West Holme Glamping is a micro-site with pre-erected bell tents in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Just the job for romantic mini-breaks or holidays for small families, it's set in 20 acres, so there’s plenty of privacy and lots of space to roam around. The bell tents here come equipped with a double bed, rugs, picnic tables, lanterns, a gazebo and a gas barbecue. The three showers and three toilets are shared between six tents.. You'll just need to bring your own bed linen and towels or add them to your booking. You can explore the area by car – medieval castles, beaches, National Trust sites and the Jurassic Coast are all less than half an hour’s drive away. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are 20 minutes' drive away. Pretty market towns like Dorchester (also 30 minutes) or seaside resorts like Swanage (20 minutes) are all worth a mosey, while historic Wareham has Saxon town walls and riverside churches to explore. The sandy beaches of Studland and Swanage are also within half an hour's drive of the site. If you’re feeling energetic, the Isle of Purbeck has plenty of walks and bike rides on the rocky peninsula overlooking the English Channel, as well as parts of the South West Coast Path. The local farm shop is a five-minute walk and sells the very best of local Dorset produce if you fancy cooking on the barbecue. And if you don’t, there’s a cosy tea shop attached, and there are plenty of gastropubs serving real ales and great grub in less than a 15-minute drive too.

Wild Offgrid Cabin w/ Unspoilt View

33%

(3)

2 units · Glamping · Weymouth, Dorset, South West England

In The Guardians Top 10 Best UK Off-Grid Retreats *Dog Friendly* Is it time for an escape from too much concrete and too many commitments? Escape Off The Grid will give you just that: this totally off-grid experience in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is so peaceful that it’s hard to believe you’re just one-two hours from London. So what’s on offer here? A cool, sustainably made wooden cabin with a woodburner to keep you cosy, simple but comfy furniture, and best of all, a double bed set next to vast glass windows looking out on a wonderfully quiet landscape. Chances are you’ll want to stay there all day looking down the valley… breakfast in bed may well become a necessity. Everything is ready for you (bedding, cooking stuff, a fridge, kindling for the firepit and woodburner) so all you need to bring with you is food – pick up supplies from local farm shops – or eat at the rural pubs in the quaint local villages. With no phone signal and no wifi connection to distract you, you’ll have all the time in the world to chill out, read a book, write a journal, hike the unknown, or meditate in nature.

Glamping at Parley by PitchingIt

12 units · Glamping · Bournemouth, England

Set on the Parley Estate near Bournemouth, with a Georgian mansion sitting in four-acres of lovely Dorset parkland, Glamping at Parley by PitchingIt offers pre-erected bell tents on level grass meadows. No fuss, no puzzling tent poles to mess around with. Just arrive on site, move in and your holiday has started. Local attractions and activities include: - Bournemouth Beach & town centre for shops and restaurants 5min drive - Golf: on site 18 hole course and driving range! - Local pub short 10 min walk - Adventure Wonderland (kids’ theme park): five minutes’ drive - Snowtrax Alpine Activity Centre: 10 minutes - Go Ape Moors Valley (tree-top zipwires): 15 minutes - Bournemouth Beach: 15 minutes - Splashdown (water park): 20 minutes - Moors Valley Country Park and Forest: 20 minutes - Mudeford Sandbank: 20 minutes - Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum: 20 minutes - Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park: 25 minutes.

Stories from the community

A

April

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Sweet Hill Farm

Lovely short walk to the lighthouses and great flat ground for camping. The team were super friendly and helpful when are car battery died!

A

Angela

October 2025

4 m Class B

With pets

Weekend Trip to Sweet Hill Farm

I have always loved Sweet Hill Farm. It’s a lovely relaxed campsite with sea views and amazing walks nearby. Also, being able to have a camp fire is fantastic. The showers are brilliant too. The only disappointment for me this year is that the compost loos have been replaced with horrible portaloos! Please bring back compost loos, they are so much nicer!

M

Mark

September 2025

Tent

1 night at Sweet Hill Farm

This was my first time camping here and I will definitely return again. Whilst SatNav got me most of the way, the directions on Hipcamp made the last little bit of the journey much easier. I was welcomed warmly at the well-stocked little cafe, and given a map to show my how to get to the field I pitched in. The tracks on-site are full of large potholes - so definitely something to be mindful of, especially if you have extremely low-suspension on your car! However, take it slow and easy and all is well here. I had the most amazing view, from where I pitched up, over to Portland Bill lighthouse. Both sunset and sunrise were stunning. Facilities here are extremely basic - but it’s enough for those that simply need to get away from life for a while and sleep under the stars without all the creature comforts of home. Of course, there is a place for being able to have all the mod-cons available, but this is camping the way it should be done! I wasn’t here long enough to speak to any of the other campers, but everyone seemed relaxed and there was no loud music or anything played into the night, meaning I could drift to sleep easily enough at the end of the day. Thank you all.

D

Dominic

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Sweet Hill Farm

What a great experience! The staff were very friendly and accommodating with an amazing ray of amenities. The showers are basic but really clean and hot, lovely! Such good value for money I would highly recommend this campsite! Thanks guys!

D

David

September 2025

Tent

2 nights at Sweet Hill Farm

This was my first time ever camping and I had a great time at this site, it's the perfect mix of rural, real camping with local amenities near enough especially for someone doing camping for the first time. Located right near the coast, it's a beautiful view, excellent facilities including showers and cafe. The only downside is that when I did arrive in the evening there was no one to greet us, even though the cafe should've been open at that time but other than that no complaints, wonderful hosts and would definitely go again.

D

Dave

September 2025

Tent

5 nights at Haddon Copse Farm

Loved staying here for 5 nights. The views are amazing, the limited pitches mean that everyone has private space and you don’t feel on top of each other. The bathrooms and washing facilities are great and the sun heated water was always perfect temperature. Something to make it feel even more private would be to really encourage meadow flowers or longer grass between the pitches to allow the private paths to each tent to feel extra special and allow for the space to feel even more private and hidden from the other tents. A hidden gem!

a

andrew

August 2025

Tent

With kids

3 nights at Snelling Farm Campsite

A very spacious campsite with well-maintained composting facilities. The scenic drive down to the site is beautiful, and the clear night skies make it perfect for stargazing. Martins and owls were active both day and night, adding to the atmosphere. On some alternate nights, music played nearby from around 10 pm to 4 am. While noticeable, it was at a consistent and tolerable volume, and importantly, it wasn’t accompanied by disruptive behaviour.

With different options for camping on site, there were plenty of choices for a stay at Haddon Copse.

F

Felix

August 2025

Tent

5 nights at Haddon Copse Farm

Lovely small campsite with a very generous flat pitch for our tent. We had a wonderful stay with lovely walks along the stour and close to Sherborne and Shaftesbury which are picturesque little towns. Amenities were good with hot showers and washing up area. We did not take advantage of the organic food available to buy, but a very nice touch. Would definitely return for another stay.

Carree

August 2025

5 m Class B

With kids

Weekend Trip to Snelling Farm Campsite

Fantastic campsite, heavenly amount of space, great atmosphere and brilliant facilities 😊👍

C

Catherine

August 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Frome Meadow Campsite

We had a lovely time camping on Sam's land. It was great to be next to the river frome - the kids had a great time with the rubber rings and our paddleboard. The compost toilets were really well kept and the always hot showers a real luxury. Would definitely come again!

V

Vladislav

August 2025

Tent

Group trip

2 nights at Snelling Farm Campsite

Beautiful setting, camp fires allowed, not too busy!

B

Barry

August 2025

Tent

3 nights at Frome Meadow Campsite

Very relaxed, easy going campsite. Uncrowded. Lovely river swim.

K

Katie

August 2025

Tent

Group trip

4 nights at Sweet Hill Farm

Was a lovely space to camp in a lovely part of the country! There’s a wide range of walks and activities around the area. All the staff were very lovely and created a welcoming, warm atmosphere. We had a lovely time and would generally recommend it!

J

Joshua

August 2025

4 m Class B

With kids

1 night at Hardyes Countryside Camping

Great site and local knowledge from the host Chris. Amenities very clean and organised and a nice addition with optional baked goods for breakfast. Add in the walk to the local pub Highly recommend

R

Ralph

August 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Haddon Copse Farm

Very peaceful and tranquil Good value for money Showers good Not too far from shop and pub

M

Melanie

August 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Frome Meadow Campsite

Loved this site, comfy spot, wild swimming… plenty of privacy even on peak season…best full moon and star gazing… great to be able to use fire pit and take the dog…. Everyone was lovely and respectful who we met… plenty of clean compost toilets and showers with hot water and lovely clean site… great path to the village through fields with a lush cafe…. Short drive to Durdle door and Lulworth cove although was super busy there and was glad to get back to our little camping retreat again….

A

Anne

August 2025

Tent

3 nights at Frome Meadow Campsite

The site was an absolutely perfect place for a relaxed and simple camping trip. It felt very family-friendly and safe in every respect. The site was really nice, and had great showers and loos, and other facilities in great condition and easy to find. The walk to the village was really nice and marked very well for those who get lost easily :) Ideal, thank so much for helping to make such a lovely holiday.

T

Tala

August 2025

Tent

3 nights at Snelling Farm Campsite

Had a great time at Snelling Farm. It's spacious, clean, quiet, and very scenic. The directions were clear, and the location was easy to find. Would definitely recommend!

M

Megan

August 2025

6 m Class A

3 nights at Hardyes Countryside Camping

Beautiful quiet spot. Chris gave us brilliant recommendations for the local area. We had a lovely stay. The view from nearby Hardys Monument and surrounding walk was fab!

A

Alison

August 2025

4 m pop-up camper

Weekend Trip to Sweet Hill Farm

We had a lovely welcome at the farm. The family all work hard to provide a lovely campsite. Great cafe with some lovely cakes. We had booked a sauna which was amazing the ice bath was fantastic. Fantastic views of Portland Bill and straight onto the coast path from the campsite Lots of room for camping setup and lovely to have the horses in the next field