Am I able to go wild camping at the moment? – Coronavirus Information

Following warnings and fines for people freely camping in UK national parks, we address whether you can go wild camping during the coronavirus pandemic.

The simple answer to the question, “can I go wild camping right now”, is no.

Firstly, we’ll get straight to the point. The simple answer to the question, “can I go wild camping right now” is no. Wild camping is currently not permitted in any part of the UK, be it England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. By law, you should minimise the amount of time spent outside your home. Although it’s great to be outside in nature, you should still limit your outdoor exercise to once a day and stay in your local area. You should not be unnecessarily staying away from your primary residence – this includes second homes and holidays and, importantly, this also includes wild camping.

Though it is winter, in recent weeks, there have been a number of warnings about people wild camping in national parks, including explicit statements from the Lake District National Park and Dartmoor National Park, among others, making it clear that people should not be wild camping at this time. In our own travel advice for campers, we have answered a number of key questions relating to coronavirus and its impact on camping holidays. However, while it’s becoming well-known that campsites and caravan parks are closed across the UK, some campers are still unsure about whether wild camping is permitted, particularly if alone and in an isolated area.

At this point in time, we wish to make it clear to all campers that wild camping is not permitted. We will be sure to update out information as soon as anything changes.

Visit the government websites for information on the rules in England, in Wales, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.

When will wild camping be allowed again?

In every likelihood, wild camping will not be permitted again until such a time that holidays, more generally, are allowed to resume – see our dedicated advice page for further details. Be aware, too, of course, that wild camping is not universally permitted in the UK in ‘ordinary’ times anyway and, while it is usually legal in Scotland (with some exceptions), different rules apply in England and Wales. There are many off-grid campsites in the UK that offer an almost-wild-camping experience, whilst still providing the very basic facilities such as loos. You can plan ahead for summer 2021 now by browsing our Almost Wild Camping collection.

Read our full coronavirus travel advice for campers