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Wild camping

Wild camping is technically not permitted anywhere in the Lake District without prior permission from the landowner.  As the National Park Authority we do not have the power to allow camping on private land, and we do not permit camping on the small amount of land that we own.  Camping in car parks or on roadside verges is not allowed at any time.

Instead choose from one of the many campsites in the Lake District, from quiet sites to glamping, there is something for everyone.

Parking in campervans and motorhomes is not considered wild camping. Read our advice for campervans and motorhomes and where you can park in the Lake District.

If you choose to wild camp, it is normally tolerated if you:

  • Camp above the highest fell wall, well away from towns, villages and lake shores.
  • Leave no litter - this includes not burying any litter and removing other people's if you find it.
  • Don't light any fires, even if there is evidence that fires might have been lit.
  • Stay for only one night.
  • Keep groups very small - only one or two tents.
  • Camp as unobtrusively as possible with inconspicuous tents which blend in.
  • Leave the campsite as you would want to find it.
  • Carry out everything you carried in.
  • Carry out tampons and sanitary towels. Burying them doesn't work as animals dig them up again.
  • Choose a dry pitch rather than digging drainage ditches around a tent or moving boulders.
  • Perform toilet duties at least 30 metres from water and bury the results with a trowel - read our outdoor toilet tips.
  • At all times, help protect the environment and respect other visitors and communities.

Wherever you pitch, please remember that the landowners or their representatives have the legal right to order you to break camp and move on.

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There are lots of fairly 'wild' campsites across the Lake District, with views of lakes and mountains... but with a real toilet and fresh water on tap!

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