23 campsites
Every site here is hand-picked for the guide.
Turner Hall Farm Campsite
A no-frills, first-come-first-served farm site for walkers and the peace loving, tucked away in the little-known Duddon Valley with the fells rising straight from the gate
On a farm
Hollows Farm Campsite
A Tolkienesque pitch-and-pay site in a secluded Borrowdale valley near Keswick, with two tree-ringed fields, peaks shooting from their edges and the Cumbria Way running right past
On a farm
Great Langdale Campsite
A quintessential National Trust campsite in the heart of the Lake District, ringed by Bowfell, Crinkle Crag and the Langdale Pikes and thoughtfully managed as an ideal walking base
In a valley
Baysbrown Farm
A vast, gently sloping, first-come-first-served site in the Langdale valley at the foot of Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes, where any point of the compass reveals a vista
In a valley
Chapel House Farm Campsite
A simple stone-walled tent field at the foot of Bessyboot just off the Borrowdale Road, easy to reach by car yet refreshingly honest Lakeland camping with stunning fell views
In a valley
Waterside House Camp Site
A busy family-run working farm undulating along the northern shore of Ullswater below Barton Fell, with spectacular lake views and immaculate underfloor-heated facilities from almost every pitch
Cumbria
Lanefoot Farm
A deceptively large working farm just off the A66 near Braithwaite, where Skiddaw looms over meadow and open fields of wild flowers, fell views and campfires with firewood delivered to your tent
On a farm
Side Farm Campsite
A gloriously simple tents-and-vans site sloping down to the shore of Ullswater, where the basic facilities are forgiven the moment you unzip the door to that lake view
In a valley
Coniston Hall Campsite
A big, basic, first-come-first-served site in the grounds of a 16th century farm near Coniston Water, where steamers glide past and mighty chimneys mark the spot
By a river
Carrock Pods Lake District Glamping
Three well-considered pods on a working Lake District farm, with direct fell access from the door and genuinely dark skies overhead.
On a farm
Ewe Love Camping Pods
Three handmade pods on a working Lake District hill farm, with Blencathra filling the view and dark skies overhead.
On a farm
Caldbeck Camping
A fire-pit-on-every-pitch riverside campsite in a Cumbrian fell village, with the Cumbria Way on your doorstep and the River Cald Beck audible from your tent.
By a river
Black Beck Farm Holiday Caravans
A quietly kept Lake District farm with panoramic fell views, a pub five minutes on foot, and hosts who clearly enjoy having people there.
On a farm
Eskdale Campsite
A proper Lake District valley base, National Trust, 8 acres of meadow grassland, with Scafell and Esk Pike on your doorstep and two village pubs at the end of the road.
In a valley
Noblewood Camping
Seven acres of private Lakeland woodland with its own ponds, run by Stan and Lynne with the kind of care that makes first-timers want to come back immediately.
In the forest
Gill Head Farm
A working hill farm above Troutbeck with panoramic views of Blencathra and the northern fells, 5 miles from Ullswater and a 10-minute walk from the pub.
On a farm
Low Wray Campsite
National Trust lakeside camping in the Lake District, with woodland pitches, some right on Windermere's shore and Wray Castle on the doorstep.
By a river
Blaithwaite House
A 250-acre Cumbrian estate that does proper tent camping alongside glamping pods, a barn bar, and a 25-acre dog-walking wood.
In a field
Howbeck Lodge
A working farm on the Cumbria Way where the host still checks in on you, the stream is real, and the Lake District is a stone's throw away.
On a farm
Moss Side Farm Campsite
A working Lakeland hill farm in a woodland valley, with Kirkby Pool glinting in the distance and farm dogs that will absolutely adopt you.
In a valley
Burns Farm Caravan Site
A family-run Lake District valley site with Highland cattle, immaculate facilities, and mountain views of Helvellyn, Blencathra and Skiddaw from every pitch.
In a valley
Cross Dormont Camp Site
A working hill farm above Ullswater with some of the most expansive lake-and-fell views in the Lake District, where the place entirely compensates for the basics.
By a lake
Inside Out Camping
Yurt glamping on the River Derwent in Borrowdale, where the Lake District does its quietest and most dramatic work.
By a river