Wild camping in
Yorkshire Dales

A family-run campsite in Bainbridge, a historic village in Wensleydale with a large village green. The site has good facilities with showers and electric hookups. Wensleydale is famous for its cheese, made in nearby Hawes, and the Wensleydale Creamery is a popular visitor attraction. Aysgarth Falls, a series of beautiful cascades on the River Ure, are a short drive away. The village has the Rose and Crown pub. Hawes, the highest market town in England, has additional shops and facilities. The dale is less dramatic than Swaledale but broader and more accessible. The Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes is excellent.

A traditional Dales campsite near Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale. The site is simple with basic facilities, set in farmland with views across the valley. Bolton Abbey and the Strid, a dangerously narrow section of the River Wharfe, are walking distance away. The Devonshire Arms nearby is an excellent gastropub. Grassington and Skipton provide supplies. The campsite has a quiet, rural character and is a good base for exploring lower Wharfedale and the eastern Dales. The Bolton Abbey estate has miles of walking trails. The Valley of Desolation, despite its name, is a beautiful walk through woodland. Open Easter to October.

A converted barn offering camping and bunkhouse accommodation in Ingleton, gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. The campsite has basic facilities with showers, a drying room, and a communal kitchen. Ingleton is a pleasant market town with the famous Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, a 4-mile walk through ancient woodland past spectacular cascading falls. Ingleborough, one of the Three Peaks, is directly accessible. White Scar Cave, England's longest show cave, is on the road to Hawes. The Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Railway is 5 miles north. A practical base for active exploration of the western Dales.

The area around Malham in the Yorkshire Dales contains some of England's most impressive limestone scenery. Gordale Scar, a massive limestone gorge with a waterfall, and Malham Cove, a 70m curved limestone cliff, are both within walking distance. Wild camping above the cove on the limestone pavement is possible but the ground is hard. Better pitches are on the moor above. Janet's Foss waterfall is a beautiful spot. Malham village has a pub, cafe, and YHA hostel. The Pennine Way passes through. The area is extremely popular with day visitors but empties in the evening. Limestone pavement is a fragile and protected habitat.

A small, peaceful campsite in Dentdale, one of the quieter valleys in the Yorkshire Dales. The dale has a distinctive character with cobbled Dent village, its own brewery, and the Dent Head Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. The campsite has basic facilities in a beautiful valley setting. Dentdale is excellent for walking with routes up Whernside and along the valley. The River Dee runs through the dale with good swimming spots. Adam Sedgwick, the father of modern geology, was born in Dent. The dale has a timeless quality with traditional stone barns and meadows. Sedbergh, the nearest town, has a famous secondhand bookshop scene.

The smooth, rounded Howgill Fells sit between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, visible from the M6 motorway but surprisingly unvisited. The highest point, The Calf (676m), offers wild camping on soft, springy turf with expansive views in every direction. The fells are formed of Silurian slate, giving them a distinctive smooth, grassy character quite different from the neighbouring national parks. Cautley Spout, England's highest waterfall above ground, cascades down the eastern face. Sedbergh at the foot of the fells is an attractive town with excellent bookshops. The fells are crossed by ancient tracks and drove roads.

The most distinctive of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, Ingleborough (723m) has a flat summit plateau that was once an Iron Age hill fort. Wild camping on the summit or on the limestone terraces below is a memorable experience, with views extending to Morecambe Bay, the Lake District, and the Dales. The summit is exposed and can be very windy. The approaches from Ingleton, Clapham, or Horton-in-Ribblesdale all pass through fascinating limestone scenery including Gaping Gill, a massive pothole. Ingleborough Cave and White Scar Cave provide underground interest. Water sources are scarce on the limestone, so carry sufficient supplies.

A well-equipped campsite near the historic Yorkshire town of Knaresborough, with its dramatic viaduct, castle ruins, and the famous Mother Shipton's Cave. The site has modern facilities with showers, electric hookups, and a shop. Knaresborough and neighbouring Harrogate provide excellent dining and shopping. The Nidd Gorge is beautiful for walking. This is more of a town-based campsite than a wilderness experience but the surrounding Nidderdale AONB offers excellent walking and cycling. The Turkish Baths in Harrogate are worth a visit after a day on the fells. Open March to October.

One of Yorkshire's famous Three Peaks, Pen-y-ghent (694m) has a distinctive lion-profile shape when viewed from the south. Wild camping is tolerated on the higher ground, particularly on the flanks above Hull Pot and Hunt Pot, dramatic limestone sinkholes. The terrain is a mix of millstone grit cap and limestone pavement. The Three Peaks Walk is extremely popular at weekends. Camp away from the main paths for peace. Horton-in-Ribblesdale at the foot of the mountain has a cafe, pub, and the famous Pen-y-ghent Cafe which used to operate a Three Peaks clocking system. The Settle-Carlisle railway serves Horton station.

Camping at Britain's highest pub (528m) on the wild moorland between Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. The Tan Hill Inn has been serving drinks since the 17th century and is a remarkable place, isolated on the moor miles from anywhere. The camping field is basic but the pub provides food, drink, and a warm fire. The Pennine Way passes directly through. The surrounding moorland is bleak and beautiful, with grouse and curlew for company. The annual music and beer festivals attract large crowds. Expect harsh weather conditions at this altitude, even in summer. Reeth and Kirkby Stephen are the nearest towns for supplies.

The most northerly of the main Yorkshire Dales, Swaledale is wild and sparsely populated with a legacy of lead mining. Wild camping in the upper dale above Keld is tolerated and the landscape of stone barns, wildflower meadows, and tumbling waterfalls is quintessentially Yorkshire. Kisdon Force and Wain Wath Force are beautiful waterfalls near Keld. The Coast to Coast path and the Pennine Way both pass through. Camp on the moorland above the meadows to avoid livestock issues. The dale is famous for Swaledale sheep with their distinctive black faces. Muker and Reeth are charming villages with pubs. The road over Buttertubs Pass to Hawes is dramatic.

The highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks at 736m, Whernside has a long whale-back ridge with views across Dentdale, the Ribble Valley, and Morecambe Bay. Wild camping on the summit ridge is possible though the ground is boggy in places. The Ribblehead Viaduct, one of the most impressive railway structures in England, is visible below. The Three Peaks route is extremely busy at weekends but the summit can be quiet in the evening once day walkers have descended. The terrain is rough grassland with peat on the summit. Chapel-le-Dale and Ribblehead provide limited facilities. The Settle-Carlisle Railway crosses the landscape dramatically.

Rising above the upper Eden Valley in Westmorland, Wild Boar Fell (708m) is a distinctive flat-topped mountain with excellent wild camping on its broad summit plateau. The views east across the Mallerstang valley and west to the Lake District are expansive. The fell is named after the last wild boar killed in England, reportedly on its slopes. Camp on the summit plateau for sunrise views or in the sheltered valley below. The Settle-Carlisle railway runs through Mallerstang, adding to the atmosphere. Water is available from the numerous becks. Kirkby Stephen is the nearest town for supplies. A quieter alternative to the busier national parks.