How to Camp Responsibly in the UK's National Parks: Rules and Etiquette
· Updated
Start with the rule that catches most people out: wild camping is not a general right in England and Wales. You need to pitch on an official campsite or get the landowner's permission first. There is one exception in England, Dartmoor, where the UK Supreme Court confirmed a legal right to backpack camp in permitted areas on 21 May 2025. Scotland is different again, with a broad statutory right to camp responsibly on most unenclosed land.
Get that straight and the rest is etiquette: follow the Countryside Code, leave no trace, protect the ground and the wildlife, and treat these landscapes as the protected places they are. This guide sets out the law park by park and the practical rules that apply wherever you pitch up.
It sits within our wider guide to eco-friendly camping practices, and it comes from Camping Sites in Britain, where you can find and compare campsites across all 15 national parks. If you want the deeper method behind the etiquette, our guide to Leave No Trace camping covers it in full.
Where you can wild camp and where you cannot
In most of the UK you cannot simply pitch a tent on open ground without permission. Access rights vary sharply between England, Wales and Scotland, so the first job on any trip is knowing which rules apply where you are standing.
| Where | Wild camping status | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| England (general) | Not a right | Use an official campsite or get the landowner's permission |
| Dartmoor | Legal right to backpack camp | Camp in permitted areas only, following the park's map and rules |
| Wales | Not a right | Use an official campsite or get the landowner's permission |
| Scotland (most land) | Broad right under access law | Camp responsibly and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code |
| Loch Lomond and The Trossachs | Right restricted in zones | Buy a permit or use a campsite in management zones, 1 March to 30 September |
England and Wales: permission first
Across England and Wales there is no general right to wild camp. Open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 gives you the right to walk, but not to pitch a tent overnight, so camping without the landowner's agreement is trespass. The straightforward answer is to book a campsite, and you can search and compare thousands of them in our campsite directory. If you have your heart set on wild camping, ask the landowner, farmer or estate first.
Dartmoor: the one legal right in England
Dartmoor is the only place in England with a legal right to backpack camp without asking. On 21 May 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the public right to open-air recreation on Dartmoor's commons includes the right to camp for a night or two, ending a long legal challenge by a landowner. The right applies to lightweight backpack camping in the areas the park authority permits, not to camping from a car or in large groups. Check the current camping map and rules on the Dartmoor National Park Authority website before you go, because some areas are excluded to protect livestock, ground-nesting birds and sensitive ground.
Scotland: a broad right, used responsibly
Scotland gives you the widest access rights in the UK. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code grant a right to wild camp on most unenclosed land, as long as you do it responsibly. In practice that means lightweight camping in small numbers, away from houses and roads, staying no more than two or three nights in one spot, and leaving no trace when you move on. The full rules are on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website. Our guide to backpacking in the national parks covers how to plan a multi-day wild camping route.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs: a permit in season
One Scottish park limits this right. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park operates camping management byelaws in busy lochside zones, where between 1 March and 30 September you must either camp on an official campsite or buy a low-cost permit to pitch. The zones exist because heavy informal camping was damaging the shoreline. Outside the zones and outside those dates, the ordinary Scottish access right applies. Check the park's current permit map before travelling.
The responsible camping rules that apply everywhere
Wherever you are allowed to camp, the same core etiquette protects the landscape. Two frameworks cover almost all of it: the Countryside Code in England and Wales, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code in Scotland, and the Leave No Trace principles that sit behind both. Here is what they mean in practice.
- No open fires. Do not light fires on moorland, peat or dry grass, and avoid them entirely in dry spells, when a single spark can start a wildfire that destroys hundreds of acres. Use a camping stove instead. Many parks ban fires outright, especially in summer.
- Stick to paths. Walking and pitching off established routes tramples vegetation and causes erosion that takes years to recover. Keep to trails, and pitch on durable ground such as grass rather than fragile heath or bog.
- Close gates and control dogs. Leave gates as you find them, keep dogs under close control, and put them on a lead near livestock and around ground-nesting birds, which is critical in spring and early summer when eggs and chicks are on the ground.
- Take all litter home. Everything you carry in comes out with you, including food scraps, which harm wildlife and draw scavengers. Leave your pitch cleaner than you found it.
- Deal with human waste properly. Use campsite facilities where they exist. When wild camping, keep all waste at least 30 metres from any stream, loch or river, bury it in a small hole and cover it, or pack it out. Never leave toilet paper on the surface.
- Keep noise down. Sound carries a long way in open country. Keep voices and music low, especially after dark, out of respect for wildlife and other campers.
- Park considerately. Use proper car parks, never block gateways, passing places or farm access, and do not drive onto verges or open ground.
- Support the local economy. Buy from village shops, pubs and farm stalls. National park communities rely on visitor spending, and it is part of leaving a place better than you found it.
If you want to choose sites that take this seriously, our guide to choosing eco-friendly campsites explains what good practice looks like from the operator's side.
The 15 UK national parks, and why byelaws matter
The UK has 15 national parks, and each one sets its own byelaws, so the rules that apply on Dartmoor are not the rules that apply in the Cairngorms. Always check the individual park authority's website before you travel.
- England (10): Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, North York Moors, Northumberland, Peak District, South Downs, The Broads, Yorkshire Dales.
- Wales (three): Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Eryri (Snowdonia), Pembrokeshire Coast.
- Scotland (two): Cairngorms, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
You can confirm the full list and link through to each authority on the National Parks UK website. Byelaws commonly cover fires, dogs, group sizes, camping zones and where vehicles may go, and breaking them can carry a fine, so a five-minute check before you set off is time well spent. To find a campsite inside any of these parks, browse our campsite listings.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wild camp in national parks in England?
Not as a general right. Across England you need the landowner's permission or an official campsite. The single exception is Dartmoor, where the UK Supreme Court confirmed a legal right to backpack camp in permitted areas on 21 May 2025.
Is wild camping legal in Scotland?
Yes. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code give a right to wild camp responsibly on most unenclosed land. The main exception is Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, which needs a permit or campsite in its management zones from 1 March to 30 September.
Can you light a campfire in a UK national park?
Usually not. Open fires are banned or strongly discouraged in most national parks because of wildfire risk, and they are never acceptable on moorland, peat or dry ground. Use a camping stove and check the individual park's byelaws before lighting anything.
Do I need a permit to camp on Dartmoor?
No permit is needed for backpack camping in the permitted areas shown on the Dartmoor National Park Authority's camping map. The right covers lightweight tents pitched for a night or two, not camping beside a vehicle or in large groups.
How should I go to the toilet when wild camping?
Use campsite facilities where you can. When wild camping, stay at least 30 metres from any water, dig a small hole, bury your waste and cover it, or pack it out entirely. Never leave toilet paper on the ground.
Do dogs need to be on a lead in national parks?
Keep dogs under close control everywhere, and on a lead near livestock and around ground-nesting birds, particularly in spring. Some parks require leads on open access land between March and July by law, so check local signs and byelaws.
The short version
Wild camping is not a free-for-all in the UK. Use a campsite or ask permission in England and Wales, enjoy the broader right in Scotland, camp on Dartmoor where the law now allows it, and follow the Countryside Code and Leave No Trace wherever you pitch. Do that, and these landscapes stay brilliant for the next people through.
Ready to plan a trip? Browse campsites across all 15 parks in our campsite directory, or read more on eco-friendly camping practices.
