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Tent pitched high on a Welsh mountainside at dusk

Wild camping in Wales: the rules, park by park

Wales has no Scottish-style right to roam. Camping on someone else's land needs their permission — here's how that plays out in Eryri, Bannau Brycheiniog and on the Pembrokeshire Coast, and where you can pitch legally instead.

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The short answer

Wild camping in Wales is not a legal right. Scotland's access legislation stops at the border, and the one English exception — parts of Dartmoor — has no Welsh equivalent. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 does give you access on foot across large areas of Welsh open country, but that right covers walking, not pitching a tent.

What that means in practice is simple: camp with permission. Either ask the landowner directly, or book a pitch from someone who has already said yes.

Park by park

Eryri (Snowdonia)

There is no legal right to wild camp in Eryri. The National Park Authority asks walkers to camp only with the landowner's permission, and hotspots such as the Llanberis and Pen y Pass approaches to Yr Wyddfa are actively patrolled after years of litter and fire damage. High-level tolerated camping — pitching late, above the last wall, leaving at first light, one small tent — is a custom, not a right, and it does not apply near car parks, lakeshores or farmland.

Eryri National Park Authority

Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

Same legal position: permission first. Much of the central Beacons is common land grazed by working farms, and the National Park Authority's guidance is explicit that wild camping requires the landowner's consent. Some upland commons are informally tolerated for single-night, high-level camps well away from roads and reservoirs, but the reservoir catchments managed by Dŵr Cymru are not among them.

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority

Pembrokeshire Coast

Wild camping along the coast path is not permitted without consent, and much of the corridor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest or National Trust land where camping is refused outright. Cliff-top pitching also carries a real erosion and safety problem. The practical answer on this coast is a booked pitch — the path is well served by small farm sites within a short walk of the trail.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

Camping responsibly if you do go high

  • Arrive late, leave early, and pitch one small tent out of sight of roads and houses
  • Never camp on enclosed farmland, in a reservoir catchment, or inside an SSSI
  • No open fires — Welsh uplands burn, and fire damage is why access is tightening
  • Carry out everything, including food waste and paper
  • Toilet at least 30m from water, buried 15cm deep; carry out anything that won't break down
  • One night in a spot, small groups only, and move on

Frequently asked questions

Is wild camping legal in Wales?
No — not as a right. Unlike Scotland, where the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 grants responsible access, Wales has no general right to camp on land you do not own. Camping without the landowner's permission is civil trespass. In practice you either ask the landowner, or book a pitch.
Can I wild camp in Eryri or on Yr Wyddfa?
Not legally without permission. The National Park Authority's position is that wild camping requires the landowner's consent, and the busy approaches to Yr Wyddfa are patrolled. Discreet high-level camping is sometimes tolerated by individual landowners, but it is at their discretion and not something you can rely on.
What is the difference between Wales and Scotland?
Scotland has statutory access rights that include wild camping on most unenclosed land, subject to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and local byelaws. Wales has no equivalent statute. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 gives a right of access on foot to certain open country in Wales, but it explicitly excludes camping.
Can I ask a Welsh farmer for permission?
Yes, and it works more often than people expect. Ask in daylight, at the farmhouse, say how many of you there are and how many nights, and offer to pay. Many of the small campsites in Wales began as exactly this conversation.
Where can I legally camp wild-style in Wales?
On land where the owner has said yes. That includes off-grid and back-to-basics pitches listed by Welsh landowners — one or two tents in a field or a woodland clearing, no facilities beyond water and a loo, but with permission, a location and someone who knows you are there.

General information about access in Wales, not legal advice. Rules change and individual landowners set their own terms — check with the relevant National Park Authority before you travel.

Own land in Wales?

Walkers are looking for somewhere legal to pitch. If you have a quiet field or a corner of woodland, you can open it for a limited number of nights a year.

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