Wild camping on Dartmoor
Dartmoor is the only place in England where you can legally backpack camp on open land without asking the landowner first — but only in mapped areas of the Dartmoor Commons, and only within the rules the national park sets. Everywhere else on the moor, and everywhere off it, you need permission.
Where backpack camping is allowed
The right applies to the Dartmoor Commons, not the whole national park, and the park authority publishes an interactive camping map showing the permitted areas. Large parts of the moor — enclosed farmland, military firing ranges when in use, reservoir catchments and areas close to roads — are excluded.
Check the map the week you travel rather than relying on a screenshot. Permitted areas have changed following the 2023 legal case over the Commons, and firing range schedules change constantly.
The rules that come with it
Backpack camping means arriving on foot with a small tent, pitching late, leaving early, and staying no more than two nights in one spot. Camping beside a road or car park, in large groups, or with a vehicle is not covered. No open fires or barbecues at any time — Dartmoor's peat can burn underground for weeks.
Take everything out, including washing water away from streams, and bury human waste well away from water courses or, better, carry it out.
When a booked pitch is the better call
If you are travelling by car, camping with children or dogs, staying more than two nights, or want a fire and a toilet, a private pitch on the moor's edge does the job the Commons cannot. Hosts around Chagford, Widecombe and the Tamar valley offer single-pitch fields with the same emptiness and none of the map-checking.
Firing ranges, and how to check them
Three live-firing ranges — Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy — cover a large block of northern and western Dartmoor. When firing is scheduled, red flags fly by day and red lamps burn at night, and entry is prohibited: no camping, no crossing, no exceptions. Schedules are published weekly by the MOD and by a recorded freephone line, and they change at short notice.
Check the week you travel and again the morning you set off, and keep a fallback area in mind on the south moor, which has no ranges at all. Never touch metal debris on range land — report it and move away.
Water, bogs and navigation on the high moor
Dartmoor's north moor is a blanket bog on granite, which means water everywhere and almost none of it worth drinking untreated. Carry a filter or tablets, take from running water above any grazing, and avoid the peat-stained pools of the featherbeds around Cranmere and Fur Tor.
It is also the easiest terrain in southern England to get lost in. There are few paths, fewer landmarks and mist can close in within minutes. Take OS Explorer OL28 and a compass and know how to use them, pick a pitch you can identify on the map before dark, and camp on firm short grass rather than sphagnum — drier, warmer, and far kinder to the ground you leave behind.
Walking in, and what to look for on the moor
Most Commons camping starts from a small number of practical access points: Belstone and Meldon for the north moor, Postbridge and Bellever for the centre, Burrator and Shipley Bridge for the south. Park considerately in the marked areas rather than on verges, and reckon on 45 minutes to two hours of walking to reach ground far enough from a road to feel remote and to be within the permitted areas.
The moor rewards knowing what you are looking at. The tors are granite left standing as softer rock weathered away, the stone rows and hut circles around Merrivale and Grimspound are Bronze Age and legally protected, and the letterboxes hidden in crevices are a Dartmoor tradition dating to 1854. Look, stamp your card if you find one, and camp well away from any archaeology.
Before you book: a quick checklist
- Check the map. Use the national park's camping map the week you travel.
- Firing ranges. Check the live firing schedule for Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy.
- No fires. Open fires and barbecues are banned across the moor.
- Two nights max. Move on after two nights and leave no trace of the pitch.
Frequently asked questions
- Is wild camping legal on Dartmoor?
- Backpack camping is permitted in mapped areas of the Dartmoor Commons — the only place in England where it is allowed without the landowner's permission. It does not extend to the whole national park.
- Can you have a campfire on Dartmoor?
- No. Open fires and barbecues are prohibited across the moor, largely because the peat can smoulder underground and reignite.
- How many nights can you wild camp on Dartmoor?
- Up to two nights in the same spot, arriving on foot with a small tent and moving on afterwards.
- Can I wild camp on Dartmoor in a campervan?
- No. The Commons right covers backpack camping only — arriving on foot with a small tent. Sleeping in a vehicle in a Dartmoor car park is not permitted and is regularly moved on. If you are travelling by van, book a private pitch on the moor's edge, where you can park, light a fire in a bowl and stay more than two nights.
- Do I need to book or register to wild camp on Dartmoor?
- Not for backpack camping in the permitted areas of the Commons — there is no booking system or fee. You do need to be inside a mapped permitted area, away from roads and enclosed land, in a small group, for no more than two nights. Groups of six or more, or anyone wanting certainty, should arrange a private pitch instead.
- How do I book wild camping Dartmoor on live 1 life?
- Search wild camping dartmoor on live 1 life, open a listing, pick your dates on the availability calendar and choose how to book. You can pay a 25% deposit to lock the dates immediately, or send the host a free request to book and wait for them to confirm. Either way you get a confirmation page with your booking reference and the dates that are now held. Backpackers often arrive late off the moor — agree an arrival window so the host leaves the right gate open.
- Do I pay the full amount up front for wild camping Dartmoor?
- No. live 1 life takes a 25% deposit at checkout to secure the dates; the balance is settled with the host. A 5% booking fee is added to eligible bookings and paid by the guest on top of the host's nightly rate; hosts do not pay it. Private pitches around the Dartmoor edge generally run £15–30 a night for a tent, with sole-use fields nearer £35–55.
- Can I book wild camping Dartmoor for a single night?
- Often yes. Minimum stays are set by each host — many accept one night midweek and ask for two nights at weekends or bank holidays. The calendar on the listing shows the minimum stay before you reach checkout. Edge-of-moor hosts commonly accept single midweek nights, with two nights at weekends and through the summer holidays.
- What happens after I send a booking request?
- The host is notified straight away by email and can approve or decline from their dashboard. When they approve, you receive a booking confirmation email with the locked dates, the pitch address and directions, plus your booking reference.
Keep exploring
Thinking about wild camping instead?
The rules differ across Scotland, Dartmoor, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our guide explains where you can pitch legally, where you need the landowner's permission, and how to camp responsibly.