I'm thinking about doing a few days of backpacking up in the Lakes with my son on the BH weekend. It seems that many of the campsites e.g. Old Dungeon Ghyll need to be reserved in advance and will only take bookings for 2 or 3 nights which rules out using them for a trip for this. Can people suggest any sites that might offer walk-up backpacker pitches, even on the BH weekend? TIA
Both times I've been to Stonethwaite camp site I've been able to just walk in and pitch up. The owner comes round on a quad bike in the morning and evening to collect fares.
In reply to gimmer:In Borrowdale, stonethwaite, hollows farm, Seathwaite, in Buttermere, syke farm, in Langdale, bayes brown also the one at the south end of ullswater have all been useful for this kind of venture. I’d give a ring before to check they still operate like this, and avoid the big corporates with all electric hook ups and hard standing.
My experience is that almist all commercial sites are flexible with people turning up on foot with small tents, and its not necessary to book. I can appreciate that you nay need more certainty than that, though.
Stonethwaite can be noisy at busy times like school holidays.
Thanks all for the advice, I'll do a bit more research. My experience of trips like this in the past was always that you could turn up at these places and there would be space for a 2 man tent. But that's >10 years ago, and many campsites seem busier and more commercial these days. Now I have an 8 year old in tow, tacking another 5 miles onto the end of a day to get to the next campsite is less of an option
> The one attached to the Wasdale Head Inn never used to take bookings and was always turn up and see. Not sure if it still is or not
I'm fairly sure is still is turrn up and see. But in recent years it seems to have got popular with people with quite large tents, barbeques etc and I wouldn't be confident of there being space at peak times or weekends. Perhaps because they now have showers behind the pub, rather than just the previous draughty outside toilet.
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