Let’s extend wild camping across our National Parks

Published: 19th June 2025

At Campaign for National Parks, we are celebrating a massive win for nature lovers and access campaigners alike. The recent Supreme Court ruling to restore the right to wild camp on Dartmoor is more than a legal victory; it’s a resounding affirmation that our National Parks are not just for those who own the land, they belong to everyone. 

Wild camping on Dartmoor has long offered people the opportunity to find peace and belonging in one of the UK’s most treasured landscapes. That right came under threat when a wealthy landowner challenged this assumed freedom. Thankfully, last month the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 includes wild camping within its definition of ‘open-air recreation’, a conclusion that many had understood to be common sense. 

Dartmoor is now the only National Park in England where people can legally wild camp without the landowner’s permission. That’s something to be proud of, but it also lays bare the problem: wild camping, a low-impact, immersive way to experience nature, is virtually prohibited across most of our National Parks. 

The Dartmoor decision sets a precedent, and now it’s time to build on that momentum.  

We believe the right to responsibly wild camp should be extended to areas across all suitable National Parks in England and Wales.  

That’s why we’re calling for a 12-month wild camping trial on open access land within selected National Parks. If trials are successful, we want to see legislative reform to explicitly recognise wild camping as a legitimate form of open-air recreation. 

These reforms could be achieved in England by amending current legislation, namely the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 or the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. However, we think this is the perfect opportunity for the UK government to build on their existing commitments and bring forward a new, ambitious bill that secures a wider package of reforms for National Parks and public access. Such legislation could go beyond small tweaks and deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose framework — one that establishes wild camping rights, strengthens protections for nature, improves equality of access, and gives everyone a say in how National Parks are run. 

Additional measures to support the extension of wild camping should include: 

• More and better designated camping opportunities, with improved public transport links. 

• The ability for National Parks to introduce byelaws or exclusion zones to protect sensitive or overused sites. 

• A significantly increased funding package, including a ranger service to monitor and support responsible access. 

• Properly funded outdoor education programmes, giving young people the skills to camp safely and respectfully in wild places. 

Supporting BMC’s We Wild Camp Campaign 

We’re proud to support the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) as they champion the right to wild camp responsibly. Through their We Wild Camp campaign, the BMC is launching: 

• A Creative Bursary for young storytellers under 35 to share what wild camping means to them. Up to ten recipients will receive £150 bursaries and have their work featured on BMC channels. Entries can take the form of writing, photography, short videos, art, or poetry. Deadline: 31 July. 

• A new We Wild Camp Forum — a Facebook community for responsible campers to share clean-up efforts, report fly camping and inspire others with low-impact practices. 

• The UK’s biggest Wild Camping Survey. This is your chance to shape the future of wild camping rights. Where do you go? What barriers do you face? What does it mean to you? Your input could help unlock more access across England and Wales. 

Let’s make Dartmoor just the beginning. Let’s win the right to wild camp for everyone, in every National Park.