Published: 25 December 2025
Camping has long been part of the Great British holiday tradition and interest has only grown in recent years. From family summer holidays to short weekend breaks, camping remains one of the most flexible and accessible ways to explore the country, with around one in five UK adults choosing to camp post-2020, most commonly between April and October.
South West England is particularly well suited to camping. As the largest region in England, it stretches from Gloucestershire to the Isles of Scilly and is defined by the 630-mile South West Coast Path, UNESCO-listed sites such as the Jurassic Coast and Stonehenge alongside nearby cities including Bristol, Bath and Plymouth.
This guide highlights five of the best campsites in South West England, each selected for a specific strength, from luxury glamping and group-friendly stays to off-grid camping and coastal holiday parks.
Best for Luxury: Lower Keats Glamping, Devon
Tucked away in the heart of Devon’s Axe Valley, between Axminster and Chard, Lower Keats Glamping is a countryside retreat that offers the simplicity of rural camping with the comforts of a luxury stay. Set alongside the River Axe and just 15 minutes from the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast, it provides easy access to some of the South West’s most celebrated landscapes.
The site is family-run, shaped by owners Linda and Gary’s move to the land in 2013, when they set out to build a small and sustainable business that would allow their children to grow up immersed in country life. While the land is not farmed intensively, it remains home to pygmy goats, pigs, lambs, chickens and ducks, with guests encouraged to take part in daily farm activities such as collecting freshly laid eggs and feeding the animals.
Accommodation is provided in award-winning safari lodges, designed to remove the compromises often associated with glamping. Each lodge sleeps up to six across three bedrooms and includes a king bed, two singles and a double cabin bed. En suite bathrooms, private kitchens and wood-burning stoves ensure year-round comfort, with recent additions for 2025 including USB charging points, fridges and electric blankets on every bed. Three lodges also feature private off-grid wood-fired hot tubs, added in 2023.
On site, there is an honesty shop stocked with freshly baked bread, local dairy, farm eggs, home-reared meat and artisan ice creams. Guests can pre-order vegetable boxes during the summer months, while twice-weekly pizza nights, cooked in the communal wood-fired oven, have become a highlight of many stays. Sustainability is prioritised throughout, from reclaimed materials to renewable energy and the site has received multiple Gold awards, including Glamping Business of the Year at the Devon Tourism Awards in 2023.
Best for Group Camping: Stairway to Devon, Devon
Set high above the rolling hills of North Devon, Stairway to Devon is a small retreat designed for slowing down and reconnecting with the landscape. With uninterrupted views stretching up to 30 miles across Exmoor, it remains within easy reach of Devon’s coast, moorland and market towns.
The accommodation comprises two cabins and one larger cottage, each shaped around simple, well-considered spaces that allow the surroundings to take centre stage. The cabins, Tarka and Midge, are Norwegian-inspired in style and positioned to make the most of the scenery, with private patios overlooking Exmoor. Interiors include wood-burning stoves, plush beds, fully equipped kitchens and spacious bathrooms, alongside private wood-fired hot tubs.
For larger groups, Barn End Cottage provides a more expansive base without losing a sense of seclusion. The cottage includes a refurbished kitchen, a games room with arcade machines, a cosy log burner and a seven-person jacuzzi positioned to take in the surrounding views. Dogs are welcome, with enclosed outdoor space, while a 3.5-mile circular pub walk begins directly from the property. A nearby golf course and network of footpaths make it easy to spend days outdoors.
Best for Off-Grid: Sweet Hill Farm, Isle of Portland
Sweet Hill Farm is a nearly wild campsite set on five acres of level ground on the Isle of Portland, between Southwell and Portland Bill. The site offers uninterrupted sea views across rolling cornfields, with minimal light pollution lending itself to stargazing and expansive coastal sunsets.
Camping is intentionally low-impact and close to nature. Pitches are spread across shared fields, each with cold-water taps and handcrafted compost toilets, alongside access to hot showers. A small wellness area includes a converted horsebox sauna, cold-water plunge baths, a sheltered fire circle and a studio space for movement and breath-work sessions.
The surrounding area is a major draw. Portland is connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a UNESCO-listed stretch of the Jurassic Coast. Nearby landmarks include Portland Bill Lighthouse, Church Ope Cove and Tout Quarry Nature Reserve, as well as the island’s dramatic cliffs and coastal paths. Portland Harbour remains a hub for watersports, while Chesil Equestrian Centre, based on site, offers guided coastal rides across the island.
Best for Nature: Cornish Tipi Holidays & Camping, St Kew
Cornish Tipi Holidays is a back-to-nature escape set within a secluded woodland valley in North Cornwall, where a clear, spring-fed lake sits at the centre of a reclaimed quarry. Established in 1996, the 20-acre site has been left largely undisturbed and free from modern chemicals.
Accommodation includes classic North American-style cotton-canvas tipis and a range of wild camping pitches. The tipis, available in medium and large sizes, sleep up to six and are equipped with groundsheets, rugs and lighting. Guests bring their own bedding. Tipis can be booked either in the sociable Village Field or on Private Sites set within individual clearings.
Wild camping pitches range from meadow spaces to quieter woodland and lakeside spots. Facilities are practical rather than polished, with hot and cold showers, flushing toilets and composting loos across several blocks. Campfires are permitted.
The lake offers swimming, boating and fishing for rainbow trout, with boats and canoes available. The location provides easy access to North Cornwall’s coastline and countryside, including Port Isaac, Port Quin, Polzeath, Tintagel, Boscastle and Bodmin Moor.
Best for Sea Views: Highlands End Holiday Park, Dorset
Perched on the cliffs above the Jurassic Coast, Highlands End Holiday Park is one of Dorset’s flagship five-star stays. From its elevated position near Eype, the park looks out across Lyme Bay, while the South West Coast Path runs directly alongside the clifftop.
Accommodation includes lodges, caravan holiday homes, apartments, glamping options and fully serviced touring and camping pitches, with many positioned to maximise coastal views. Facilities include an indoor swimming pool with sauna and steam room, as well as footgolf, pitch-and-putt and children’s play areas.
The park also operates as a working farm, with alpacas on site. Eype Beach is a short walk away and is dog friendly year round, while West Bay is also within walking distance, offering harbour walks, beaches, seafood restaurants and boat trips and Highlands End provides a well-located base for exploring the wider Jurassic Coast.
As camping continues to evolve, the South West is well placed to remain at the centre of the UK’s outdoor holiday landscape. The region’s breadth of scenery, from protected coastlines to working farmland and woodland valleys, allows campsites to diversify without losing sight of what makes camping appealing in the first place. As seasonal travel patterns shift and demand grows for stays that work across different group sizes and levels of comfort, South West England’s campsites continue to offer a depth and variety that few regions can match.
