Solitude, hikes and starry skies — wild camping in Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor National Park is a very special place indeed. Rugged and beautiful, the landscape is a rich tapestry of granite tors, wild moors, waterfalls, babbling brooks, rolling hills and ancient forests. It's a place where legend meets ancient history and where wildlife flourishes.

What makes Dartmoor truly special, though, is that wild camping is permitted inside the national park in specific places. This makes it the only place in England and Wales where the practice is legally allowed. As such, it's the perfect place to escape the trappings of modern life.

Thanks to the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, individuals or very small groups can camp for up to two nights without asking landowner permission. As long as you choose a spot sensibly—well away from roads and civilisation and in accordance with the wild camping map (link below)—take your rubbish home and do not light fires, the solitude and tranquility is all yours. Wild camping is for those who carry their tents in backpacks and need to sleep overnight as part of a hiking trip.

And what could be better than hiking deep into remote moorland and spending a night under the stars with a small group of friends, or by yourself? When the last light of day fades, revealing the twinkling galaxy above your grassy pillow, wild campers can experience a sense of solitude, silence and an incredible at-oneness with nature that is completely unrivalled.

This Collection includes three wild camping expeditions—one three-day hike with two nights camping and two two-day hikes with one night camping. Each is packed with interest and beauty, and chooses camping spots that are comfortably within areas that Dartmoor National Park Authority permits.

The hikes take you to many of the most-prized tors within the national park including: Hound Tor, an awe-inspiring granite outcrop that affords magnificent views over Dartmoor; Bowerman's Nose, the most peculiar of all the outcrops; Houndtor Medieval Village and Hound Tor Rocks; Haytor Rocks, the most photographed tor in the national park; the mystical stone circles of Grey Wethers and Fernworthy; plus lots more.

If you intend to travel via car to undertake any of these expeditions, you will need to plan ahead as you are not allowed to park on roadsides within the national park boundaries and car parks only offer 24-hour tickets maximum. A good option would be to book a hotel or hostel for a night—either before the expedition, after, or both—that allows you to park with them for the duration of the wild camping trip. You can also catch buses around, particularly to Haytor.

If you plan to arrive via public transport, Exeter St David's train station offers direct links to Bristol, London, Birmingham and further afield. From Exeter, the 173 bus has regular services to Chagford, a market town within the national park that affords good public transport links.

Finally, planning and preparation is essential for wild camping expeditions. This includes having the right equipment and navigational skills and knowing where you can camp. The best resource for checking where wild camping is permitted is the interactive camping map, which you can view via dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/about-us-maps/camping-map.

—Important rules—

Avoid camping in the following areas:
Enclosed moorland
Farmland
Roadside (or within 100 m of a road)
Within sight of roads or houses
Reservoir catchment areas
Archaeological sites

Do not light fires
Use a camping stove placed on a stable rock
Be aware of fire risk
Heed fire risk warnings in place

Leave the area as you would like to find it
Take all litter home
Deal with other waste sensibly and with care
Respect the interests of those who own the land or make a living from it

For more information about wild camping in Dartmoor National Park, visit: dartmoor.gov.uk/enjoy-dartmoor/outdoor-activities/camping.
For the 173 bus timetable, visit: bustimes.org/services/173-moretonhampstead-exeter.
For Chagford bus times, visit: bustimes.org/localities/chagford.