The best dog friendly campsites for summer

This quintessential Cumbrian campsite on an 18th century farm has modern facilities, a children’s play area, and a separate dog walking field. Welcoming, campsite owners, Lousie and Andrea, have dogs themselves and moved here a decade ago to live amongst the hills. There’s great footpath access from the site, including routes up Skiddaw, walks down to nearby Bassenthwaite Lake, and an easy stroll to the dog-friendly Sun Inn pub.

On the banks of the River Teme, which forms the England-Wales border, this spacious campsite opened for the first time in 2022 and has fast become a firm family favourite. Though technically off-grid, it boasts excellent facilities, including a camper’s kitchen and regular food trucks. Kinsley Wood, on the doorstep, makes for an excellent dog walking area and the Offas Dyke long-distance footpath runs alongside the site. It’s a few hundred yards into the market town of Knighton too.

A charming campsite near the National Trust Stackpole Estate, Parke Farm centres around an old thatched cottage, where a reception and campsite shop now reside. Facilities have recently been upgraded, including outdoor hoses, handy for washing mucky pups, and campfires are allowed. There are ample beaches within reach; the best being Barafundle Bay, which can only be reached on foot and allows dogs all year round.

If you like your camping on the wilder side, this hidden site on Dartmoor has simple facilities, just 5 pitches, and a magical setting beside a flooded former quarry, now an enchanting turquoise pool. The place is spacious and quiet enough that well-behaved dogs are allowed off the lead (a rarity at most sites) and there are three well-known footpaths within a few hundred metres – the West Devon Way, the Dartmoor Way, and the Granite Way. Swimming and paddling is permitted.

Choose the type of camping that suits you on this 500-acre estate in the Scottish Borders. Want a family-friendly sociable spot? Pitch in the Edwardian walled garden. Prefer something wilder? Head for hillside 'Castle View’ pitches or remote spots hidden in the woods. Private paths criss-cross the estate and there’s a good trail to the top of Ruberslaw Hill (great views of the Cheviot Hills). Dogs and campers are welcome all year round, though numbers are restricted in the woods during nesting season.

Just south of the New Forest National Park, within walking distance of Milford on Sea, this established farm campsite has been a gathering place for families for years. It’s relaxed, allows campfires, and welcomes pets, with an adjacent meadow acting as a de facto dog walking area. Local pubs and beaches are all dog friendly and the campsite itself has so much space that you never need to worry about your dogs bothering fellow campers.

Opened in 2023, this new woodland site near the Suffolk coast offers off-grid camping with campfires in acres of space. The pine forest setting makes it easy to find a private space of your own, while a network of private pathways is great for dog-walking. There are around 30 pitches in total, with a handful accessible by car or campervan, and plenty of spots suitable for hammock camping too.

Five miles south of Scarborough, this pocket-sized campsite has just a handful of pitches and enough privacy that dogs are allowed off their leads. There are bell tents and glamping options, too, and modern facilities include a beautiful semi-outdoor rain shower with hanging flowers on the walls. The nearest beach at Cayton is dog friendly all year round and there’s a good footpath inland to the River Hertford.