Wild Camping on Dartmoor

Survival Tips for Beginners

Dartmoor can be an unforgiving place. The weather is changeable, the bogs are treacherous and the insects bite. It’s also sometimes used as an army firing range.

On the plus side, it’s one of the few national parks in the UK that’s pro-wild camping, so you can pitch a tent practically anywhere you like and stay there for up to two days. It’s also one of the few places where you can walk for half an hour and feel genuinely cut off from civilisation.

If you’d like to visit the moors for yourself, follow these top tips for a successful adventure.

Watch Out for ‘Feather Beds’

‘Feather beds’ are the granite hollows littering the moor which have accumulated water and a bright green moss growing on their surface. They may look like patches of strangely coloured grass, but don’t step on them or you might find yourself knee-deep in a bog.

Check Firing Notices

Several parts of Dartmoor (the best and wildest parts) are used by the Ministry of Defence as firing ranges and marked off with red and white posts and warning notices. You’re free to walk in these areas when they’re not in use, but do check their status on the MOD website first.

Choose a Flexible Route

Many of the best places on Dartmoor can only be found by chance and exploration. So when planning your route, don’t be to exact, just pick a few tors as markers and see where they take you. (A ‘tor’ is one of the numerous hills dotted around the moors which often have outcrops of rock on top.)

Wear Waterproof Shoes

The terrain on the moors is known for being quite boggy all year round, so no matter how careful you are, you’ll probably end up stepping in a marsh or two. It’s wise to bring a pair of good quality walking shoes that’ll keep your feet and socks dry.

Check Your Navigational Skills

The weather on the moors is very changeable, and when the mist comes in, everything starts to look the same; it can be incredibly easy to get lost! Make sure your map-reading skills are up to scratch, and if travelling alone let someone know where you’ll be heading in advance.

Water

Dartmoor is the catchment area for many of Devon’s rivers, so it has more than its fair share of fast-flowing streams from which to extract drinking water. Your stomach may not be up to the bacteria, so be sure to boil before drinking. Always bring your own supply of bottled water as well.

Best Time to Go

The best time to go is between May and September, when the days are longest and you’re likely to have some decent weather. Due to South Devon’s temperate climate you can in fact wild camp on Dartmoor all year round.

Matt is a keen adventure traveller and blogger currently working with HotelClub.com, who provide hotels in Exeter, very close to the moors.