wild camping on dartmoor

can you? should you? & where?

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Clint Trigg
16/05/2006 at 18:53
Hi all,

looking for a 2 -3 day trip onto dartmoor to take in the tors etc but would like to make it a wild camp experience too. Does anyone have any suggestions for routes etc or sites for a wild camp looking to go around mid Juneish, are there issues with mod that i should be aware of?

Thanks for your help
Alison Stockwell
17/05/2006 at 13:22
I've done lots of wild camping in the Scorriton Down / Princetown area and have never had any issues. You can camp pretty much anywhere as long as you are discreet, but I tend to look for places near old settlements as there's a good chance the water supply and terrain will be suitable.
MoS
17/05/2006 at 14:06
Clint,

Dartmoor NPA's advice on 'backpack camping' is here

There's also a link to 'range firing times' on the same page. Weekends are usually free from any live firing from now and through the Summer, but you'll need to check for weekdays if you intend going on any of the 3 ranges. The firing times are now published 6 weeks ahead which makes planning easier.
MoS
simon dass
18/05/2006 at 12:08
Should have no problem, I've camped over various parts of Dartmoor many times with no problems, got told off by forestry commision people once for lighting a fire but I guess that's to be expected. Most areas where you can't camp are made pretty obvious i.e fences and signs saying 'no camping' Behave yourself and it should be fine, avoid army firing ranges!
Clint Trigg
18/05/2006 at 13:16
Thanks folks for your advice. I'm going there for the first time and with a friend who has never experienced the great outdoors before, so i would appreciate any must do wow factor areas
that I could incorporate into the route. what are the best bits that would be joinupable over a couple or three days please?
MoS
18/05/2006 at 14:48
Depends really on what makes you go Wow! and how adventurous you want to be with a first timer.

Does your friend have all the gear and tied and tested comfy boots/shoes. I'm just asking incase you want a route which gives you the option of coming off the moor for a night rather than commit yourself to 2 or 3 days away from civilisation.

This site is good for piccies and places of interest.

Dartmoor walks

I prefer the North Moors for wildness and views. You could head North from Postbridge or start at Belstone or Sourton just off the A30. There's plenty of tors to visit over 2/3 days and you should have no problem camping.

Alison mentioned Princetown, you could start there and head in almost any direction. Have a look at Jon's Dartmoor walk in the routes section for a taste of everything Dartmoor has to offer in one small area just South of Princetown.

I've been walking around Hay Tor and Hound Tor in the evenings and the bluebell display is worth a Wow just now. Wee ponies and foals everywhere too.

Along with the tors, there are old tin mines and workings, granite quarries, remnants of stunted oak woodland, ancient settlements, standing stones, circles and stone rows. Hope that site gives you some ideas, but not sure about suggesting a route without knowing a bit more about what you're after.

MoS
Clint Trigg
19/05/2006 at 07:34
Thats fantastic wwww! Thanks very much, its given me a lot of food for thought. I'll let you know how we get on.
Cruxster Man
19/05/2006 at 07:57
~~~~~~~> is now planning a Dartmoor wild camping expedition. Well timed post Clint and some cracking replies.

Drewski
Jim the park warden
19/05/2006 at 10:50
North of Wistmans wood at the very start of the Devonport leat ,is a totally flat site next to the wier .
Safe at any time of year and ten minutes to Crow Tor and a great vista of the north moor.
Just find Two Bridges on the map and go north.Don,t forget to get a cream tea !
















































Clint Trigg
21/07/2006 at 00:20
Hi all,
Just to update this, the trip was delayed somewhat but we finally got away last weekend in all the heat. Basically started at Meldon reservoir and walked in a big circle taking in Yes tor, High Willhays and then striking off to the east. Was treated to an amazing firework and shooting display by the army above our first camp spot under East Mill Tor. Spent the next couple of days gradually working our way south, then west and then back up to meldon via fur tor Tavy Cleave, (Brilliant swimming in the pools there}, then to Great Links Tor where we camped underneath coupled with a well earned walk into the local pub, Fox and Hounds (excellent beer and grub) and then back via sourton tor. What a fabulous place, a bit spooky and strange at night, but well worth a trip. The walking is reasonably hard although not terribly high, and we were lucky to have the weather and so navigation was a doddle. Am now busy planning another trip down there.
Cheers for now
MoS
21/07/2006 at 08:22
Glad you made it and enjoyed yourself Clint - you certainly picked a good weekend, at least that breeze helped a bit with the heat. Good choice of route too. The ground is relatively dry up there at the moment, the bogs are not so boggy, making it easier underfoot and less need for detours.

On Saturday I walked in from Chagford side and took in Hangingstone, Wild, Wattern and Hound Tor. Apart from 4 people within a few hundred yards of the road we only saw one person all day. It was the same on Sunday - walked out to Rough Tor from near Two Bridges, the car parks were heaving, but once out of earshot, didn’t see anyone apart from a couple of hang gliders in the distance.

I’ve been picking out some wild camp spots for the future - spookiest place I fancy is inside a stone circle - should get some interesting vibes:)

I wonder if some people are put off Dartmoor by the army presence, maybe that’s why it’s a relatively quiet place for backpacking and wild camping. The long distance routes like Two Moors and Dartmoor Way are popular but skirt round the edge of the wilder areas.

Anyway, good to hear from you Clint and nice to see the odd thread about Dartmoor and find out how people have enjoyed themselves:)
MoS
john hee (www.walkaboutintheuk.co.uk)
21/07/2006 at 17:48
Clint - you could have waved - I was camping just below Yes tor Sat night.
;-)
Didn't see you in the CP at the ressy, so I guess you got an earlier start than me
Clint Trigg
22/07/2006 at 10:35
Hi John, We arrived on Sunday evening and stayed until weds morning, so you wouldnt have seen us. In fact over the whole time we were there, we saw only 3 people. 2 on top of yes tor and a letterboxer on monday afternoon on Black hill. Apart from the silhouettes of the 30 or so soldiers we saw on the ridge of east Mill tor which dont count really!

June O'Connell
25/07/2010 at 19:58

 I am hoping to go wild camping to Dartmoor in 2 weeks can you suggest where I may park my car and camp fairly close by as do not feel I can carry my stuff far. Would like to be near a river or lake as love to swim.

Thanks 

lone ranger
23/02/2011 at 20:29
does anyone know where i can find a list of areas where you can camp wild? i tried their official site but they didn't have any info.
sam09
23/02/2011 at 22:54
rob dixon 2
24/02/2011 at 13:26
You are most unlikely to have trouble if you are sensible and tuck yourself away. That's one of the reasons I prefer kit which blends in. A ranger once told me he'd be/feel more inclined to move someone from an area they're not meant to camp in if their tent was obvious. Picture a bright orange tent where it shouldn't be... Difficult to ignore, so a ranger HAS to do something.
There are heaps of places you can camp on Dartmoor!
lone ranger
25/02/2011 at 19:42

thankyou sam09 thats exactly what i've been looking for! if i can return the favour please let me know.

Eoghan
02/03/2011 at 09:32
Last time I was there we camped right on top of North Hessary Tor, right underneath the massive TV mast, in atrocious conditions. A very surreal experience looking up into the clouds and rain and seeing these alien lights shining down. Probably shortened our life expectancies by a year or two as well...
d h 2
27/03/2011 at 20:38
i've never done the moor not sure what a moor is but i have wild camped an dartmoor is next bring it on. ;0,
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