Wild camping Wales: complete guide & best locations

Wild camping in Wales in a campervan or motorhome – if this is your next # vanlife holiday, you’ve made an awesome choice!

Motorhomes and camper vans are an increasingly popular method of holidaying and free camping in the UK is a great way to enjoy them

Have the best Wales wild camping holiday possible by checking out our complete guide, covering the pros and cons of wild camping around Wales , the best wild camping spots , the best vans for your trip, and loads more.

Best wild camping spots in North Wales

Countryside, coast, mountains and valleys… Wales is a stunning country with hundreds of beautiful settings ideal for camping. These are a few of our favourites.

Carneddau, Snowdonia

Mountain range home to some of the highest peaks in Wales as well as lakes including Llyn Eigiau and Llyn Cowlyd

Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons

Another national park mountain setting, this time in southeast Wales stretching to the border with England

Llyn Peninsula

This gorgeous 30-mile stretch of coast in north west Wales has heaps of remote spots for motorhome wild camping. It’s south west of the Isle of Anglesey, also much recommended.

Berwyn Mountains

peaks, moorland, valleys and waterfalls are all abundant in this mountain range in north east Wales, spreads across the counties of Clwyd, Gwynedd and Powys.

Wild camping in South West Wales

The stunning South West Wales region covers the local authority areas/counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot:

Pembrokeshire

anywhere around the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park will yield remote and scenic locations for motorhome wild camping. To stay near civilisation, look for wild camping near Haverfordwest, Narberth or by the coast at Tenby and Saundersfoot.

Carmarthenshire

the “Garden of Wales” is also packed with remote and scenic locations for motorhome wild camping, such as the Tywi Valley and the Taf Estuary, or within reach of towns such as Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli and Newcastle Emlyn.

Swansea

the coast and countryside around Swansea is perfect for campervan wild camping. Stop overnight around the Gower Peninsula, the first area in the UK to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or look for a stay around the Lliw uplands or Swansea Bay.

Neath Port Talbot

Historically the county of West Glamorgan, Neath Port Talbot covers the area of South Wales that takes in the coastal plain and dunes around Port Talbot as well as the Afan, Swansea, Neath, Dulais and Upper Amman valleys, up to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Look for stays around the River Dulais or near Aberavon Beach on the edge of Swansea Bay.

Can you wild camp in Wales?

Like England (apart from Dartmoor), wild camping isn’t permitted in Wales ; it’s a civil offence and you must move on if requested by a landowner. In practice, you can wild camp throughout the country as long as you ask permission from whoever owns the land, and if you follow the principle of leaving no trace.

A good option is to look for permitted wild camping spots in the three Welsh national parks – Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire coast – which are usually listed on the park authority’s websites.

Pros and cons of wild camping in Wales

As with England and Northern Ireland (Scotland has separate wild camping laws), there are pros and cons of wild camping in Wales:

Pros

It’s a beautiful country, with scenic wild camping locations in every county.

You can get fully into nature and be fully self-sufficient and off-grid.

Design your holiday any way you like – remote spots for romantic breaks, or close to outdoor activities if part of a group.

It lets you get to truly remote locations where there aren’t any campsites.

You can be spontaneous, parking up where you fancy as long as you have permission.

Cons

Unless you’ve arranged your stay in advance (for example with a national park authority), you’ll need to ask for permission to park overnight.

No early evenings or late mornings – wild camping etiquette dictates you should arrive late and leave early.

You won’t be able to connect to services and facilities on campsites.

Best campsites for wild camping in Wales

Mill Haven Place, Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire coastal site with views to the Isle of Skomer, a setting only a mile from a secluded beach cove and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Non-electric campervan pitches are on grass and can take up to eight people.

Greg Wen, Snowdonia

award-winning campsite in Snowdonia National Park, set in 45 acres of woodland and meadows, with views over the Mawddach Estuary down to Cardigan Bay. Campervan pitches are on grass or hardstanding. (NB: the site doesn’t accept groups.]

Bare Bones Camping, Powys

Mid Wales campsite in a valley by the River Dyfi, with a B&B bar, wifi and restaurant next door. Bare Bones has motorhome pitches, on a four-acre grassland site under half an hour’s drive from Barmouth.

Teifi Meadows, Ceredigion

another Mid Wales site, this time in green and peaceful countryside a few miles from Lampeter and 20 from Aberystwyth. Grass pitches for campervans and motorhomes have optional electric hook-up.

Brynglas Retreat, Glamorgan

South Wales campsite for adults only 25 only. A ten-minute drive from the Brecon Beacons National Park, the site has a communal barbecue/firepit, a red kite feeding station and non-electric gravel motorhome pitches.

Pros and cons of using campsites for wild camping in Wales

There are advantages and disadvantages to booking campsites for your Welsh wild camping trip:

Pros

• Safety and security – a good option if you’re a bit nervous about truly “free” camping or finding the landowner to get permission.

• Get insider tips from campsite owners and other campervanners about good places to see in the area.

• Connect to services and recharge your gadgets.

Cons

• If you’re travelling in high season you’ll need to book ahead, meaning you lose spontaneity and can’t just stop if you see somewhere you like.

• Many wild camping sites in Wales are in stunning locations, but you won’t be fully remote unless you wild camp.

• If you’re on a romantic trip or one where you just want to get away from it all, you might not want to deal with the admin of formal campsite stays, or connect to Wi-Fi to look for a site.

Wild camping in Wales – what to consider

Wales Laws

As above, wild camping isn’t legally permitted in Wales just as it isn’t in England – it’s considered trespass, which is a civil offence. If you don’t immediately leave when asked to, that could then be a criminal and arrestable offence.

Tips

• Decide on your pace before you set off – do you want to see as much of Wales as possible, or take things more slowly.

• Remember that there may be limited access to shops and restaurants in rural areas.

• If going off-grid, consider staying at a campsite every few days to connect to services.

• Bring a first-aid kit and have a back-up plan if you can’t get phone signal in an emergency.

• Always have enough water, fuel and food to last at least a day or two.

• Check in with someone back home each day, or share your what3words location on your social media.

• Have a backup campsite in case of emergency, extreme weather or being asked to move on.

What van to choose

Even if this is your first time hiring a motorhome or campervan, you can narrow down your choices by thinking about the type of trip you want:

• A trip for you and your partner, or a group of friends?

• What season are you going in and what warm/cold weather kit will you need?

• Do you want a luxury break or something more standard?

• Will you stay in campsites most nights, or do you want an off-grid self-sufficient van? (Note that you may be required to have a self-sufficient van, i.e., one with a toilet, if staying in national parks.)

And consider these criteria for whether you’re going as part of a couple or a group of friends:

Vans for couples

• Space: a two-berth van will have the sleeping room you need, but you might prefer something bigger or more luxurious.

• Type of trip: for outdoor adventures, or a relaxing break?

• Meals: do you plan to eat out for most meals, or do you want a van with decent kitchen space?

Vans for a group of friends

• Space: obviously you’ll need a van with the correct number of sleeping berths for your group, but remember that you’ll need sufficient daytime living space for the group members not in the driving and passenger seats.

• Sleeping: you may prefer a van with fixed berths so you don’t have to pack away several sleeping spaces every morning.

• Kit: does the van have room for everyone’s surfboards, bikes, hiking kit…?

Dog-friendly vans

Looking to take your pet on your wild Welsh camping trip? No problem, at Camplify you'll find dozens of pet-friendly van rental options .

Plan your wild camping trip today

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