Wasdale Lakeside Campsite

View prices & book 9.4 197 reviews
Aerial view of the camping field
Wasdale valley
Campsite entrance
Wasdale valley

  • Basic and remote campsite five minutes’ walk from Wastwater in Cumbria
  • Wastwater Alpaca Trekking 25 minutes’ drive; Ravenglass 20 minutes
  • Pop-up pitches on a Lakeland fell farm; access to Scafell Pike
If you’re after a spectacular wild camping spot to lay down your head, you’ll certainly find it at Wasdale Lakeside Campsite. Set on a working Lakeland farm, this Cumbria pop-up site is big on views, looking up Wasdale to Yewbarrow, and right down to the shores of Wastwater. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to join your Lakeland jaunt, but must be kept on a lead at all times as there are always sheep about. You’ll all get lots of exercise, as there are numerous walks into the scenic Wasdale Valley from the camping field. Talking of the camping field, pitch numbers are limited so your wild camping experience can stay a private, peaceful one. Simple amenities run to portable toilets, on-site water in a container, cold running water a short walk from the pitches, recycling and washing lines for drying clothes and wetsuits. Small barbecues are allowed, but please place them on the slates provided. Pick up any vital supplies in Eskdale Stores (15 minutes’ drive), or order takeaways from the Lion and Lamb pub in Gosforth (they’ll deliver to your tent). If you fancy a change of scenery, hotfoot it down to the pubs in Nether Wasdale (10 minutes or half an hour’s walk). Please note there are no showers and no electrical hook-up points at this campsite. As this is a remote area, there is limited phone signal and data coverage; some networks have better coverage than others.

Site type

Tent pitches 47
Motorhome pitches 3
Open now
Opens 17 July
Please note
  • This site has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, 17 Jul to

Reviews

  • 76%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 14%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 2%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
4

97% would recommend this site to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite offers a stunning, remote location with beautiful views of mountains, woods, and Wast Water lake. Visitors praise the friendly and helpful owners and the peaceful atmosphere, describing it as a perfect "back to basics" or wild camping experience. Facilities are basic, mainly consisting of portaloos, which are generally kept clean, though some reviews mention they could be improved. The site's proximity to the lake for swimming, water sports, and hiking, including access to Scafell Pike, is a major highlight. Despite the basic nature, many visitors express a desire to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 20
Arrival date (latest first)

Everything. Amazing night's stay. We was on a different field this time round…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Bernadette N.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Everything. Amazing night's stay.

We was on a different field this time round and loved it even more, so much so we are booking to come back again in a few weeks.

Recommend to friends Visit again

No facilities but excellent site if you want a no frills stay

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
Melanie C.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely place to stay, stunning scenery, right at the edge of Wastwater. You can’t see it from the field but walk 200 metres and it’s there. Swim, kayak, Paddleboard!
Friendly, helpful owner that goes that extra mile too!

Disliked No facilities apart from Portaloos.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with spectacular mountain views, great for 1-2 night stay!

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
6
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Simple & clean campsite with beautiful views of the mountains! Initially imagined "lakeside" meaning having a direct view of the lake from the campsite, although this was not the case; however, it was only a 200m walk from the camp gate past the small forest.

Disliked The rocky drive into the campsite resulted in popping a car tire on the drive out, not the campsite's fault but clearing the roads of sharp rubble may prevent future mishaps.

The campsite may benefit from upgrading the facilities to include collection of fresh cold water (i.e. running tap), on top of having the portaloos.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing campsite, unfortunately cut short due to a family emergency

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
katie H.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked We had a fantastic two days and one night at Wasdale Lakeside Campsite. The setting is breathtaking – right on the edge of Wastwater with amazing views of the fells all around. It’s so peaceful and felt like the perfect spot to really switch off and enjoy the Lakes.

The facilities were clean and well maintained, and the pitches were spacious with a relaxed feel. Being able to walk straight from the campsite up into the mountains, including Scafell Pike, was a huge highlight.

A brilliant base for exploring Wasdale and great value for money. We’ll definitely be back!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location - views & closeness of lake To lid big roomy site…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
10
Alex T.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Location - views & closeness of lake
To lid big roomy site

Disliked Porta loos not clean

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was excellent, as was the onsite help.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Location was excellent, as was the onsite help.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I will be back

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
KAMILA KAROLINA M.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely views, amazing trip , service is there so anything missing can be delivered to you by the guy who comes to the park 3 times a day .

Recommend to friends Visit again

a lovely big open field with plenty of space and incredible views…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked a lovely big open field with plenty of space and incredible views

Disliked Would have been nice to have showers but i was aware there werent any so it wasnt an issue

Recommend to friends Visit again

👍…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked 👍

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very scenic, lovely views, quiet campsite with the stream, woods and the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
7
Erika M.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Very scenic, lovely views, quiet campsite with the stream, woods and the lake next to it. I think a pub is only few kilometres away. Such a good location for those who's bagging wainrights. No showers but werent fussed about that as we had our own portable shower. The was no signal but it could of been just our network provider as we spoke with other people and they had signal. Again, that didnt really bother us as we loved being surrounded by nature

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No hot water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pop-up campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Wasdale Lakeside Campsite

Easthwaite Farm

Nether Wasdale

Cumbria

England

CA20 1ET

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.42191°N
3.32446°W

Route directions

On arrival, please follow the sign to the campsite. Do not cross the farmyard, but drive through the double gates on your left. Drive carefully as there are sheep in the fields. What3words: goats.spotted.named. Please note that it is a farm track, not a tarmac road, so please drive carefully.

Nearest transport

Coach
12.6 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
12.6 mi Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
13.8 mi Tangier Street
Rail
5.7 mi Ravenglass Rail Station
5.7 mi Drigg Rail Station
6.7 mi Seascale Rail Station
Ferry
11.2 mi Coniston Ferry Landing
11.3 mi Waterhead Hotel (Coniston) Ferry Landing
11.3 mi Torver (Coniston) Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Just five minutes’ stroll from the camping field, Wastwater is a hub for wild swimmers, scuba divers, paddleboarders and kayakers – you can hire gear from the rental shop 10 minutes’ drive away. The lake is also fertile ground for anglers, who can fish for Arctic char, trout and salmon (in season). Hardened hikers have access to ventures up Scafell Pike (three hours) from the site. If you’re thinking of less strenuous days out, play a round at Eskdale Golf Course (25 minutes), or take the weight off your feet completely with a train tour of the West Lakes fell and mountain scenery on Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, locally known as ‘La’al Ratty’ (15 minutes). Local kid-friendly options include trotting through the fells with alpacas at Wastwater Alpaca Trekking (25 minutes), or a gentle scramble up Wasdale (an hour and a half’s walk from the site) to the Fairy Pools. The sand-and-shingle beaches at Seascale (25 minutes) and Ravenglass (20 minutes) are both dog-friendly, with lots of rook pools for splashing around in.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Seascale 6.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 12.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Silecroft 14.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Haverigg 16.1 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Walney West Shore 20.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 5.7 mi

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 12.5 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 13.4 mi

Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre 13.7 mi

Rydal Mount and Gardens 13.8 mi

National Trust

Wasdale, Eskdale and Duddon 1 mi

Buttermere and Ennerdale 10.8 mi

Gondola' 11.1 mi

Coniston and Tarn Hows 11.3 mi

Grasmere and Great Langdale 12.2 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Eskdale Green - Muncaster Fell - Muncaster Head - Eskdale Green 2.2 mi

MUNCASTER CASTLE 5.3 mi

High Gillerthwaite - Red Pike Ridge Traverse - High Gillerthwaite 6.4 mi

Seathwaite - Scafell Pike - Seathwaite 7.8 mi

The Gables from Honister Pass 7.9 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Wasdale Lakeside Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Wasdale Lakeside Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Wasdale Lakeside Campsite? Just five minutes’ stroll from the camping field, Wastwater is a hub for wild swimmers, scuba divers, paddleboarders and kayakers – you can hire gear from the rental shop 10 minutes’ drive … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Wasdale Lakeside Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Wasdale Lakeside Campsite? From £20 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.