Camping in Ambleside

Camping around Ambleside means fellside views, easy access to some of the best walking in the Lake District, and in most cases a short drive rather than a walk into the town itself, since space in the immediate centre is too tight for larger sites. The closest options sit within a few miles, set among woodland or open parkland with the fells as a backdrop, while a short drive further out opens up sites on the shores of Windermere itself or deep in the Langdale valley.

Facilities vary considerably: some sites are large, well-appointed touring parks with electric hook-up, shops and shower blocks as standard, run to a high standard year-round, while others take a deliberately simpler approach in keeping with the surrounding national park landscape, with fewer permanent facilities and a greater emphasis on the setting itself. Several of the area's best-known sites are run by conservation bodies rather than commercial operators, which shows in restrictions on generators, campfires and noise designed to protect the peace of the surrounding fells and lake shore.

Given the terrain, narrow approach lanes and steep gradients are common on the way into some sites, so a call ahead to check access is worthwhile for larger caravans and motorhomes. Dogs are welcome at all three sites below, and each gives a realistic base for walking the fells around Ambleside, Langdale or Windermere's western shore without needing to move the car each day.