Camping in Bishopdale

Bishopdale sits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where wild camping is not permitted without the landowner's express permission, so campers should use one of the established campsites or farm-based sites in and around the dale and neighbouring valleys rather than pitching on the open fell. The valley's terrain is a mix of enclosed pasture on the lower slopes and open heather moorland higher up towards Stake Moss and Naughtberry Hill, with ground that can stay wet well into the warmer months after Dales rain, so a properly waterproofed tent and pegs suited to thin or rocky topsoil are worth packing. Most campsites in this part of the Dales are small, family-run affairs on working farms, offering simple pitches with basic facilities, and it is well worth booking ahead in summer as availability is limited compared with more heavily visited dales such as Wharfedale or Swaledale.

The best camping season here runs from late spring to early autumn, broadly May to September, when daylight hours are longest and the fell roads over Kidstones Pass are reliably open; the shoulder months of April and October can still be rewarding for quieter, cooler camping but nights turn cold quickly at this altitude. Weather across the Dales is changeable year-round, so campers should come prepared for rain and wind even in midsummer. For those who prefer a roof over their head without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options such as shepherd's huts, pods and safari tents are increasingly available on farms around Wensleydale and Wharfedale, offering a comfortable alternative that still puts the quiet, pastoral scenery of Bishopdale on the doorstep. Camping here suits visitors after a genuinely rural, low-key base for walking the dale and its surrounding fells, rather than an on-site activity programme.