Camping in Ruthin

The countryside around Ruthin, where the flat Vale of Clwyd meets the steep slopes of the Clwydian Range, offers some of the best walking-country camping in north-east Wales. As in the rest of Wales, wild camping is illegal without the explicit permission of the landowner, so pitching up on the open hillside of Moel Famau or anywhere else on the Clwydian ridge without asking first is not permitted, however tempting the views. Fortunately there are established campsites and glamping sites scattered through the villages around Ruthin, many run by farmers on land at the foot of the hills, giving campers legal access to the same scenery with none of the risk.

Pitches close to the Clwydian Range tend to be on sloping or terraced ground rather than flat fields, reflecting the terrain, and the better sites make a virtue of it with pitches angled to catch the view west over the Vale towards Snowdonia. Facilities vary from simple, basic fields with a tap and compost toilet to fuller touring parks with electric hook-up, so it is worth checking what is offered before booking if travelling with a caravan or larger tent. The exposed tops of the Clwydian hills can catch wind and driving rain even in summer, so sites with some tree shelter or a valley-floor position tend to be more comfortable for tent camping than those pitched high on open ground.

Late spring to early autumn is the most reliable window for camping here, broadly April to September, when day length and drier ground make pitching, cooking and walking straightforward; the Welsh hills can turn wet and boggy underfoot outside these months. For those who want the setting without the packing list, glamping options in the area include shepherd's huts, safari tents and yurts on working farms around Ruthin and the neighbouring Clwydian villages, many with wood-burners or log stoves that make an out-of-season stay far more appealing. Whichever option you choose, the reward is the same: falling asleep with the silhouette of the Clwydian Range close by and waking to some of the best short hill walks in north Wales on your doorstep.