Camping in Ullswater

Ullswater's valleys and fellsides offer some of the best camping and glamping in the Lake District, from simple grassy fields with lake glimpses to fully-equipped glamping pods with views up towards Helvellyn. As with the rest of England, wild camping is not legally permitted here without the landowner's explicit permission — the informal tolerance found in parts of Scotland doesn't apply, and rangers do move people on from unauthorised pitches, particularly near the more popular fells. Stick to licensed campsites and you'll find plenty of choice, many family-run, dotted between Glenridding, Patterdale, Pooley Bridge and the quieter Martindale valley on the lake's eastern side.

The terrain here is proper Lake District: steep, rocky, and quick to turn wet underfoot, so a decent pitch on level, well-drained ground matters more than it might elsewhere. Sites closer to the lake shore tend to be busiest and book up fastest in summer, while those further up the valleys towards Helvellyn and Fairfield offer a quieter, more remote feel at the cost of a longer walk to the pub. Weather can change fast even in summer, and conditions on the higher fells should never be judged by what's happening down at lake level.

May to September is the most reliable stretch for camping, with long daylight hours useful for late arrivals after a day's walking, though committed campers do come here year-round and winter pitches with clear, cold nights can be spectacular if you're properly equipped. For anyone wanting the Ullswater scenery without the full camping kit, glamping options — pods, safari tents, shepherd's huts — have multiplied around the lake in recent years, giving a comfortable base with your own kitchen or wood burner, often with fell or water views, and are usually a safer bet for a first visit to the area than turning up with a tent and hoping for good weather.