When heading off on tour with your canine companion, you’ll want to ensure you’ve chosen a dog friendly caravan park.
There are plenty of sites that accept dogs – in fact, the vast majority of the campsites appearing in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2023 welcome our canine touring companions. However, while some places tolerate dogs, we wanted to highlight some of the sites that offer them a truly warm welcome with facilities to match. This can include long dog walks, being well-placed for visits to canine-friendly destinations and, in the cases of some, even offering restaurants and bars on site that they’re allowed in.
To help you find the destination for you, we’re taking you through our selection of some of the best dog friendly caravan sites in the UK, so you can make sure your pooch will have an enjoyable touring experience. We’d recommend checking each campsite’s dog policy before booking too, so you can see if your pet needs to stay on the lead or similar.
If you’re looking for some helpful tips for taking your canine away with you as well, be sure to check out our guide to touring with pets, while in our caravan dog beds guide, we share the products that are going to help your four-legged friend get a good night’s sleep on tour.
The best dog friendly caravan parks are…
1. Pinecones Caravan and Camping
2. Red Kite Touring Park
3. Eye Kettleby Lakes
4. Back of Beyond
5. Old Oaks Touring Park
6. Concierge Camping
7. Blue Hills Touring Park
8. Skelwith Fold
9. Tanner Farm Park
10. St Helens in the Park
Dog friendly caravan parks – our top picks:
Pinecones Caravan and Camping
Address: A149 Dersingham Bypass, King’s Lynn PE31 6WL, pinecones.co.uk
The best caravan park in Eastern England in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2023 was also our pick for the best pet friendly caravan site, as we think it does a wonderful job of making our four-legged friends feel welcome. Features include an off-lead walking area, a warm dog-wash and even a dog brewery!
If you find you are also in need of refreshments, the good news is there are two dog-friendly pubs within walking distance of Pinecones. The Norfolk caravan park is also perfectly placed for visits to the picturesque beaches of Holkham and Snettisham.
Hedging separates the pitches, providing privacy – other site facilities include individual bathrooms, free WiFi, EV charging and a laundry, while a woodland adventure play area is available for children too.
Red Kite Touring Park
Address: Van Road, Llanidloes, Powys, Mid Wales SY18 6NG, http://www.redkitetouringpark.co.uk/
Fantastic dog walks are the order of the day at Red Kite Touring Park, a site that made it onto our round-up of the best caravan parks in Wales.. Set within 20 acres, this adults-only caravan park provides a 10-acre dog walking area where canines can run around – there’s even a doggy pond! For something a bit different, there’s also a fenced off dog training area too.
Heading off site, you can embark on a stroll to the quaint market town of Llanidloes or set off along the Severn Way.
The site has spacious, hardstanding pitches and offers guests the use of modern washrooms, a shop and also access to a coarse fishing pool.
Eye Kettleby Lakes
Address: Eye Kettleby, Melton Mowbray LE14 2TN, eyekettlebylakes.com
The campsite that took the title of the best caravan park in the UK in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2023 sits in 150 acres of picturesque countryside.
Eye Kettleby Lakes provides a relaxing stay for visitors, but also makes sure dogs are given a warm welcome. For instance, our canine touring companions are allowed in The Lakes Tearoom & Bar, while the warm dog showers will make washing down any mucky canines a more pleasant experience.
There are also two secure dog walking areas, which not only give them the chance to run around but also allow owners to sit down and soak up the views.
There will be plenty of places to visit with your four-legged friend too, including Melton Country Park and Rutland Water, as well as a number of dog-friendly pubs and restaurants in the surrounding area.
As well as being a dog friendly campsite, Eye Kettleby Lakes is also a great caravan site with fishing – in fact, it offers nine coarse lakes, including two specimen carp lakes, six mixed coarse lakes, and a private lake for lodge members only.
The touring park and glamping pods are adults only, but families can stay in the log cabins.
Back of Beyond
Address: 234a Ringwood Road, St. Leonards, East Moors Lane, East Dorset, BH24 2SB, https://www.backofbeyondtouringpark.co.uk/
Peace and quiet for you and your dog will be guaranteed with a stay at Back of Beyond. Set in 30 acres of Dorset countryside – made up of woods, heathland, lakes and a river – this campsite has an array of of natural habitats for wildlife and any four-legged guests to enjoy. Usefully, the reception offers out free dog poo bags and treats, while you can buy your four-legged friend an ice cream there too!
A large dog walking area will keep your pet entertained, while you can also let them off the lead in the 18 acres of private woodland – do note they’re not allowed around the two lakes though, as these are Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
A hallmark of a dog friendly caravan park will be a dog wash station, and a warm one is on offer here.
Should you feel like venturing further afield, a trip to the New Forest is just one of the nearby spots to visit. If you’re looking to take more than two dogs with you, be sure to contact the site first though.
Old Oaks Touring Park
Address: Wick Farm, Wick, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8JS, https://www.theoldoaks.co.uk/
The overall winner in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2022, Old Oaks Touring Park provides a warm welcome for up to three dogs per pitch.
On site, you’ll find a warm water dog shower – complete with free canine shampoo – to cut down on muddy paw prints in your van after a walk in the countryside. If any dog blankets or towels need a bit of a clean, the dedicated washing machine and dryer will come in useful too. That’s not all – the site provides a dog swimming pool and nature pond, while there is a 300 metre secure dog walk where walkers can take in the Mendip Hills. For longer walks, there is a three acre field too.
If you’re not sure where to go with your pet once you’re pitched up, Old Oaks also has a free local guide who can recommend dining spots and where to go for day trips.
Plus, who could say no to their four-legged friend trying some of the locally sourced dog ice cream? It’s made especially for your pet and makes the perfect treat.
Concierge Camping
Address: Ratham Estate, West Ashling, Chichester, West Sussex. PO18 8DL, https://www.conciergecamping.co.uk/
Concierge Camping provides a truly relaxing camping experience for both you and your pet. The dog friendly caravan site will allow you to take up to three canines per pitch. Once there, you will find a selection of beautiful walks to choose from in the vicinity, as well as a dog walking area that you can access directly from the campsite.
A nice touch with each pitch is the hedging that frames them – this provides some welcome privacy for both you and your pooch.
Blue Hills Touring Park
Address: Cross Coombe, Trevellas, St Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0XP, https://bluehillscamping.co.uk/
This Cornish campsite has plenty to keep your pooch occupied.
Dogs need to remain on the lead while on the site or using the dog walking field, but there will be the chance to burn off energy for beach-loving canines, with a number of excellent destinations to explore in the vicinity.
This includes the dog-friendly beach of Trevellas Porth, which is only a 10-minute walk away and allows them all year long. Then there’s Trevaunance Cove, where dogs can go all year but need to remain on the lead. The site also provides access to the breathtaking South West Coast Path – although it is recommended that you keep your dog on the lead.
Take a look at our best caravan parks in Cornwall guide for more ideas for where to visit in the region.
Skelwith Fold
Address: Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0HY, https://www.skelwith.com/
Set in 130 acres of woodland, this Lake District caravan park allows campers to bring up to three dogs per pitch.
The site itself provides a woodland setting to explore, while there’s also a recreation field for them to play in. Skelwith asks for dogs to be kept on the lead when out and about on the campsite.
Then there will be the vast array of walks to enjoy around Ambleside itself (maps can be asked for at reception), while the beautiful Lake Windermere can also be explored.
Should your canine companion end up mucky from your excursions, a dog wash will also prevent any mucky paw prints from appearing in your caravan.
Tanner Farm Park
Address: Goudhurst Rd, Marden, Kent, TN12 9ND, https://www.tannerfarmpark.co.uk
This 36 acre caravan park sits in the heart of Kent and provides a peaceful location to get away to with your pet. Surrounded by beautiful woodland, farmland and apple orchards, you’ll find there are a selection of dog walks to join straight from the site.
The river walk always proves popular, and the dog wash on site will come in handy when you’ve returned to your caravan.
St Helens in the Park
Address: Wykeham, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO13 9QD https://www.sthelenscaravanpark.co.uk/
This 36 acre caravan site near Scarborough is a peaceful site. It sits in the 7,500 acre Dawnay Estate, offering a wide range of country walks to enjoy – as you embark, look out for alpacas and donkeys.
There’s also a woodland dog walk which extends for over 10 acres. Revenge Wood was planted in 2005 in partnership with The Woodland Trust, marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Should your four-legged friend get mucky in the process of exploring, a stainless steel dog wash station should quickly clean them up – there are even soft restraints which can be used if your dog is more fidgety.
Then you can take a stroll to the village of Wykeham – only five minutes away – to enjoy a meal at the dog-friendly Downe Arms pub.
The seaside town of Scarborough is only seven miles away too.
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