The 10 best campsites in Devon

Devon is two holidays in one county. The north coast faces the Atlantic: surf beaches at Croyde and Woolacombe, high hog's-back cliffs around Hartland, and big sunsets over the Bristol Channel. The south coast is a different world of sailing estuaries, sheltered coves, red Jurassic cliffs and cream teas in Regency seaside towns. You could camp on both in the same week and feel like you had crossed a border.

In between sit the moors. Dartmoor is the wild heart of the county, a granite upland of tors, clapper bridges and rivers cold enough to make you gasp, while the Devon edge of Exmoor drops straight into the sea on the highest cliffs in England. Both are proper dark-sky country, and both hide small farm campsites where the only traffic is sheep.

When to go? July and August bring the warmest sea and the biggest crowds, and the best-known sites sell out months ahead. May, June and September are the sweet spot: long days, quieter beaches, and pitches you can actually book. Plenty of Devon sites open from Easter to October, and a handful stay open all year for hardy off-season campers.

How we chose

A spread across all four corners: surf north, gentle south, Dartmoor and the Jurassic Coast. A range of styles, from back-to-basics farm fields to full-facility family parks. And the fundamentals done well: clean showers, honest pitches and owners who care. Every site here is a well-known, long-established favourite with a strong recent review record.

1. Ocean Pitch, Croyde

4.9 ★ Google rating from 370+ reviews

Ocean Pitch is a small field right behind Croyde beach, close enough that you can check the surf from your sleeping bag. Formerly Mitchum's, it is now a polished little operation of around 33 pitches plus a handful of glamping pods, taking tents, campervans and smaller motorhomes on grass and hardstanding, with electric hook-up available on some pitches. Facilities punch well above the site's size: hot showers (including outdoor ones for post-surf rinses), washing-up sinks, a wetsuit wash, fridge-freezer access, on-site surf hire and street food from the award-winning Biffen's Kitchen van. It was runner-up for Best Coastal Campsite in the 2025 Camping and Glamping Awards. What people love: the view, the friendly team and the spotless facilities dominate reviews, and one Tripadvisor reviewer calls it simply "our ideal campsite". Tip: it is tiny and famous, so book the moment your dates firm up, especially for summer weekends.

2. Little Meadow, near Ilfracombe

4.5 ★ Google rating from 190+ reviews

Little Meadow has been welcoming campers since 1955, and it shows in all the right ways. The family-run farm site sits between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin with a panoramic view over Watermouth harbour, the Hangman Hills and the Bristol Channel, with Wales on the horizon on a clear day. Around 50 generously sized, individually marked grass and hardstanding pitches take tents, campervans, caravans and motorhomes, most with electric hook-up, and there is a luxury cottage if someone in your party has retired from canvas. There is a small shop, a modern block with free hot showers, a play area and a dog-walking field, and the South West Coast Path is close by. What people love: reviewers consistently describe it as peaceful and uncommercial, with relaxed, friendly owners, and around 95 per cent of reviewers on one booking platform would recommend it. Tip: it typically opens from late March to the end of September, so do not plan a winter trip around it.

3. Stoke Barton Farm, Hartland

4.8 ★ Google rating from 250+ reviews

Stoke Barton Farm is a working livestock and arable farm above Hartland Quay, on the wildest, emptiest stretch of coast Devon owns. The flat camping field covers around 12 acres, so there is proper space between pitches, with about 30 electric hook-ups for those who want them. Facilities are simple but well kept: a shower block, laundry with washing machine and dryer, and a communal shed with a microwave, kettles, a freezer and phone charging. The farm gives campers direct access through its fields to the South West Coast Path, and the walking here, to Hartland Point and along the folded black cliffs, is as good as anywhere in England. What people love: the setting and the welcome; one Tripadvisor reviewer sums it up as "great views, great site". Note that it is a family-oriented site that does not take stag or hen groups. Tip: open fires and ground-level barbecues can be restricted in dry spells, so check the current rules before you pack the fire pit.

4. Hidden Valley Park, West Down

4.4 ★ Google rating from 430+ reviews

Hidden Valley Park fills a sheltered wooded valley between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe, with 35 acres of woodland and parkland, a lake and a stream running through the site. It is the safe pair of hands on this list for families: gravel touring pitches and grass tent pitches with electric available, plus forest lodges if half your group wants a roof. The Lakeside restaurant and bar looks over the water, and there is a shop, play areas and woodland walks without leaving the site. Unusually for North Devon, it is open all year. What people love: reviews return again and again to the peaceful setting, the cleanliness of the facilities and how genuinely dog-friendly it is. Tip: you are ten minutes from the coast here, so use it as a base and do Woolacombe, Croyde and Ilfracombe's Tunnels Beaches as day trips rather than fighting for a beachside pitch in August.

5. Runnage Farm, Postbridge

4.9 ★ Google rating from 40+ reviews

Runnage Farm is camping as Dartmoor intended: a working farm in the very middle of the moor, near Postbridge and its famous clapper bridge. Pitches are on grass beside the East Webburn river, for tents and small campervans only, with no electric hook-ups; if the weather turns feral there are camping barns and a bunkhouse too. Campfires are part of the deal here, with fire pits allowed and wood usually available from the farm, which also sells its own produce, and the burgers get glowing mentions in reviews. Facilities are basic but kept clean and tidy, which is exactly the trade you make for a pitch this deep in the national park. What people love: reviewers score it highly and praise the relaxed atmosphere and the welcoming farming family. Tip: the Warren House Inn and Postbridge are within reach on foot, and on a clear night the stargazing is superb, so bring a head torch and look up.

6. River Dart Country Park, Ashburton

4.6 ★ Google rating from 1,400+ reviews

River Dart Country Park is the easy win for families with energetic kids: a campsite inside 90 acres of woodland and parkland on the southern slopes of Dartmoor, with the River Dart running through the middle. The camping areas are served by good, well-maintained facilities, and the park piles on adventure playgrounds, water play and bookable activities from canoeing to high-ropes style adventures, so nobody is ever bored. Ashburton, one of Dartmoor's nicest small towns, is just down the road. What people love: reviewers keep coming back to the sheer space and how much there is to do without getting in the car, along with helpful, friendly staff. Tip: school holidays are lively by design; if you want the woods and the river without the buzz, come in term time, especially June or September, when the park is at its calmest and the Dart is still warm enough for a brave swim.

7. Karrageen, Hope Cove

4.8 ★ Google rating from 290+ reviews

Karrageen is a small, family-run park in the folds of the South Hams, a mile up the lane from Hope Cove and its two sandy beaches. Around 70 pitches spread across terraced fields with big sea and country views, including sheltered dells that suit tents, with electric hook-up available and a few static caravans to hire. In August an extra top field opens with sweeping views out to sea. The shop at reception is well stocked and sells fresh bread and pastries in the morning, and the modern shower block gets consistent praise for cleanliness. What people love: the warm welcome, the sunsets and the location between Hope Cove, Bolberry Down and Salcombe; one Tripadvisor reviewer's verdict is simply "brilliant stay". Tip: the final approach is by narrow Devon lanes, so take it slowly with a caravan or big motorhome, arrive in daylight and trust the site's own directions rather than the sat nav's shortcuts.

8. Slapton Sands Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Slapton

4.6 ★ Google rating from 470+ reviews

The Slapton Sands club site sits just behind the long shingle sweep of Start Bay, with sea views from many of its hundred-plus pitches and the freshwater ley of Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve next door. You can choose grass or hardstanding, with or without electric, for tents, motorhomes and campervans; caravans are restricted to club members and limited in number because of the narrow approach roads. Dogs are welcome, with a designated dog walk, and the beach is dog-friendly all year. What people love: immaculate facilities, helpful site managers and waking up to the sea; one Tripadvisor review is titled "outstanding campsite". It suits quieter campers, walkers and birdwatchers rather than anyone after entertainment. Tip: bring a long electric hook-up cable, as many pitches need one, and check the club's current membership rules for your unit type before booking.

9. Ladram Bay Holiday Park, Otterton

4.5 ★ Google rating from 2,200+ reviews

Ladram Bay is the big one on this list: a long-established, family-owned holiday park on the East Devon stretch of the Jurassic Coast, with its own sheltered pebble beach beneath famous red sandstone sea stacks. The touring side is seriously well appointed, with around 155 fully serviced hardstanding pitches offering 16-amp electric, water and grey-waste drainage, many with sea or countryside views. Beyond the pitches you get a swimming pool with sea views, an outdoor splash zone, shops, places to eat and nightly entertainment in season, which is exactly what its family audience comes for. What people love: reviews repeatedly single out the cleanliness of the facilities, the friendly staff and that private beach. Tip: this is the opposite of a quiet farm field, so embrace it; book touring pitches early for summer, and walk the coast path over to Sidmouth or Budleigh Salterton to earn your evening at the showbar.

10. Salcombe Regis Camping and Caravan Park, near Sidmouth

4.0 ★ Tripadvisor rating from 490+ reviews

Salcombe Regis occupies 16 quiet acres in a green combe just east of Sidmouth, and it is the pick for couples and older families who want East Devon at its gentlest. The family-run park offers spacious grass and hardstanding pitches for tents, caravans, motorhomes and campervans, plus holiday lodges, and holds an AA five-pennant rating. There is a shop in the modern reception building, a children's play area, a putting green and well-kept amenity blocks, with a footpath linking the site to the coast path. What people love: reviewers describe it as clean, quiet and tidy, with professional, friendly owners and plenty of green space between pitches. Tip: in summer a hopper bus calls at the site for Sidmouth, or you can walk down to Weston Mouth, one of Devon's most peaceful beaches, and let the climb back up justify a cream tea.

Before you book

Decide which Devon you want first: surf north or gentle south, coast or moor. Driving between the two coasts takes longer than the map suggests, so pick a base and explore from it rather than trying to do everything from one pitch. Check minimum stays for peak weeks, confirm whether campfires or barbecues are allowed before you pack one, and if you are towing, ask the site about the approach; Devon's sunken lanes and tall hedges take no prisoners, and several sites on this list publish their own recommended routes for good reason. Book popular sites early for July and August, and consider May, June or September for the same views with half the company.

When you are ready, find a campsite and book your dates direct. Heading further west? Start with the best campsites in Cornwall, or work east along the coast with the best campsites in Dorset.