Sykeside Camping Park

View prices & book 9.3 240 reviews
Dove crag views
Dove crag views
Mountain views
Grass pitches
Outdoor feel
Pitches with views
Overlooking the mountains
Raised area of the campsite
Breathtaking surroundings
1/306
Mountain views
Grass pitches
Outdoor feel

  • Remote location but with easy access to the Lake District and Cumbria
  • In a walker's paradise in the Dovedale Valley
  • Modern facilities and well-stocked shop
The placing of this Penrith park is pretty perfect. Get ready for Lake District and Cumbrian valley walks in sublime surroundings, at this friendly site in a walker's paradise at the northern foot of the Kirkstone Pass. Although it's listed as in a remote location and is set deep and quietly in the Dovedale Valley, Sykeside Camping Park is easily accessible to the best of the Lake District and Cumbria, as it's just off the A592 and is no more than half an hour's drive from Ullswater, Patterdale, Glenridding, Ambleside, Coniston and Keswick. Cruising around Windermere is about 20 minutes away. Sykeside's Dovedale Valley locale has it surrounded by Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield, and with the town of Brotherswater nearby. Short strolls around Brotherswater are among the walky local options, or you could have a longer hike from the town's high street, where many walks start. (Or take the also most pleasant option of just staying in town and seeking out your holiday local the Brotherswater Inn for a pint or two of regional ale among the splendid regional scenery.) The Sykeside team has set the site out carefully to blend in with its surroundings and make the most of its natural settings, but have added modern amenities to keep guests comfy, like the shower and toilet facilities with shaving points and power points, and the laundry room with washing machine, tumble dryer and washing-up area. Feel free to set yourself up here to ignore the rest of the outside world: the well-stocked shop sells most of what you might need including fresh food, camping equipment, maps and guides; and because of the site's position right at the bottom of the valley, telly reception is pretty unreliable and you'll not get a single bar on your mobile – did someone mention digital detox…?

Site type

Tent pitches 100
Touring caravan pitches 5
Motorhome pitches 19
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 3
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • The grocery shop is open between 01/01 and 31/12.
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Due to the position of the campsite at the bottom of the valley, television reception is extremely unreliable, and there is no mobile phone reception at all. Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted.

Languages spoken

English

AA 3 pennants

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 240 Pitchup.com customers

  • 73%
    10
  • 6%
    9
  • 14%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 1%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 8
Spectacular sceneryLake and/or mountainWalkers' paradisePeaceful

97% would recommend this site to a friend

93% would stay here again

What customers say

This well-maintained campsite boasts stunning panoramic mountain views and a fantastic location for exploring the Lake District. Visitors praise the friendly and helpful staff, clean facilities including warm showers, and the convenient on-site shop and pub. Some reviews mention pitches can become waterlogged in wet weather, the ground is rocky making pegging difficult, and the pub requires advance booking for food. Overall, it's a highly recommended site with many planning to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 24
Arrival date (latest first)

I have stayed at sykeside multiple…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 9
Dave M.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked I have stayed at sykeside multiple times over the past few years and it is my go to campsite. Off the ground fires are allowed.
Clean washrooms, hot showers and plenty of spaces to pitch tents with or without electric hookups. Also 2mins walk to the Brotherswater inn which sells great food and excellent beers.
Also now has 5G and phone signal which I have not had in previous years visits.

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Views were amazing Shop very handy…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 5
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Views were amazing
Shop very handy

Disliked Pub gets booked up very quickly so book in advance or be disappointed -like I was!
The ground was extremely boggy, caked in mud.
Toilet block a long way from some of the pitches
Need hair dryers in toilets 😢

Recommend to friends Visit again

Staff very helpful definitely worth a visit

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely site
Enjoyed our short stay
Showers lovely and hot

Disliked The British weather !
It rained most of the time

Recommend to friends Visit again

Can’t fault it

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Really nice site, views are fantastic, well stocked shop, pub was excellent, but gets booked up for food quickly so probably book a table before you get there

Disliked Can’t say there’s much to dislike at all

Recommend to friends Visit again

This site is gorgeous. I absolutely…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Hayley S.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked This site is gorgeous. I absolutely loved everything about it. The views all around the site are stunning, staff all very friendly, everywhere very clean, dog walk area was fab, felt very safe as a solo camper and even had 4g which always makes me feel a bit safer. My new fave site.

Disliked The only thing that I had an issue was with no dogs in the toilets. I get that it’s to keep things clean but as a solo camper I just don’t like having to tie my dog up outside on her own.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious pitches, good facilities, excellent staff…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Andrew W.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Spacious pitches, good facilities, excellent staff in an outstanding location. Absolutely perfect for what we needed walking in the hills

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing showers, clothes dryer, shop and restaurant, great location

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Jason M.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Very accommodating, really friendly people that run the camp site. Very close to some wainwrights and lots of other walks. 2nd time here and will definitely be back again.

Disliked Tents pegs are an absolutely nightmare to get into the ground because of lots of rocks. Small pet peeve, but it's very frustrating

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great camp site, Covers every think…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Great camp site, Covers every think you could need.
Amazing location.
Nice shop
Clean toilets and good showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

Been twice, will be coming back again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Ryan M.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Beautiful site, quiet, great facilities and staff

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great pub/restaurant and helpful shop. showers…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Great pub/restaurant and helpful shop. showers are nice and warm

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Large (51-200 pitches)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Step-free access Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Sykeside Camping Park

Hartsop

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0NZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.49861°N
2.92474°W

Nearest transport

Coach
4.8 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
4.8 mi Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
5 mi Kelsick Road opposite Library
Rail
8.3 mi Windermere Rail Station
9.5 mi Staveley Rail Station
11.8 mi Burneside (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
3.2 mi Glenridding Ullswater Ferry Landing
5.6 mi Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
5.7 mi Ambleside Waterhead Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Sykeside Camping Park's central location in the Lakes means it has loads of activities within easy reach by foot or car and on land or water. For watery days within 20 minutes of the site, join one of the most popular pastimes in the Lake District with a cruise on Windermere, or get serious about the water and hire a boat or learn to sail with Glenridding Sailing Centre on Ullswater. Boat trips are also available from Coniston Water and Keswick. By land and also within 20 minutes are the crashing hike around Aira Force waterfall, and the medieval manor and greenery of Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens as well as the heritage and cinema of the The Rheged Centre at Penrith. Within half an hour, spy ospreys at Bassenthwaite near Keswick, have a ride on the 3.2 miles of the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, and wander around the The Rheged Centreancientness of the Castlerigg stone circle, the most visited in Cumbria.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Seascale 23.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Silecroft 25.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Haverigg 25.9 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
St Bees 27.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Allonby 27.6 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ullswater Steamers 3.2 mi

Rydal Mount and Gardens 4.2 mi

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 4.8 mi

Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 6.7 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 9.1 mi

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 5.7 mi

Townend 6.1 mi

Windermere and Troutbeck 7.6 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 9.1 mi

Coniston and Tarn Hows 10 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Kirkstone Pass - Caudale Moor - Stony Cove Pike 2.4 mi

Helvellyn - Nethermost Pike - High Crag - Dollywaggon Pike 2.7 mi

Glenridding - Helvellyn - Grisedale Brow - Glenridding 3.3 mi

Caudale Moor and Troutbeck Tongue 3.3 mi

Glenridding and Greenside Mine 3.3 mi

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, 30 July 2026 – Thursday, 30 July 2026)

    Penrith, Cumbria 11.1 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Sykeside Camping Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Sykeside Camping Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Sykeside Camping Park? Sykeside Camping Park's central location in the Lakes means it has loads of activities within easy reach by foot or car and on land or water. For watery days within 20 minutes … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Sykeside Camping Park?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Sykeside Camping Park? From £23.70 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.