Tarka Trail Camping

View prices & book 9.5 162 reviews
Nice and flat pitches
Reception
Sunsets at tarka trail camping
Cycling

  • Peaceful family-run site on the outskirts of Yelland
  • Five miles from Barnstaple and Bideford, and six from Westward Ho!
  • Walkers' paradise: direct access to Tarka Trail/South West Coast Path
North Devon has many special spots, but the golden triangle around the rivers Taw and Torridge and the sea is particularly pretty. Guests at Tarka Trail Camping are right in the middle of this sweet spot, making this a great base to explore the area's various watery vistas. This site on the outskirts of Yelland is well suited to quiet rural breaks, but its location close to a main road makes getting around a breeze: popular spots such as Barnstaple, Bideford and Westward Ho! can all be reached within 15 minutes' drive. Guests who want to leave the car behind can hop about on the local bus, which handily stops in the village (10 minutes' walk away). There's direct access to the popular Tarka Trail from the site – it is, of course, named after an otter so it's no surprise that the creatures make an appearance now and then around these parts (although this smashing stretch of river is reward enough even without them). If all that walking (or cycling) builds up an appetite, fear not – weary wanderers are free to enjoy a barbecue back at base (provisions can be picked up a mile away in Fremington). Looking for a drink with that? Yelland Manor Micro Brewery is located right next door, and a café is 10 minutes' walk away. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please keep them on a lead while on site.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Motorhome pitches 20
Touring caravan pitches 5
Open now
Opens 28 March
Please note
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat 28 Mar to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Other options

Reviews

  • 75%
    10
  • 6%
    9
  • 14%
    8
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    6
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Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
9

97% would recommend this site to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

This exceptionally clean and well-maintained campsite offers spacious pitches and excellent facilities, particularly its modern shower and toilet block. Its prime location directly on the Tarka Trail is highly praised by cyclists and walkers. Many guests highlight the beautiful estuary views and peaceful atmosphere. The on-site microbrewery is a popular addition. Minor points include the lack of on-site shops and occasional wind exposure on pitches.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 21/07/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 17
Arrival date (latest first)

Great all rounder camp sight will definitely be back

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Great location good transport links, great for walking or if you have a bike

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Fab photo - we do love our sunsets. Thank you for your kind review, hope to see you again soon, Tarka Trail Camping

Cleanliness of facilities. Location to cycle…

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Cleanliness of facilities. Location to cycle path.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind review. Hope to see you again soon, Tarka Trail Camping

Lovely site with very clean facilities…

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Lovely site with very clean facilities

Disliked A freezer to freeze ice blocks would be handy especially with the hot weather when the fridge was struggling.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you, Tarka Trail Camping

Pitch was a great size, showers/toilet/washup…

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Pitch was a great size, showers/toilet/washup areas were very clean. The added bonus was the sunset each evening.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We do love our sunsets and we're glad you enjoyed your stay. Thank you for your kind review, hope to see you again soon.Tarka Trail Camping

Excellent facilities which were clean. Close…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass campervan pitch

Liked Excellent facilities which were clean. Close to the walk/bike trail
Great location
Quiet

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you, Tarka Trail Camping

This 5* site is for the more senior people looking for quiet time

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Very well run site with beautiful views.
The entrance from the main road is interesting I would say!
Flat and well kept pitches with hard standing, hook ups close by.
The toilet/shower/dishwashing facilities are 5*, I couldn't fault them!
Ideal for more senior cyclists and dog walker (I don't have a bike or a dog).

Disliked This isn't a site criticism, but, the site is very sedate.
Not a lot of life (when we were there) no flags or lights/banners or such.
This is the first time in six years I have been charged £5/night for a car being towed by a motorhome!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you, Tarka Trail Camping

A lovely family run site with…

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked A lovely family run site with excellent pitches and facilities right next to the Tarka Trail

Disliked Nothing about the site it was the 10 month road closure in the village having to find an alternative route.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your kind review, Tarka Trail Camping

Great site, lovely size pitches, immaculate…

Overall

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

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Great site, lovely size pitches, immaculate shower block, gate straight into the Tarka trail, what wasn’t to like !

Disliked Nothing to dislike. Only improvement would be a small shop

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Fab photos! We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your kind review, Tarka Trail Camping

Clean , Tidy, well spaced out,…

Overall

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

Electric grass and gravel touring caravan pitch

Liked Clean , Tidy, well spaced out, right on the Tarka Trail. Easy walk to Instow. Washing facilities new and spotless. Great peaceful 3 day break!

Disliked Not much to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your kind review, Tarka Trail Camping

The cleanest camp I have stayed…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
john f. 1 review

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked The cleanest camp I have stayed on in over 20 years of camping
The shower block was immaculate every day
The pitch size was more than adequate
The small brewery next to site is worth a visit for the wonderful hand made pizza

Disliked No dislikes

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your kind review, Tarka Trail Camping


Features

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

Baby-changing facilities 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

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pub campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point

Location

Tarka Trail Camping

Lower Yelland Farm

Yelland

Devon

England

EX31 3EN

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.07206°N
4.15486°W

Nearest transport

Coach
0.3 mi Post Office
1.3 mi New Inn
1.4 mi New Inn
Rail
4 mi Barnstaple Rail Station
6.8 mi Chapelton (Devon) Rail Station
9.1 mi Umberleigh Rail Station
Ferry
1.9 mi Instow Ferry Landing
2 mi Appledore Ferry Landing
4.3 mi Bideford 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

The traffic-free Tarka Trail is a top pick for walks and bike rides around here. The 30-mile section that runs adjacent to the site follows the route of an old railway, so it's fairly flat (excellent news for occasional walkers/cyclists). Bike hire is available at the old station by Fremington Quay (three miles away by road/a mile and a half's walk along the trail), where there's also a café and heritage centre. Wildlife spotters should check out RSPB Isley Marsh (under a mile by foot), where waders galore are drawn to a peaceful saltmarsh. Serious birdwatchers can head out for the day to to Lundy Island: the ferry leaves Bideford (10 minutes' drive) several times a week and takes around two hours. For a day at the beach, head to Instow (a five-minute drive), a sandy riverside spot with sweeping views over the estuary that's popular with sailors and windsurfers. If you fancy taking to the waves, catch the Instow to Appledore Ferry across the Taw. Westward Ho! (15 minutes) is home to another fine beach and is a hub for surfers, kayakers and paddleboarders (with kit for hire) as well as go-karting.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Westward Ho! 4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Saunton Sands 4.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Croyde Bay 5.5 mi Sea N/AGoodExcellentGood
Putsborough 5.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Woolacombe Village 7.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Rosemoor 8.9 mi

Castle Drogo 30 mi

National Trust

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum 9 mi

Heddon Valley 14 mi

Watersmeet 18.6 mi

Lundy 22.9 mi

Finch Foundry 25.7 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

ISLEY MARSH (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 05/04/1990) 0.2 mi

TAPELEY PARK 2.4 mi

Northam Burrows - Coast Path - Appledore - Diddywell - Northam Burrows 3.5 mi

SAUNTON COURT 3.9 mi

Saunton - Croyde - Putsborough - Fruit and Nut Trail 4.2 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 Devon?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Tarka Trail Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Tarka Trail Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Tarka Trail Camping? The traffic-free Tarka Trail is a top pick for walks and bike rides around here. The 30-mile section that runs adjacent to the site follows the route of an old railway, so … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Tarka Trail Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Tarka Trail Camping? From £30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.