Waterfoot Carpark Campsite

View prices & book 8.9 60 reviews
Pitches near the lake
Pitches near the lake
Pitches
Grass pitches by the lake
Grassy pitches
Grass pitches
The field
Grass pitches by the lake
Grass pitches with lake views
1/66
Pitches
Grass pitches by the lake
Grassy pitches

  • Small campsite with direct access to the Ullswater Way walking path
  • A 10-minute walk from Pooley Bridge, past the Ullswater Steamer Pier
  • Just 500 metres from the lake; short walk from bars, cafés and shops
How’s this for the first morning of your Lake District trip? Rolling out of the tent to lake views, before strolling 10 minutes into the village for coffee and breakfast and then backtracking five minutes to take up a spot on a historic Ullswater steamer. Such routines are commonplace at Waterfoot Carpark Campsite… This small, simple campsite is in a field around 500 metres from the shore of Ullswater, with views over the lake, so there’s always something to satisfy the eyes. As for satisfying the stomach, it’s just outside of Pooley Bridge, meaning that restaurants, bars, cafés and shops are only 10 minutes’ walk away too. The Ullswater Steamer Pier is just five minutes’ walk away from the pitches, so you’re in pole position for getting to other spots around the lake without so much as touching your car’s steering wheel. If you have Cumbria hikes high on your priority list, you’re also in for a treat. The site has direct access to the 20-mile Ullswater Way, a round trip around the lake. From Pooley Bridge, you can also follow the Lowther Castle Loop and Dalemain Loop.

Site type

Tent sites 50
Open now
Opens July 11
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Minimum spacing of 2 metres between pitches.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No gas barbecues allowed.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jul 11 to

Reviews

8.9

Overall rating from 60 Pitchup.com customers

  • 65%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 6%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 3%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 5
Lake and/or mountainSpectacular scenery

90% would recommend this site to a friend

90% would stay here again

What customers say

Great Ullswater spot! Pleasant walk to Pooley Bridge's shops/pubs. Hosts are friendly, facilities are basic (portaloos, water). Field's sloped, no showers. Mostly peaceful, but some noise reported.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 6
Arrival date (latest first)

Good wev.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Good wev.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The location was perfect, accessible water sources, campsite owner was very kind…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Alfie E.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked The location was perfect, accessible water sources, campsite owner was very kind and good toilet facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

We loved absolutely everything about the place. Great views. Camping site lovely…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked We loved absolutely everything about the place. Great views. Camping site lovely and clean. Highly recommend this place.

Recommend to friends Visit again

100 percent would stay here again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Tom S.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Perfect view of the lake and nice and peacfull

Disliked Nothing it was perfect

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: lovely to know you found it so good

Exactly as described… just a field with an amazing view, portaloos and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Izaak H.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Exactly as described… just a field with an amazing view, portaloos and a water tap.

Everything you need for a great camping experience

Owners popped round each morning to check on everyone which was really nice of them, Great hosts and lovely to talk to.

Toilets were always kept clean and bins were never over flowing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely be back!

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked The location was perfect! Only a 5-10 minute walk from Pooley Bridge which has shops, pubs and cafes etc. The site is close to lots of lovely hiking routes as well and a short drive to the Aira Force waterfall.
The owner was lovely and very responsive. I was alone on the first night but I noticed he came to check the site a couple of times which made me feel safe (this was my first time solo camping!)
The site is very basic but was perfect for what I needed. The portaloos were clean and there were large bins on site as well.

Disliked Can’t really say it was a dislike, because I knew before booking, but if I’d have stayed longer I’d have liked a proper shower. There are no public showers around the area.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great for couples

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Brooklyn H.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked How close it was to the lake, friendly host, nice chilled campsite with clean toilets, respectable campers

Disliked /

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location beautiful and lovely place…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Great location beautiful and lovely place

Recommend to friends Visit again

Closeness to the lake was amazing.…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Richard O.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Closeness to the lake was amazing.

Disliked Perfect for what it is. They could probably get some showers if I had to say anything to improve but we knew they didn't have them upon booking

Recommend to friends Visit again

Although a few negatives, This campsite did allow last minute booking

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 5
Marcus H.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Very close proximity to lake - Great for paddle boarding and kayaking ,
Also good for access to Helvelyn.

Disliked Strange set up (not obvious check in area)
No Showers
Music played late into the night (2am)

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: sorry that you found check in strange but we are a pop up campsite
and when booking it says there are porta loos but no showers

Features

No dogs allowed

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Horseback riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Waterfoot Carpark Campsite

Pooley Bridge

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0LL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.61132°N
2.83113°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.4 km Rail Station
20.1 km Bus Station
21.2 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
7.3 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
14.2 km Langwathby Rail Station
17.5 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
0.3 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
4.9 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10.5 km Glenridding Ullswater 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

Get your hiking boots at the ready, as there are plenty of walks to get stuck into from your pitch. The Ullswater steamers can drop you off in Glenridding (otherwise 15 minutes’ drive) for a quick loop up Lanty’s Tarn, which has views of Helvellyn, England’s third-highest mountain. You could also get off the boat in Howtown (15 minutes), where there's a walk to Hallin Fell overlooking Ullswater. If you’d rather tackle Helvellyn (20 minutes), it's not far away either. Aira Force Waterfall (10 minutes) is another splendid place for a good stroll – this waterfall with a 65-foot drop was a favourite spot for William Wordsworth. If you fancy breaking up all that walking with a cycle, you can hire bikes at Lowther Castle & Gardens (20 minutes). The estate trails make for an easy ride, and if you’re visiting with kids, there’s also a handy adventure playground. Stop by in Penrith (20 minutes) if you have time too. It has a 14th-century castle and a museum, and it's close to a lovely walk up Beacon Hill.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 42.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 2.5 km

The Rheged Centre 5.1 km

Ullswater Steamers 10.5 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 17.3 km

Rydal Mount and Gardens 20.7 km

National Trust

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 15.5 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.9 km

Townend 23 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 25.3 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 28.4 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Pooley Bridge and Heughscar Hill 0.7 km

Pooley Bridge - Loadpot Hill - Howtown - Pooley Bridge 0.7 km

DALEMAIN 2.8 km

Howtown - Patterdale - Glenridding 4.9 km

Howtown - Hallin Fell - Sandwick via Steamer 4.9 km

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, July 31, 2025 – Thursday, July 31, 2025)

    Penrith, England 7.5 km

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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Waterfoot Carpark Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Waterfoot Carpark Campsite dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Waterfoot Carpark Campsite? Get your hiking boots at the ready, as there are plenty of walks to get stuck into from your pitch. The Ullswater steamers can drop you off in Glenridding (otherwise 15 minutes’ … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Waterfoot Carpark Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  10:30 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Waterfoot Carpark Campsite? From $46.01 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.