Dare Valley Country Park

View prices & book 8.9 596 reviews
Beautiful
Beautiful
Rainbow days
The big lake at dare valley country park
View of the lake
On the site
Nice spacious site
One of the lakes in dare valley country park
The views from dare valley
1/397
Rainbow days
The big lake at dare valley country park
View of the lake

  • A scenic 500-acre site on an old colliery at the Brecon Beacons’ edge
  • A five-minute drive to Aberdare and 15 minutes to Penderyn Distillery
  • Playgrounds and cafeteria on site; walk to a family bike park
If you’re wanting a countryside Welsh holiday close to southern Wales’ mightiest mountain range, settle in for a few days or more at Dare Valley Country Park: this site in Mid Glamorgan sits on top of an old colliery a five-minute drive from the old mining town of Aberdare on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons. The whopping 500 acres of space at the park means wanders (among lush valley views) are par for the course, with trails leading off into the countryside straight from the site too. Within the country park, make your way to the Dare Valley Gravity Family Bike Park, which has uplift services. You might also be hard-pressed luring kids away from the two playgrounds (the biggest has a sandpit, slides and swings) or partners from a cafeteria that opens daily for freshly prepped breakfast, lunch and snacks... If they’re really not keen to come away from this scenic place, bribe them with the mountain biking trails at BikePark Wales, about 20 minutes away. For grownups, golf at a parkland course with manicured meadow lawns and mature oaks is less than a 10-minute drive from the site. And if you really need to bring out the big guns (for the big folk, that is)? There’s always the lure of a tour and tasting session at Penderyn Distillery Visitor Centre (within 15 minutes)… This whisky making centre’s in the southern part of the Brecon Beacons; travelling a touch further (half an hour in all from the site) leads right into the middle of the national park for ambles around green hills.

Site type

Travel trailer sites 16
RV sites 16
Open all year
Opens

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Reception is unmanned after 5 p.m.. Please inform the park while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time, so that the team can provide information about your unit/pitch.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesTravel trailer sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other pitch types

Reviews

8.9

Overall rating from 596 Pitchup.com customers

  • 62%
    10
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  • 24%
    8
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  • 8%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Hikers’ paradisePeaceful

90% would recommend this site to a friend

89% would stay here again

What customers say

A popular, well-kept campsite in a country park, praised for its peaceful setting & lovely views. Pitches are spacious & level. Facilities are excellent & clean, esp. disabled access. Cafe's popular, direct access to trails. Family-friendly with playground & bike park. Minor notes: bin collection issues & some cleaning needs.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 60
Arrival date (latest first)

New management expected.

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 No rating
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked The cafe had great service.
Toilets clean

Disliked At the time we visited, the site was in a transitional phase regarding management.
We could not access the site because we did not receive the access codes in time to gain entry. There were locks and codes to gates and shower block respectively si could not use these facilities.
We finally spent the night in the car park which was empty.
The ranger we spoke to was polite and apologetic. He explained the situation regarding staffing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The peaceful campsite seems a thousand miles away from a city centre…

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
Kimberly B.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked The peaceful campsite seems a thousand miles away from a city centre but your actually less than 5 minutes. There’s an amazing park close by that the kids thoroughly enjoyed. There’s toilet facilities were lovely and clean and modern.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wouldn’t bother again.

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 3
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 4
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 1
Lauren J.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked Beautiful views. Everything within walking distance.

Disliked Booked online, said to check in at 1pm. Got there for 1 to be told the reception desk is shut every day and only open between the hours of 3-4pm. Went back at 3pm after waiting around to be told the ranger still isn’t there. Didn’t get onto our pitch until 4pm. All of this with a non-verbal Autistic child.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff and great facilities

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Jamie M.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked Friendly staff, lovely location. Great park for the kids

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fabulous little site will definitely be visiting again

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked Fantastic little site very peaceful yet very family friendly
clean washroom facilities
Fabulous play areas
Lovely staff
Great walks

Disliked This is not a dislike but could do with a little shop selling essential items like bread and milk as it's quite a walk to local shop if you have no transport

Recommend to friends Visit again

A very nice stay .. lovely countryside location

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Caroline W.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Peaceful setting .. toilets and showers spotless.. level pitches .. great cafe on site ..

Disliked Showers could do with a stool or bench.. cos it all gets very wet ..
not the site’s fault but people do not put the security lock back on gate .. they just leave it open ..

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely peaceful site with clean facilities

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Lovely clean and tidy park, codes on the gate and toilet. Showers and toilets very clean and kept tidy plus nice hot shower cubicles. Nice and flat site with plenty of room between pitches.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good facilities very clean.

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
 No rating
Ann B.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Fantastic site, great walks town centre nearby, great value cafe and outstanding food, fog friendly also, highly recommended, definitely come back. Showers and toilets clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice clean site with good size pitches well laid out

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
lynn k.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked We stayed here twice while touring round Wales. Lovely clean site, kept well with good sized pitches. 2 very good disabled toilets with showers in. One with a good hoist for disabled people.

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

Für uns kein schöner Campingplatz. Zu dreckig und zu viele Hunde

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
 4
Value for money
 1
Accommodation
 1
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt and grass RV campsite

Liked Positiv fanden wir den Spielplatz außerhalb des Geländes der allerdings nichts mit dem Parkplatz zu tun hatte.

Disliked Wo fängt man da bloß an.
Stellplätze: hier sind mehr Hunde als Menschen. Leider achten einige Besitzer nicht auf ihre Vierbeiner und lassen sie überall ihr Geschäft verrichten. Lassen es zu allem Übel auch noch liegen.
Gemeinschaftshaus: Waschbecken im Außenbereich waren sehr dreckig - wahrscheinlich durch Witterung und Co.
Im Innenbereich sind die Fußböden dreckig. Die Türen von Duschen und Toiletten Knarren so arg, man könnte meinen Sie fallen gleich ab.
Leider war zu unserem Aufenthalt in der Frauendusche die Abflüsse verstopft. Alle Frauen sind dennoch Duschen gegangen - heißes Wetter kann ich verstehen - allerdings stand dann am Morgen das Wasser bis zu den Waschbecken.
Wir hatten im Voraus für 2 Nächte angefragt, jedoch nach der Ersten abgebrochen und weiter gefahren, da dies für uns bisher der schlechteste Campingplatz war.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

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

Amenities on park

Baby-changing facilities 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 Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Hikers’ paradise Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Level campground, no steep slopes Site close to accessible bathrooms

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Dare Valley Country Park

Aberdare

Glamorgan

Wales

CF44 7RG

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.71267°N
3.46943°W

Route directions

If you are using a satnav, please use the postcode CF44 7PS.

Nearest transport

Coach
1.9 km Bus Station
7.2 km Bus Station
16.9 km Lidl
Rail
1.8 km Aberdare Rail Station
4 km Cwmbach Rail Station
5.9 km Fernhill Rail Station
Ferry
32.3 km Cardiff Castle Waterbus Stop
33.1 km Taffs Mead Waterbus Stop
33.5 km Swansea Queens Dock Ferry Terminal
Airport
36.1 km Cardiff International Airport
43.2 km Swansea Airport

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

Head about half an hour west of the site into the Brecon Beacons and get to the national park’s waterfall country, home to falls with nicely tongue-tripping names like Sgwd Gwladys (30 minutes’ drive) and Sgwd Yr Eira (35 minutes). The former’s just the place for wild swimming in a deep plunge pool surrounded by woodland... Drier times are to be had at stately piles about 35 minutes south of the park, including Caerphilly Castle with its massive moat and towers or smaller Castell Coch reconstructed in a fairytale style in the Victorian era by well-known architect William Burgess. Cardiff (40 minutes away) also has its own castle with renovations by Burgess – head to this swish city for cool concerts and sports events at the Principality Stadium or just check out the boutiques in the Victorian shopping arcades. For another architecturally intriguing manor home from a different era, the Tudor-style Tredegar House is 45 minutes away from the park.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Aberafan 27.4 km Estuary N/AGoodGoodGood
Trecco Bay Porthcawl 30.1 km Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Sandy Bay Porthcawl 30.3 km Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Rest Bay Porthcawl 30.5 km Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southerndown 31.1 km Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Penderyn Distillery Visitor Centre 6.8 km

Brecon Mountain Railway 11.9 km

National Showcaves of Wales 19.6 km

Aberdulais Falls 21.6 km

Caerphilly Castle 22.8 km

National Trust

Aberdulais Falls 21.7 km

Aberdeunant 41 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Treherbert to Aberdare 6.4 km

Pontneddfechan - Hepste Waterfalls - Pontneddfechan 9.1 km

Pontneddfechan - Scwd Einion Gam Waterfall 9.9 km

Porth-yr-ogof, Nedd and Mellte Waterfalls 11.4 km

Waterfall Circuit 11.4 km

Local events

  • Green Man Festival (Thursday, August 14, 2025 – Thursday, August 14, 2025)

    Crickhowell, Wales 26.5 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 Glamorgan?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Dare Valley Country Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Dare Valley Country Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Dare Valley Country Park? Head about half an hour west of the site into the Brecon Beacons and get to the national park’s waterfall country, home to falls with nicely tongue-tripping names like Sgwd Gwladys (30 … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Dare Valley Country Park?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  6:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  6:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Dare Valley Country Park? From $51.72 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.