Why visit Kielder?
Remote respites
Planning a Kielder camping trip? You’ll have a holiday in one of England’s most isolated villages to look forward to. Brushing up against the border with Scotland in Northumberland National Park, this scenic spot contains the country’s largest forest and northern Europe’s biggest man-made reservoir. Head here for a serene and secluded stint in the fresh air (plus watersports, woodland walks and cycle rides…).
Kielder Water and Forest
While you can’t swim in Kielder Water, you can paddleboard, canoe or kayak. And you’ll have plenty of space to do so – the reservoir’s made up of 200 billion litres and is deeper than the height of Gateshead’s Millennium Bridge. Take on the eight to 10-hour walk around the 27-mile-long lakeside trail during your Kielder Forest camping trip or simply stroll through the surrounding forest, with its 150 million trees, while keeping an eye out for pipistrelle bats and roe deer.
Dark-sky camping
Telescope at the ready? A lack of light pollution means the stars tend to shimmer brightly over our Kielder campsites. Set in the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, a 580-square-mile space that’s the largest of its kind in Europe, it’s a stellar spot for camping with views of the Milky Way. Book a visit to the world-class Kielder Observatory if you don’t have a telescope in tow (and check out our beginners' guide to dark-sky camping before you go).
The best things to do in Kielder
From relaxed activities to adrenaline-boosting pursuits, here are the top activities to take on during your Kielder Water camping trip
* Hire an e-bike and whizz around the reservoir’s shoreline
* Learn about the lifecycle of everyone’s favourite fish at the Kielder Salmon Centre
* Admire leafy greenery from the comfort of a car on the UK’s longest forest road
* Book a sailing or waterskiing lesson at Calvert Kielder (then brave the climbing walls and zipwire)
* Whizz down Deadwater Fell, England’s highest mountain-bike trail at 1,900 feet
Delve deeper into Kielder
Kielder Castle
The Duke of Northumberland’s old hunting lodge, Kielder Castle, is open to the public for bike rides. It has a cycle hire and repair shop too, making it a prime place for kicking off pedal-based days out around the lake-skimming path. This is also where you’ll find the Minotaur Maze, a labyrinth leading to a tiny sparkling space made from recycled glass, as well as the red squirrel room for sighting these scurrying woodland critters.
Brilliant birdwatching
Witness owls and vultures, along with fallow deer and wallabies, up close at Kielder Water Birds of Prey Centre. You can also feed the great white pelicans, stare at falcons during flying demos and pet farmyard animals. Rather see animals in their natural habitat? Head to the osprey nest at Kielder Water and attempt to get a glimpse of these rare birds.
Dry-land adventuring
Crack on towards Kielder Waterside for a range of out-of-the-ordinary activities, from tomahawk throwing and sea scootering to body zorbing and bouncing on the big inflatable pillow. Calmer things to do in Kielder include tipi crafts, pond dipping and wildlife tracking, or you can time your Kielder camping trips just right to enter the marathon in October and the night run in March.
Here’s how
Looking for the ideal Kielder campsite? It’s on this page somewhere… We’ve got everything from family-friendly parks with play areas to adult-focused options including bars or clubhouses. Kielder Forest camping sites are particularly popular with outdoorsy types who like to settle in among the trees, while people who prefer tons of space can seek spots with lots of land to fit their awnings.
Touring Northumberland National Park in a rolling home? Opt for Kielder caravan and motorhome sites. You could also cosy up in our log cabins or pods on a glamping trip.
And if none of those options seem suitable, search through these filters instead:
* Kielder water camping with fully serviced pitches
* Dog-friendly camping at Kielder
* Camping in Kielder with fires allowed
* Electric pitches at Kielder campsites
Other superb spots for stays within Northumberland national park include Hexham – for access to Hadrian’s Wall – and Otterburn, the site of the famed battle. You could also head to the coast around Alnwick, home to the castle that stood in as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.
Read our camping guide to get up to date on all the best ways to pitch up, whether you’re interested in toting your tent on the Camino de Santiago trail or want to discover the starriest skies in the UK and Ireland.
