Introduction
For years, England's forests have been a frustration for van lifers: beautiful, remote, and almost entirely off-limits overnight. While Scotland has its year-round Stay the Night scheme and the rest of Europe enjoys aires and forest stopovers, English van lifers were left with campsites or the road.
That changes in summer 2026. Forestry England has launched its Forest Campervan Road Trip — a trial that opens seven forest car parks for overnight campervan stays from 16 July to 14 September 2026. It's the first meaningful step towards overnight forest stopovers in England, and if it succeeds it could become permanent.
This guide covers every site, the prices, the booking system, the rules, and how to plan a forest-to-forest road trip while the trial lasts.
The Trial at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 July – 14 September 2026 |
| Sites | 7 forest car parks across England |
| Price | £16/night (£14 for Forestry England members) |
| Kielder Castle | £15/night, no pre-booking required |
| Stay limit | Maximum 48 hours (2 nights) |
| Booking | Essential at all sites except Kielder Castle; opened 21 May 2026 |
| Vehicles | Self-contained campervans and small motorhomes only |
| Not permitted | Tents and caravans |
The trial is deliberately limited — this is a test to see whether responsible overnight parking in England's forests can work without damaging the environment or annoying local communities. Land managers across the country will be watching the results closely, because a successful trial is the clearest possible signal that more English stopovers are coming.
The Seven Forest Car Parks
The seven sites span England from Kent to Cornwall to Northumberland, forming a natural road-trip route:
- Bedgebury National Pinetum, Kent — a world-class collection of trees and forest trails in the South East, close to London
- Jeskyns Community Woodland, Kent — a community woodland near Gravesend with meadows, ponds and walks
- High Lodge, Thetford Forest, Suffolk — the heart of the largest lowland forest in England, with miles of cycling trails and a visitor centre
- Wendover Woods, Buckinghamshire — one of the most popular family forests in the South, with a treetop walk and cafe
- Cardinham Woods, Cornwall — a beautiful valley forest near Bodmin with river trails and a popular cafe (note: smaller vehicle size limit here)
- Gisburn Forest, Lancashire — the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, with mountain biking trails and rolling views
- Kielder Castle, Northumberland — the remote northern outpost next to Kielder Water, England's largest forest
Most sites have a nearby visitor centre with toilets and a cafe. Kielder is the standout for anyone who loves darkness — the area is an International Dark Sky Park, and a 48-hour stay there is a rare chance to sleep under one of England's best night skies.
Prices and Booking
The Cost
- £16 per night at most sites
- £14 per night for Forestry England members (overnight stays are not included in the free-parking membership benefit, but members do get the discount)
- £15 per night at Kielder Castle, for both members and non-members
Booking
Pre-booking is essential at every site except Kielder Castle, and bookings opened on 21 May 2026. Spaces are limited and summer weekends will fill fast, so this is a plan-in-advance trip — not a turn-up-and-see experience.
Kielder Castle is the exception: it's first come, first served, with no pre-booking required.
The Rules: What You Can and Can't Do
The trial is designed for responsible, self-contained visitors. The full conditions:
Vehicle Requirements
- Fully self-contained campervans and small motorhomes only
- Size limits: vehicles up to 7.5 metres and 5 tonnes are allowed at most sites
- Cardinham Woods has a stricter limit: vehicles up to 6.5 metres and 3.5 tonnes
- Tents and caravans are not permitted
- No external equipment — no awnings, BBQs, camping furniture or kit set up outside the vehicle
Behaviour Rules
- Maximum stay of 48 hours at any one car park
- Arrival from 12 noon, departure by 11:30 am
- Quiet hours from 10 pm to 7 am — no generators, stoves or fires
- No fires, stoves or generators at any time (the Forest Code applies)
- No waste disposal on site — you must remove all your waste and grey water
- Toilets are provided at each location, but there are no chemical waste disposal points
The Leave No Trace Ethic
Forestry England's Forest Code is simple: leave the forest as you found it. This trial's future depends on every visitor leaving each car park spotless. Take everything out, respect the quiet hours, and don't create fire risk in some of the driest landscapes in the country.
How to Plan the Trip
The Forest-to-Forest Route
The trial's framing as a "road trip" is deliberate — the seven sites can be chained into a proper forest tour. A sensible loop:
- Start in the South East (Bedgebury → Jeskyns)
- Head to the Midlands (Wendover Woods)
- North to Thetford Forest
- Up to Gisburn Forest on the edge of the Dales
- Finish in Northumberland at Kielder for the dark skies
Or go south-west instead: Wendover → Cardinham in Cornwall for a long western leg.
Mixing It With Campsites
The trial sites are basic — no hook-ups, no showers, no waste disposal. For a longer tour, alternate forest stopovers with Forestry England's 14 conventional forest campsites, which offer showers, electric hook-ups and waste facilities. That combination gives you the wild forest nights without sacrificing the comfort of a proper campsite every few days.
When to Go
The trial runs through the school summer holidays, so early July and early September are the quietest windows. Weekdays and the final two weeks of the trial are your best bet for a peaceful stay. Book weekends at Bedgebury, Wendover Woods and Thetford Forest as early as you can.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
The Forest Campervan Road Trip is the first time Forestry England has opened its land to widespread overnight campervan stays. It follows the pattern that made Scotland's Stay the Night scheme so popular — and it signals a genuine shift in attitude from land managers who have historically been hostile to overnight parking.
If the trial works, the arguments for expanding it are powerful: responsible overnight stops support local tourism, give van lifers a legal place to sleep, and take pressure off residential streets and beaches. If it's abused — fires, litter, noise, vehicles parked outside the designated areas — it will be quietly shelved and the opportunity will be lost for years.
The message for every van lifer is simple: this summer, behave impeccably at every forest stopover. The future of English forest camping is riding on it.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Forest Campervan Road Trip is the most encouraging development in English van life in years. For the first time, ordinary van lifers can legally sleep in England's forests, with booking, rules and a route designed around it.
It's limited, it's seasonal and it's a trial — but it's a door opening. Book your sites, follow the rules, and leave nothing behind. If this summer goes well, forest stopovers could become a permanent part of the English van life landscape.
