Forestry England Permits and Overnight Parking for Van Life

Forestry England manages more than 1,500 forests and woods across England — the largest landowner in the country. For decades, van lifers have loved these forests during the day and been shown the door at night. Overnight stays were effectively restricted to a small number of campsites, and every other forest car park closed at dusk.

In 2026 that's changing. Forestry England has launched its first major overnight campervan scheme — the Forest Campervan Road Trip — and signalled a genuine willingness to open more forest land to responsible overnight stays. This guide covers the current position: the new 2026 trial, the established campsite network, where you can day-park, and what the future of forest overnighting looks like in England.

The Big News: The Forest Campervan Road Trip 2026

The headline change is Forestry England's Forest Campervan Road Trip, a 60-day trial running from 16 July to 14 September 2026 that opens seven forest car parks for overnight campervan stays.

The essentials:

• Seven sites across England: Bedgebury National Pinetum (Kent), Jeskyns Community Woodland (Kent), High Lodge at Thetford Forest (Suffolk), Wendover Woods (Buckinghamshire), Cardinham Woods (Cornwall), Gisburn Forest (Lancashire) and Kielder Castle (Northumberland)
• £16 per night (£14 for Forestry England members; £15 at Kielder Castle)
• Pre-booking required at every site except Kielder Castle
• Maximum stay of 48 hours at each site
• Self-contained campervans and small motorhomes only — no tents, no caravans, no external awnings or BBQs
• Size limits apply — up to 7.5 metres and 5 tonnes at most sites, 6.5 metres and 3.5 tonnes at Cardinham Woods

This is the first time Forestry England has opened its car parks to widespread overnight campervan stays, and it's explicitly framed as a test. If it succeeds, more forests will follow. Our dedicated guide covers every site, the booking details and the full rules.

The Established Network: Forestry England Campsites

If you want a forest overnight with facilities, Forestry England also operates a network of 14 forest campsites across England. These are proper campsites with pitches, facilities and in many cases electric hook-ups — a step up from the basic trial car parks.

The campsite network includes well-known sites at Dalby Forest, Grizedale Forest, Kielder Water, Thetford Forest and Sherwood Pines, with prices typically in the £15–£30 per night range. They're the right choice when you need showers, waste disposal or a guaranteed pitch for a longer stay, and they can be combined with the trial stopovers for a mixed forest tour.

Day Parking: The Everyday Rule

For day visits, parking at Forestry England car parks is straightforward: most car parks charge a day fee (typically £3–£8, free for members), and vehicles can be parked during open hours. If you're not staying overnight, these are some of the best day-parking options in the country for walkers, cyclists and remote workers — quiet, green and usually well-maintained.

The Rules That Apply Everywhere

Whether you're using a trial stopover, a campsite or a day-parking car park, the Forestry England rules are consistent:

• No camping outside designated areas — overnight stays are only permitted in the trial car parks and campsites, never in ordinary day car parks
• Leave no trace — take all waste with you; the forest floor is not a bin
• No fires, no BBQs, no generators — fire risk in England's forests is taken extremely seriously, especially in summer
• No external equipment — awnings, furniture and BBQ setups turn a parking spot into a campsite and are not allowed in the car parks
• Respect quiet hours — keep noise down overnight (typically 10 pm–7 am)

Final Thoughts

Forestry England has gone from closing its gates at dusk to actively marketing overnight forest stays — a genuine shift in a decade. The Forest Campervan Road Trip is limited and seasonal, but it's the beginning of something. England's forests are some of the most beautiful overnight settings in the country, and for the first time they're being opened to van lifers who behave.

Use the trial, respect the rules, and prove that responsible forest overnighting works. The more the summer succeeds, the more forests open.

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