The New Forest National Park is one of the most tightly regulated areas in the UK for campervan parking. The combination of free-roaming ponies, narrow roads, and high visitor numbers has led to some of the strictest overnight parking restrictions outside of London.
This guide covers the current rules in 2026, where you can legally park overnight, and how to avoid the £100 fines.
The Verdict
The New Forest is a beautiful place to van life but it's not for wild campers. The restrictions are strict and enforced. If you want freedom to park anywhere, go to Scotland, Dartmoor, or Exmoor. If you want a comfortable stay with facilities and forest walks, the New Forest car parks and campsites are excellent.
The sweet spot: April-May or September-October, book a pitch at Roundhill or Denny Wood, and spend your days walking, cycling, and pub-lunching. The ponies will be your alarm clock.
The Rules
The New Forest byelaws were updated in 2024 with stronger enforcement. The key rules for campervans:
No overnight parking anywhere in the New Forest (9pm-7am) unless in a designated car park or campsite. The byelaw covers all verges, laybys, commons, and forest tracks. It's not a suggestion — it's a criminal offence with a £100 fixed penalty notice.
No camping outside campsites. Tents, awnings, chairs, tables — anything that turns your van into a campsite — is banned everywhere in the National Park. The ponies and cattle have right of way and your camping gear is not exempt.
No fires or BBQs. The forest is a protected habitat. Fire risk is high from April to October. Even a small disposable BBQ on a picnic bench will get you a fine.
No leaving food unattended. The New Forest ponies are not shy. They will open your awning, unzip your tent, and eat your food. If a pony gets sick because of something you left out, you can be prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act.
Where You CAN Park Overnight
The designated car parks in the New Forest are the only legal places to park overnight. They are managed by the Forestry Commission and the National Park Authority.
Car Parks That Allow Overnight Parking
| Car Park | Fee | Toilets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater | £5 (pay by phone) | Yes (flush, open 24h) | Best option, large, on B3055 |
| Holmsley | £5 (pay by phone) | Yes (basic, open 24h) | Near Burley, quieter |
| Bolderwood | £4 (coin) | Yes (open 24h) | Deer sanctuary nearby, popular |
| Wilverley | £4 (pay by phone) | Yes (open 24h) | Good for walks on Wilverley Plain |
| Whitefield Moor | £5 (pay by phone) | Yes (portaloo) | Near Brockenhurst |
| Aldridge Hill | £4 (coin) | No | Close to Lymington |
Important: These are pay-on-entry car parks. You need to pay before 9pm (the apps/phones/machines are checked in the morning). Payment is by phone (RingGo or PayByPhone), coin, or the Forestry England app.
Campsites
| Site | Price | Facilities | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roundhill | £22-30 | Showers, electric, shop | Central location, family-friendly |
| Denny Wood | £18-25 | Showers, electric | Quiet, mature woodland |
| Setthorns | £16-22 | Showers (basic) | Near the coast, wildlife |
| Longbeech | £18-25 | Showers, electric | Good for walking |
| Ashurst | £20-28 | Showers, electric, shop | Near M27, easy access |
All campsites need booking in summer (July-August). Walk-ups are rarely available. In winter (Nov-Feb), only Roundhill and Ashurst are open.
Where You CANNOT Park
The following areas are explicitly banned for overnight parking, with signs and regular enforcement:
- Lyndhurst — the village car parks and all forest verges within 1 mile of the village
- Brockenhurst — same, strict enforcement by the Commoners' Defence Association
- Beaulieu — the village car parks, the road to Buckler's Hard, and the Hatchet Pond area
- The A31 corridor — the dual carriageway verges are privately owned and patrolled
- All forest tracks — the orange gravel tracks that go into the forest. These are access roads for forestry vehicles and the ponies. Parking on them blocks both.
- All cattle grids — don't park within 15 metres of a cattle grid (restriction is for safety, but it's enforced)
The Pony Problem
The New Forest has 5,000+ free-roaming ponies, cows, donkeys, and pigs. They respect no rules and care nothing for your van.
- Don't feed them. Feeding a New Forest pony is illegal (fine up to £200). It also makes them aggressive. A pony that's been fed from a car will approach every car in that car park looking for food.
- Don't leave food outside. A cool box left under your awning will be discovered and investigated. The ponies have been known to pull open awnings and unzip tents.
- The ponies scratch themselves on vans. Expect paw-print scratches on your paintwork near the forest. A soft cloth and polish fixes most of it, but it's not worth getting upset about — it's a protected national park, the ponies were here first.
- Salt lick blocks. In summer, the verderers put out salt lick blocks on posts. Don't park near them unless you want your van to be licked clean by a 500kg pony.
Best Spots for Van Life Activities
Walking
- Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary (free, 10am-4pm) — walk through the deer enclosure, feed the fallow deer
- Knightwood Oak Trail (free, always open) — walk to the oldest oak tree in the forest (300+ years)
- Fritham Plain (free car park, 24h) — the best sunset spot in the New Forest
Swimming
- Lymington Sea Water Baths (£6, seasonal) — outdoor pool with sea views
- Milford-on-Sea beach (free, 24h) — 10 minutes from the New Forest, good for a wild swim
- Hurst Castle (ferry £4) — shingle spit with castle, views of the Isle of Wight
Eating
- The Red Shoot Inn (Linwood) — pub with good food, campervan parking (ask first)
- The Royal Oak (Fritham) — classic New Forest pub
- The Pig (Brockenhurst) — expensive but excellent, book ahead
When to Go
| Season | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Apr-May) | Bluebells, foals, quieter | Cold nights, some facilities still closed |
| Summer (Jun-Aug) | Best weather, all facilities open | Busiest, midges, ponies are everywhere |
| Autumn (Sep-Oct) | Stag rut, golden light, fewer people | Colder nights, shorter days |
| Winter (Nov-Feb) | Empty forest, cheap campsites | Most attractions closed, very quiet |
