Wild camping on Dartmoor: the camping map and firing ranges

On Dartmoor you can walk onto open moorland with a tent and camp for the night without asking the landowner first. That right was tested all the way to the UK Supreme Court, which ruled in May 2025 that the public's right to open-air recreation on the Dartmoor commons includes camping. It comes with conditions: you must camp in the areas shown on the National Park's camping map, follow the backpack camping code, and plan around the military firing ranges that cover part of the northern moor.

What the court decided#

The case was brought by landowners at Stall Moor who argued that section 10(1) of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, which gives the public a right of access to the commons for open-air recreation, did not include a right to pitch a tent. The High Court agreed with them in 2023; the Court of Appeal disagreed; and on 21 May 2025 the Supreme Court dismissed their appeal, confirming that the Act does allow camping on the commons (UK Supreme Court). The ruling covers the commons, not the whole national park, which is why the camping map matters.

What counts as backpack camping#

The National Park Authority is clear about what it means (camping guidance):

• You carry everything you need in a backpack as part of a walking expedition.
• You stay one or two nights at most.
• You use a small, lightweight tent, pitched out of sight of roads and buildings.
• Your group has no more than six people.
• No open fires or barbecues. Take all litter home.
• Bury poo and toilet paper under at least 15 cm of turf, so bring a trowel, and do not pollute streams.
• Avoid disturbing wildlife, particularly during lambing and the bird breeding season from 1 March to 31 July, and keep away from rare bird nesting sites.

If you need a bin, a toilet or more kit than you can carry, the Authority's advice is simple: use a campsite. Family tents, large groups, campervans and motorhomes all belong on designated sites.

Use the camping map#

The interactive camping map shows where you can, and are encouraged to, backpack camp without the landowner's prior approval. You must check it before planning a trip, and the Authority asks you to clear your browser cache (Ctrl and F5) so you see the latest version. Camping is permitted on some commons, not across the whole park.

Plan the walk and the pitch separately. A footpath crossing an excluded area does not make that area a place to sleep. Leave time at the end of the day to find dry, sheltered ground inside the permitted area, and move on if you would be close to other campers, livestock or nesting birds.

The military ranges#

The Ministry of Defence uses around 11,000 hectares of the national park's 94,400 hectares for training, across three ranges: Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy (MOD access guidance). Part of the camping map lies inside them. The public can use these moorland areas except when they are used for live firing (camping map).

On the ground, range boundaries are marked by red and white posts. When firing is taking place, red flags fly by day and red lamps show at night, and you must not cross the boundary. Do not touch any military debris; note its location and report it (Dartmoor firing times). Range danger areas are not shown as public access land on Ordnance Survey maps, so mark the boundaries on your own map.

Two MOD publications let you plan:

• Guaranteed public access days are published for the whole year. For example, in October 2026 Okehampton and Merrivale are guaranteed open on 10 to 12, 17 to 19 and 24 to 26 October, while Willsworthy has fewer days, including 17 to 18 and 24 to 25 October (2026 access days).
• The firing programme gives the actual firing times about six weeks ahead. The version updated on 7 October 2026 covers 5 October to 15 November (firing times).

The Dartmoor training area can also be phoned free on 0800 458 4868 (MOD access guidance).

Planning a two-day trip#

For a Saturday-to-Sunday camp on the northern moor:

1. Mark every range your outward route, your pitch and your return route cross.
2. Check the guaranteed access days when you choose the weekend, then confirm with the firing programme for both days.
3. If Sunday's return crosses a range that is firing, redraw the whole route. A legal pitch is no use if the way out is closed.
4. Keep a fallback pitch outside the ranges, or switch to a campsite and a day walk.
5. Look for the flags or lamps on the day, whatever the programme said.

Vehicles stay off the moor#

Overnight sleeping in vehicles at the roadside or in car parks is not allowed under the National Park's byelaws, and the camping map explicitly excludes campervans and motorhomes (camping guidance). Use a site that takes motorhomes, and plan your route with the Authority's coach and motorhome map rather than satnav, since some moorland roads are unsuitable for large vehicles. Pages were checked on 8 October 2026.