Waterfoot Carpark Campsite

View prices & book 8.8 50 reviews
Pitches near the lake
Pitches near the lake
Pitches
Grass pitches by the lake
Grassy pitches
Grass pitches
The field
Grass pitches by the lake
Grass pitches with lake views
1/57
Pitches
Grass pitches by the lake
Grassy pitches

  • Small campsite with direct access to the Ullswater Way walking path
  • A 10-minute walk from Pooley Bridge, past the Ullswater Steamer Pier
  • Just 500 metres from the lake; short walk from bars, cafés and shops
How’s this for the first morning of your Lake District trip? Rolling out of the tent to lake views, before strolling 10 minutes into the village for coffee and breakfast and then backtracking five minutes to take up a spot on a historic Ullswater steamer. Such routines are commonplace at Waterfoot Carpark Campsite… This small, simple campsite is in a field around 500 metres from the shore of Ullswater, with views over the lake, so there’s always something to satisfy the eyes. As for satisfying the stomach, it’s just outside of Pooley Bridge, meaning that restaurants, bars, cafés and shops are only 10 minutes’ walk away too. The Ullswater Steamer Pier is just five minutes’ walk away from the pitches, so you’re in pole position for getting to other spots around the lake without so much as touching your car’s steering wheel. If you have Cumbria hikes high on your priority list, you’re also in for a treat. The site has direct access to the 20-mile Ullswater Way, a round trip around the lake. From Pooley Bridge, you can also follow the Lowther Castle Loop and Dalemain Loop.

Site type

Tent sites 50
Opens July 11
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Minimum spacing of 2 metres between pitches.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No gas barbecues allowed.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jul 11 to

Reviews

8.8

Overall rating based on 50 reviews View breakdown

Spectacular scenery

Voted 74% of visitors View breakdown

90%

would recommend this site to a friend

90%

would stay here again

  • 66%
    10
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    8
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    7
  • 8%
    6
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    5
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Exactly as described, easy to find. Staff were very helpful when we…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 4
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 6
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Exactly as described, easy to find. Staff were very helpful when we forgot to bring cash to pay, and even gave us advice for things to do

Disliked: Toilets were mostly out of paper and hand sanitizer

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: sorry to hear toilets were out of paper do try to keep them
supplied with paper and sanitizer

we will definitely come back there. very nice owners. clean toilets, there…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: we will definitely come back there. very nice owners. clean toilets, there was paper. good location, beautiful views. good to recommend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful site and friendly staff.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Beautiful location which overlooks the Ullswater lake. The site is just a stones throw from it and you can walk to it within 5 minutes.The site staff were very friendly and helpful when ever we spoke to them. We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good place , diamond find .

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Patrick H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Great views , and great spot next to the lake , nice and clean on the field , and helpfully staff . 10 min walk to a village with shops and bars , has nice cafe for breakfast . All good . Just no showers , but still good for a night plus a hotel 10mins away you can hire paddle boards with a shower to use after , so can use that for a shower. Great walks close by , with waterfalls 10 min drive away .

Disliked: No showers .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very close to poorly bridge, nice walk through the woods to get…

Overall 6/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 6
Child friendliness 4
Cleanliness 4
Wifi 6
Deborah M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Very close to poorly bridge, nice walk through the woods to get there. The owner is friendly and helpful.

Disliked: It is basic, but the people who run the site state that very clearly so, if you enjoy luxury, it’s not for you.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect for a short stay great views and laid back camping

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 6
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: The views of the site
Easy access to the lake
Spacious site
Clean site

Disliked: Hilly so was hard to find an area flat enough to set up
Road next to the site was quite busy even late into the evening with some noise
No showers or facilities except toilets

Recommend to friends Visit again

We liked the views, the space between pitches and the closeness to…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: We liked the views, the space between pitches and the closeness to Pooley Bridge - just a 5 minute walk to the town centre and pubs.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely stay, thanks!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Tom R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Scenery, location, access to water and area.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We absolutely love camping here we have been going for a few…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Natasha R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: We absolutely love camping here we have been going for a few months it’s in the perfect location gorgeous views and right across the road from the lake very friendly and helpful owners very clean site with bins all round got water tap and 6 toilets Which are clean often and re-stocked with soap and toilet roll would 100% recommend Waterfoot car park/campsite

Recommend to friends Visit again

great location and views, and not too crowded!…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: great location and views, and not too crowded!

Disliked: nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Horseback riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Waterfoot Carpark Campsite

Pooley Bridge

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0LL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.61132°N
-2.83113°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.4 km Rail Station
20.1 km Bus Station
21.2 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
7.3 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
14.2 km Langwathby Rail Station
17.5 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
0.3 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
4.9 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10.5 km Glenridding Ullswater Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Get your hiking boots at the ready, as there are plenty of walks to get stuck into from your pitch. The Ullswater steamers can drop you off in Glenridding (otherwise 15 minutes’ drive) for a quick loop up Lanty’s Tarn, which has views of Helvellyn, England’s third-highest mountain. You could also get off the boat in Howtown (15 minutes), where there's a walk to Hallin Fell overlooking Ullswater. If you’d rather tackle Helvellyn (20 minutes), it's not far away either. Aira Force Waterfall (10 minutes) is another splendid place for a good stroll – this waterfall with a 65-foot drop was a favourite spot for William Wordsworth. If you fancy breaking up all that walking with a cycle, you can hire bikes at Lowther Castle & Gardens (20 minutes). The estate trails make for an easy ride, and if you’re visiting with kids, there’s also a handy adventure playground. Stop by in Penrith (20 minutes) if you have time too. It has a 14th-century castle and a museum, and it's close to a lovely walk up Beacon Hill.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 42.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 2.5 km

The Rheged Centre 5.1 km

Ullswater Steamers 10.5 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 17.3 km

Rydal Mount and Gardens 20.7 km

National Trust

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 15.5 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.9 km

Townend 23 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 25.3 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 28.4 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Pooley Bridge and Heughscar Hill 0.7 km

Pooley Bridge - Loadpot Hill - Howtown - Pooley Bridge 0.7 km

DALEMAIN 2.8 km

Howtown - Patterdale - Glenridding 4.9 km

Howtown - Hallin Fell - Sandwick via Steamer 4.9 km

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, July 31, 2025 – Thursday, July 31, 2025)

    Penrith, England 7.5 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Waterfoot Carpark Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Waterfoot Carpark Campsite dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Waterfoot Carpark Campsite? Get your hiking boots at the ready, as there are plenty of walks to get stuck into from your pitch. The Ullswater steamers can drop you off in Glenridding (otherwise 15 minutes’ … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Waterfoot Carpark Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  10:30 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Waterfoot Carpark Campsite? From $46.02 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.