Dartmoor is the largest and wildest open space in southern England — 954 square kilometres of high granite moorland, tumbling rivers and weathered tors, crowned by High Willhays and Yew Tor on the northern moor. It feels far bigger and lonelier than its position in the soft south-west suggests, and once you're out among the tors with the wind up, it's as atmospheric as anywhere in Britain.
It's also unique in one important way: Dartmoor is the only place in England where you have a legal right to backpack wild camp, a right upheld by the UK Supreme Court in 2025. That makes it the natural home of our wild camping trips — a genuine, lawful night under vast dark skies at spots like Great Mis Tor, rather than a grey-area bivvy elsewhere.
Our Dartmoor adventures run from a gentle beginner wild camp with all kit included, through moorland crossings and the four-day Perambulation along the ancient forest boundary, to the full-day Dartmoor 600s challenge. There's history underfoot the whole way — stone circles, medieval boundary markers, and the twisted oaks of Wistman's Wood.
Booking through GBAC connects you with local guides who know the moor in every season — including the navigation that catches people out when the cloud comes down, because Dartmoor's featureless stretches demand real map skills. Small groups, kit available to hire at checkout, and honest guiding into one of Britain's most singular landscapes.
Yes — Dartmoor is the only place in England with a legal right to backpack wild camp, on much of the commons, confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2025. There are sensible conditions on where and how, and on our trips your guide handles all of that, so you camp legally and responsibly.
Most people drive; Exeter and Plymouth are the main gateways, both on the rail network, with the moor a short drive from either. Meeting points come with your booking.
No, for most of our trips. The beginner wild camp and family adventure assume none. The longer crossings and the Dartmoor 600s ask for more fitness and stamina. Each trip page states the level clearly.
The beginner and family camps need only that you can walk a few hours over uneven ground with a pack. The 47km crossing, the four-day Perambulation and the 600s are genuinely demanding. Unsure? Message us and we'll be straight with you.
The beginner wild camps include tent, sleeping bag and pad. On other trips, group safety kit is your guide's job and personal camping gear can be hired at checkout. Each page lists exactly what to bring.
Late spring to early autumn for the kindest conditions and firmest ground, though Dartmoor is a year-round moor for the well-equipped. Winter and shoulder-season trips are atmospheric but demand proper kit and navigation.
Milder than the mountains, but exposed and famously changeable — mist rolls in fast and the moor can feel featureless in cloud, which is exactly where navigation matters. Your guide plans around the forecast.
Ideal. The legal right to camp, the gentle beginner trip with kit included, and the sheer atmosphere of a night on the open moor make it one of the best places in Britain to try wild camping for the first time.