Campsites in the Peak District

The Peak District in North East England is the UK's first and most popular national park, something that belongs on everyone's bucketlist. This stunning landscape of rounded hills, high moorland and limestone ravines is dotted with mysterious underground caverns, remote weirs and reservoirs, and pretty rivers and streams. This is one of the top places in the UK for outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, climbing, caving, canoeing and kayaking. The area also has a number of enchanting towns and villages and a fascinating history you'll want to dive into.

Don't Miss

• The Pennine Way
• Dovedale Ravine
• Chatsworth House

Exploring Peak District heritage

Widely recommended as one of the most spectacular days out in the Peak District, Chatsworth House is a truly magnificent stately home. There's everything from peaceful rose gardens to a puzzling maze and stairs formed under a wall of water, which you can paddle in when the sun shines. If you need a little more history, Haddon Hall is an exquisite medieval manor house with no shortage of interesting things to see. Also definitely worth a visit are the remote ruins of Peveril Castle, one of England's earliest Norman fortresses.

There are many spectacular beauty spots in the Peak District National Park where you can wander around, soak up the views and have a picnic. Dovedale is justifiably famous and a good starting spot. This beautiful limestone ravine with a river running through it is owned by the National Trust and is packed with wildlife.

For those who want to take it easy while they check out the stunning Peak District landscape, Peak Rail passes through some of the park's best scenery while you sit comfortably in a traditional carriage pulled by a steam or diesel engine. You can also take a cable car from Matlock Bath to the Heights of Abraham Hilltop Park. The views on the journey are a great reward and at the top you'll find woodland walks, cavern tours and fossil hunting activities.

While the Peak District is stunning above ground, there's no shortage of underground adventures to be had, too. Take a guided trip through Standedge Tunnel in a glass-topped boat to learn about the fascinating history of Britain's longest canal tunnel. Castleton Caverns are an interesting collection of four underground caves, of which Speedwell Cavern features a Bottomless Pit. Pool's Cavern is notable for its fascinating two million year old limestone features - now that's some history!

Lovely Bakewell, home of the famous Bakewell pudding, is full of independent shops and the town's pretty courtyards are perfect for an afternoon stroll. Once you've scoffed a fair few, the impressive spa town of Buxton is your next stop for both a spectacular opera house and the very popular Victorian pavilion gardens.

Superb hikes and adrenaline options

The Peak District National Park is a 200 square mile area perfect for outdoor recreation, and it's no surprise that so many walkers choose it as their holiday destination every year. Keen walkers can find hundreds of routes in the Peak District, taking them over the stunning landscape and giving them beautiful views of the area.

The Derwent Valley Heritage Way meanders for 55 miles, passing through the natural landscape and exploring the industrial heritage of the area. The Monsal Trail is particularly unique because it runs along the former Midland railway line and passes through 6 tunnels. This route has a firm surface and is completely traffic- free, making it great for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and horse riders. The Pennine Way National Trail follows an incredible 268 miles along the Pennine Mountain tops. It runs from the Peak District over the Yorkshire Dales and Hadrian's Wall, right up to the Cheviots. The Pennine Way is one of the most spectacular upland walks in England.

The Tissington Trail, one of the most popular cycle routes in the park, starts at Ashbourne and passes through a 350 metre-long former railway tunnel toward Tissington. You can hire bikes at the start of the trail and pedal off into the distance. The national park is also well known for mountain biking and will put those chunky wheels to the test and Kinder Scout, a surreal plateau in the park, makes for a top notch moorland trek. 

The region has some of the best climbing routes in Europe, or if you prefer your rocks underground, caving in intricate and exciting caverns and hollow areas is possible. For canoeing and kayaking, try the River Derwent and there's a high speed slalom white-water rafting course at Matlock Bath.

High flyers can explore the Peak District from a different angle - hang gliding and paragliding over the sights. Take a few lessons and see if you've missed your calling as an adrenaline junkie.

Bringing history to life

Aside from all the outdoor activities on offer, there is plenty to do here for families. There are a number of interesting museums in the region, but the Eyam Plague Village Museum is a particularly gruesome highlight. The museum tells the fascinating story of how this village isolated itself during the plague in order to prevent the disease spreading.

Carsington Water offer courses and tuition in all kinds of water sports and outdoor activities on the shores of the Carsington Reservoir: sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, and cycling can all be enjoyed here.

After all that fresh air, duck inside to learn about the history of Derwent Valley and the famous Dambusters at the Derwent Dam Museum. Then, round off the perfect day with the  Peak District Mining Museum, which captures the gruelling lives of people working in the mines.

The Crich Tramway Village is a family friendly day out where you can learn to drive your own tram or the Buxton tram takes you on a great little tour on a vintage milk float.