The Dartmoor Commons Owners' Association and Dartmoor National Park Authority met yesterday to discuss how wild camping on the Dartmoor Commons might be facilitated going forward.
An agreement was reached in principle on the following basis:
• Landowners will grant permission to the Authority to allow the public to wild camp through a permissive agreement.
• This new system will provide clear guidance on what constitutes wild camping based on the principle of ‘leave no trace’.
• Areas where the public can wild camp without seeking individual permission from landowners will be communicated via an interactive map on Dartmoor National Park Authority’s website in the coming days.
Just to be clear, and confirmed to me by Dartmoor National Park Authority:
• The public will not have to pay to wild camp
• Landowners will enter into a fixed legal contract with Dartmoor National Park to allow wild camping to continue
Anyone planning to wild camp now or in the future must refer to the interactive map and follow all ‘leave no trace’ principles.
Whilst the agreement is completed, wild camping (including Ten Tors and The Duke of Edinburgh Award) is permitted with immediate effect.
More details coming soon.