The UK has some amazing forests and woodlands from the old to the new. Bizarrely one of the oldest is the New Forest! In 1079 William the Conqueror named the area 'his new forest' to be used as a royal hunting ground. A 1000 years later and his 'nova foresta' still retains its mystery and romance as well as hiding some excellent campsites.

One of the newest is the National Forest Company's bold environmental project called 'The National Forest' which aims to transform 200 Sq miles of Central England with already over 7 million trees currently planted. 

The Royal Forest of Dean is a great place to camp which is easily accessible from the M5 and M4. Taking in an area of western Gloucestershire the Forest of Dean is a rough triangle shape with the River Wye, River Severn and the city of Gloucester forming the boundaries. You will find predominantly oak, beech and sweet chestnut all of which have been grown here for centuries. 

In Scotland there are the Argyll Forest and the Queen Elizabeth Forest both of which offer fantastic camping opportunities alongside lakes and rivers as well as great activities such as walking, cycling, sailing or simply relaxing.

In Wales there are many great forests including Coed-y-brenin (Welsh for King's wood) situated in the stunning Snowdonia National Park. This attracts walkers and mountain bikers alike and is simply a fantastic place to stay under canvas. 

The Campingninja team's research have come up with 43 forests in England alone with 21 in Scotland and another 11 in Wales. On top of these are the hundreds of woodland areas that are found throughout the UK. Ones like Forgewood, near Tunbridge Wells which is proud to offer a real back to basics experience with no caravans or electrical hook ups and Forest Glade set in an Area of Outstanding natural beauty in the Blackdown hills in Devon.

The range of campsites in forest and woodland settings is something the Campingninja team love to promote. A recent camping trip to the New Forest showed the incredible variety of activities on offer. Many of the campsites have Ranger activities for children (and adults!) These include things like night time wildlife viewings, organised half day walks, young explorer clubs and even learning to survive alone in the wild with essential den building and orientation skills. Great stuff for kids and adults alike.

Walking and finding trails through forests is something campsites encourage through their information points. Many campsite receptions are ready with handy hints, suggestions and maps to guide you on your way. Look out for those campsites which are within easy access to public footpaths or which give out local walking information. Use our filters to find them. 

The lack of traffic and the abundance of well laid out trails makes cycling a great option while camping in forests. Whether you are into mountain biking and single tracks or looking for easy trails for the little ones, forests offer the complete range. If you can't cram your bikes into or on top of your car, why not hire one locally when you arrive. Saves alot of hassle and is a great way of exploring the area. Many of the campsites featured on Campingninja offer Cycle hire either on site or very close by. 

Campsites in Forest settings tend to be more relaxed on where you can pitch. The natural terrain, and shelter means there are normally no ordered pitches with numbers to worry about. You can generally pick your perfect spot when you arrive rather than going to an allocated pitch. 

Facilities vary as well  from those with high end washrooms, drying rooms, bike washes, to those with no showers or toilets at all. As you can imagine these are aimed at caravan and camper vans with their own toilets on board or tent campers with a portable loo! 

Forest and woodland settings can provide hours of free entertainment for kids and adults alike. Wildlife spotting is a great family favourite. Many campsites have local handouts on what flora and fauna can be found in the local area. Some have specially designed nature trails. 

Den building and Forest Survival skills such as map reading and edible plant searching are available at 3 of our campsites namely Spiers House, Cobleland and Glenmore. While the following campsites offer 'dusk watch' where using the campsite's specialist equipment you can see and learn about the forests nocturnal creatures. Campsites are Spiers house, Ardgartan, Cobleland, Glenmore, Ashurst, Hollands wood, Holmsley and Roundhill.