Can you wild camp on the Isle of Wight?

The short answer: no. Wild camping isn't legal anywhere on the Isle of Wight without the landowner's permission, and that includes the National Trust downs and the beaches. The good news is that the Island has 104 campsites, and some of the small farm and five-van sites cost less than a pub lunch.

What the law says

In England (outside parts of Dartmoor) there is no general right to camp on land you don't own. Pitching a tent without permission is trespass. It's a civil matter rather than a crime, so in practice you'll be asked to move on, but on the Island you will be asked: the downs are farmed and grazed, and the coast is watched closely in summer.

National Trust land and the downs

Much of the best wild-looking land (Tennyson Down, Compton, Brighstone Down, St Helens Duver) belongs to the National Trust, which does not allow camping on its open land. Fires and disposable BBQs are banned there too: chalk grassland burns easily in a dry summer.

Campervans and motorhomes

The Isle of Wight Council bans overnight sleeping in vehicles in its car parks, and enforces it in summer. Seafront roads in Sandown, Shanklin, Ryde and the West Wight are signed accordingly. If you're touring, book a pitch; the small certificated sites are the cheap option and many take motorhomes.

The cheapest legal alternatives

• Small certificated sites: five-van farm sites, often £15–£25 a night.
• Hiker and cyclist pitches: several campsites have a cheap rate for people arriving on foot or by bike. Filter for Coastal Path campsites.
• Summer pop-up campsites: simple fields that open for a few weeks.
• Cheap camping: every site sorted by the lowest price we can find.

Walking round the Island? Use the route planner: it finds a campsite close to the path for each night.