Dartmoor Wild camping with bike

[Tonibe63]

The prevalence of Facebook groups is a mixed blessing especially during current times

[Snaf MKII]

Half of south east Dartmoor is currently closed to motorised traffic because 150 people have decided to wild camp at one spot near Poundsgate.
You'd be surprised how many people are on Dartmoor of a night, having ridden across most of it in my time it is not unusual to see many small encampments, camper vans and cyclist with tents. There are a couple of long distance walk that often mean an over night stay and then there is the Ten Tors practising most of the year and the odd escaped prisoner. I'm lead to believe there can be as many as 1300 people out and about on the moors of a night, a figure I can well believe.
For my part I've wild camped on a few green lanes in the southwest and a park bench on the coast path without issue but the main moor I'd consider far to busy unless you want to set and break camp in the dark.

[boboneleg]

I'll confess to having wild camped on Dartmoor but in my defence I was in the RN at the time and it was part of my basic training. There is also the fact that if the Marine officer in charge says 'camp here' that's exactly what you do, no ifs or buts

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I live on the western side of Dartmoor.

Our nights are sometimes disturbed by low flying helicopters or transport planes.

I'm told squaddies have to jump out of them & find their way home in the dark.

So you might find you have an angry paratrooper 'drop in' on you!

[Snaf MKII]

Actually looking at the wild camping map it does include Okehampton camp, back in the day you could ride the entire loop with permissive access rights. Now it is restricted to two dead end spurs. I reckon that would be ok for wild camping with a bike not to far off the access track. For that matter any byway on the moor would probably suit the need.
I to have done a bit of time in the camp but as an outside contractor.

[qcnr]

Just wear DPM and say you are on exercise...

[petecam]

You'd be surprised how many people are on Dartmoor of a night,

There used to be lots of people sat in cars at moorland car parks, with smoke inside them, often the driver and passengers looked very hungry! (Apparently)

[SteveR]

I'll confess to having wild camped on Dartmoor but in my defence I was in the RN at the time and it was part of my basic training. There is also the fact that if the Marine officer in charge says 'camp here' that's exactly what you do, no ifs or buts

[SteveR]

You'd be surprised how many people are on Dartmoor of a night,

There used to be lots of people sat in cars at moorland car parks, with smoke inside them, often the driver and passengers looked very hungry! (Apparently)

Obviously civilised around there, some of the "beauty spots" near here have folks parked up after dark, and the smoke is what they are producing themselves.... or the onlookers.... Allegedly!

[HoboBeemer]

I have been snowed under with work this weeks so bit of a delay getting back on here....

To be honest years ago I would have just been stealth and would have moved on when asked, the issues I have these days is there is a shift it would seem in tolerance even to activities that cause no offence, case in point people putting obstructions on greenlanes not to mention some authorities will now prosecute for the absolute minimal of violations. My job dictates that I have a squeaky record as I have a shed load of vetting restrictions.

I see looking at the camping maps of Dartmoor that certain roads run very close so I think there could be options, I would love if this country took a more open access view esp with Forestry commission land and as the lockdown and restrictions have made social distancing a priority it would seem a great way of giving some freedoms to folks to wild camp in regions that would not have allowed it previous, obviously that will never happen.