The nine best places to stay near the UK’s national parks

From the rugged peaks and glens of the Scottish Highlands to the windswept moors and granite tors of Devon, the UK’s 15 national parks showcase some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes.

Whether you’re planning to hike mountain trails, wander ancient woodlands, paddle across tranquil lakes or explore dramatic stretches of coastline, there’s a national park to suit every kind of outdoor escape.

To help you make the most of your trip, we’ve picked nine of the best places to stay for exploring six of the most beautiful parks…

Peak District

The Tawny, Staffordshire

Plenty of hotels promise to help you unplug and unwind, but The Tawny makes for a truly luxurious escape into nature.

A collection of huts, treehouses and lodges are dotted around the gardens and lakes of the Consall Hall Estate, each with big windows to make the most of the stunning landscape and wildlife (RSPB Consall Woods nature reserve is half a mile away).

You’ll feel like you’re in your own luxe country hideaway, with all the comforts of a hotel to hand – a heated outdoor pool, spa, award-winning restaurant and exceptional guest experience. Don’t miss the Staffordshire oatcake at breakfast.

You’re less than 10 miles from the Peak District and around half an hour’s drive from limestone crags such as Thor’s Cave or Blake Mere mermaid pool, but there’s plenty to explore right from your doostep.

The Tawny’s gardens were once a coal and iron mine, transformed by a visionary engineer named William Podmore when he inherited the estate in the 1950s.

Now there are lakes, woodland, follies, bridges and vistas lovingly installed by Mr Podmore to enhance the spectacular colours of the trees and plants.

Just make sure you leave plenty of time to kick back, since each room comes with an alfresco bathtub. It’s a wonderfully romantic spot that also offers plenty for families.

From £290 a night including breakfast, the tawny.co.uk

Bike & Boot, Derbyshire

This lively, colourful and well-priced hotel in the middle of the national park has won rave reviews since opening in 2023.

As the name attests, it’s designed for hikers and bikers, with a bicycle shed and maintenance area, electric bike hire direct from the car park and expert advice on the best local trails and rides.

Located in the picturesque Hope Valley, the hotel is close to glorious Peak District walks, including Mam Tor and Stanage Edge, and gorgeous villages such as Hathersage – inspiration for the village of Morton in Jane Eyre.

Rooms are decked out with vintage posters, comfy beds and good showers for tired legs.

There’s free coffee and cake in the stylish guest lounge, three free daily film screenings, and a fun restaurant and bar.

Dogs are made very welcome with bedding, toys and grooming facilities (£15 per pet per night).

From £80 a night, bikeandboot.com

South Downs

Belle Tout, East Sussex

Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters is a well-trodden – and photographed – corner of the country’s newest national park. But few stay here overnight.

However, a lighthouse built in 1832 and now beautifully restored and renovated offers the chance to sleep in the national park with views out to sea and across the downs – Belle Tout has been a B&B since 2008.

It has six rooms, including the original circular lighthouse keeper’s room, with a ladder up to the bed. But the lantern room is where you’ll head after a bracing walk along the beach for panoramic views of Beachy Head and the English Channel.

From £210 a night including breakfast, belletout.co.uk

The Ram Inn, East Sussex

This 500-year-old pub, in the charming village of Firle, has eight individually designed rooms, with period features and original beams, and some with roll-top baths.

After a day exploring the Downs – Charleston and Lewes ares down the road and the South Downs Way is just a few miles south – it’s a wonderfully atmospheric spot to come home to, with open fires, candlelight and an excellent locally sourced menu.

From £165, raminn.co.uk

Lake District

Another Place, Cumbria

Something of an antidote to the Lake District’s twee B&Bs and country house hotels, Another Place offers a unique take on the Lakes, focusing on fun, active breaks on the northern shores of Ullswater.

Tempting though it is to lounge in its cosy living spaces, spa and glass walled indoor pool, you’re strongly encouraged to get out and about: with walking routes and wellies, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and free wetsuits and floats for open-water swimming provided.

Food is renowned, including wood-fired pizzas in a glasshouse, and more sophisticated dishes in the Rampsbeck restaurant.

Spaces include shepherd’s huts and treehouses with skylights for star gazing, and suites in the main hotel building, all playfully decorated with bold modern colours.

For families, there are suites with bunk beds, kids clubs, babysitting and children’s menus.

It’s a delight in the summer months, but magical too in autumn and winter with an outdoor ice rink, fellside sauna and December wild swimming sessions.

A short walk away, The Brackenrigg Inn is the resort’s pub, which serves food and also has several dog-friendly rooms.

From £123 at the pub and £195 in the main hotel, another.place/the-lake

Cottage in the Clouds, Cumbria

Considered one of the most remote homes in England, this beautifully restored stone cottage, on a hill above Coniston Water, offers a step back in time – it’s off grid, with an outdoor compost loo and a tin bath by the wood burner to be filled by jugs.

The cottage is also a mile’s walk from the nearest car park (the owners will drive you there on arrival and pick you up when you leave).

You’ll be rewarded with tranquility and solitude, miles of walks to enjoy through the protected wilderness, and lakes and rivers for wild swimming.

Sleeps 4 – 6, from £130 a night, canopyandstars.co.uk

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

Corr Cabin, Perthshire

Set just above Loch Voil in the north of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is this modern cabin for two, which lets nature do the talking. It has underfloor heating, a log burner, and a high-end bathroom and cosy king size bed.

There’s a kitchen too, though the cabin is on the grounds of a boutique hotel, so you can also dine at its renowned restaurant, Monachyle Mhor. It might be hard to leave, but there are stunning walks in Rob Roy country right on the doorstep. It’s dog friendly, too.

From £220 per night, coolstays.com

Bannau Brycheiniog

By The Wye safari tents, Herefordshire

On the bank of the River Wye on the outskirts of Hay on Wye, six stylish tents run entirely on solar energy offer treetop views of the river and national park beyond.

The tents have ensuite bathrooms with hot running water and power showers, and some come with outdoor baths and saunas.

Each has a log fire and generous covered deck area to make the most of those views, including the stars at night (the park has international dark sky reserve status, with some of the highest quality dark skies in the UK).

Two lodges are connected by a treetop walkway, ideal for families or groups.

Available April to November, from £185 per night, coolstays.com

New Forest

The Pig, Hampshire

The original Pig launched the much-loved collection of rustic-chic restaurants-with-rooms now scattered across southern England and the Midlands.

15 years since it opened, it’s still a wonderfully fun, relaxed and luxurious experience, with welcoming staff and lots of cosy nooks and lounges decked out in mismatched furniture.

There are 16 rooms in the main house, with lodges and cabins available in the grounds for a longer stay, with kitchenettes and wood-burning stoves.

The main house dates back to the 1900s and you can spend a delightful weekend pottering about its gardens, visiting the pigs, borrowing wellies to walk in the New Forest and eating from “25-mile menu” with ingredients from the kitchen garden and local producers.

Spa treatments are offered in the potting shed and shepherd’s hut.

From £245 per night, breakfast £17, thepighotel.com