Camping and Glamping Sites Near the Broads

Why the Broads Make a Fine Camping Base

Nowhere else in Britain puts a tent quite this close to so much water. The Broads National Park spreads across Norfolk and Suffolk, with more than 125 miles of lock-free, navigable waterways linking the rivers Bure, Ant, Thurne, Yare and Waveney. Add reed beds, marsh, alder carr and around 60 shallow broads and you have the country's largest protected wetland — a landscape best explored at walking pace or, better still, at four miles an hour on the water.

Because the park is compact, a campsite rarely sits more than a short drive, cycle ride or paddle from somewhere worth being. Pitch beside a staithe in the morning, drift past a drainage mill at lunchtime, and be back at the tent for a barbecue by six.

Riverside Pitches with Direct Water Access

If you want to wake up to water, aim for a site with its own frontage on one of the main rivers or broads. These are the pitches worth booking well ahead.

On the River Bure, the stretch between Wroxham and Coltishall is the busiest and most convenient, with sites near Horning and Wroxham Broad offering private staithes, dinghy moorings and trolleys for launching canoes. Further downstream the Bure quietens around Ludham and Thurne, where you'll find more traditional grassy meadows and room to spread out.

• Hickling and Horsey on the Thurne suit campers who want big skies, marsh harriers and a canoe launch without a queue.
• The Ant around Barton Broad and How Hill gives you sheltered paddling and easy access to waymarked nature trails.
• The Waveney at Beccles and Geldeston is the southern option — quieter, tidal in places and lovely for paddleboards.
• Oulton Broad has a breezy seaside feel, with cafés, boat trips and easy rail connections.

Check what "direct access" actually means before you book. Sometimes it's a slipway and floating pontoon; sometimes it's a muddy bank and a hundred-metre carry. A quick phone call saves a lot of grumbling.

Quieter Woodland and Meadow Sites

Not everyone wants to sleep at the water's edge, and the Broads rewards those who look slightly inland. Small five-pitch certificated sites attached to farms, orchards and smallholdings sit back from the rivers, often with better showers, lower fees and far more space between neighbours. A few offer woodland clearings where a hammock and a fire bowl are practically obligatory.

Bear in mind that wild camping isn't permitted anywhere in the Broads; you need a licensed site, and there are plenty to choose from. Avoid low-lying ground if heavy rain is forecast — the water table here is high and the clay holds it stubbornly.

Glamping: Yurts, Huts and Pods

Glamping has grown up around the Broads, and the standard is genuinely high. Expect shepherd's huts with proper beds and wood-burners, bell tents on decked platforms, timber pods, lakeside yurts and safari tents with a small kitchen and a flushing loo.

A few things worth knowing before you book:

• Most glamping sites run a two-night minimum, rising to three over bank holidays.
• Prices spike from May to September; late April and early October are noticeably better value.
• Wood-fired hot tubs are increasingly common but usually need booking and paying for separately.
• Cooking kit is often basic, so bring a decent knife and a cafetière.
• Some sites are adults-only — worth checking if you're travelling with children.

Getting Afloat Without Your Own Boat

You don't need to own a boat, or even know how to row, to enjoy the water here. Day boats can be hired at Wroxham, Horning, Potter Heigham, Beccles and Oulton Broad, by the hour or the day, with a short handover. Canadian canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are available at numerous launching points, and guided canoe trails thread through the quieter marshes.

Mind the speed limit: generally 4 mph, rising to 5 mph on the larger broads. Note too that hire boats usually can't pass under Wroxham or Potter Heigham bridges — if you want to explore beyond them, ask the yard about passage times or plan a route on the far side. Wear a life jacket, keep to the right on the rivers, and give moored craft and anglers plenty of room.

Practical Pointers for a Broads Camping Trip

• Pack midge repellent. Damp riverside evenings bring out mosquitoes; a head net costs little and saves whole evenings.
• Book moorings if you're camping afloat. Many short-stay moorings are free for 24 hours, but popular spots fill by mid-afternoon.
• Buy a rod licence before you fish. Coarse fishing on the broads and rivers needs one, plus a day ticket for some waters.
• Don't swim. Most broads and rivers have currents, weed and cold water; use pools and lidos instead.
• Watch the tide. The lower Yare, the Waveney and Breydon Water are tidal — check before launching or mooring overnight.
• Take your litter home. This is a fragile wetland, and reedbed fires are a real risk in dry summers.

Finally, plan around the season. April to June and September are the sweet spots: warm enough for paddling, quiet enough to find a pitch with a view.