Parking and arrival at Dovedale
Due to a lack of signal infrastructures in the Dovedale and Ilam Park areas, we can only accept cash for car parking so please being the correct change with you, £5 for up to 4 hours and £7 for all day. National Trust members park for free but please remember to bring your cards with you to scan at the machines or show to a member of staff at Dovedale car park and then display a ticket in your car window.
There is no need to book your car parking space but please be aware that spaces become very limited on weekends, bank holidays and school holidays by 9am. Please park safely and responsibly and only park in designated car park spaces and not on roads or grass verges. All access points and roads must be kept clear for farm tenants, local communities and the emergency services.
(National Trust) Ilam Park car park is open from 8:30am until dusk – no overnight car parking allowed. £3.50 FOR UP TO 4 HOURS AND £5 FOR ALL DAY. NT MEMBERS PARK FREE WITH PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP CARD.
(National Trust) Dovedale car park is open from 9am until 7:30pm – no overnight car parking allowed. £3.50 FOR UP TO 4 HOURS AND £5 FOR ALL DAY. NT MEMBERS PARK FREE WITH PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP CARD.
If you find that an area is very busy, please have an alternative place to visit planned and do not be tempted to park or queue on narrow roads or grass verges.
The vital funds raised in National Trust car parks help to directly support their conservation work across the Peak District, from planting trees that help to tackle climate change, to increasing the diversity in wildflower meadows. For more FAQs around parking across National Trust sites, please visit their central page here
The toilets in Dovedale are looked after by the Peak District National Park Authority and have a charge of 20p, so please bring change with you.
For the love of Dovedale
National Nature Reserves are open to the public, and we welcome our visitors to enjoy them freely whilst looking after this special place that you love to escape to.
If you love Dovedale then please follow our guidance for a visit that is enjoyable but respectful of the landscape at the same time:
- BBQs/campfires/outdoor cooking equipment (stoves/free standing BBQs) are not allowed anywhere in the Peak District National Park as they are a severe health and safety risk to the landscape and to people. If you see a fire get to a safe place and dial 999 and give location details.
- ‘Wild camping’ (anywhere outside of designated camp sites) is only allowed with landowner permission, and the majority of landowners in the Peak District do not allow this. There’s also no wild camping allowed on National Park Authority land or National Trust land. To avoid disappointment, we encourage anyone wanting to camp, to plan ahead and book in at a campsite. To book in at a campsite you can visit the Pitchup website which lists all the different campsites across the UK.
- Dogs on leads at all times is required when exploring any National Nature Reserve. This helps to protect the wildlife that lives there from disturbance and also is safest for you, your dog and other people exploring the area.
- Take all the litter that you brought with you home. Issues of access, emptying and servicing make the provision of bins extremely costly and our charitable resources, as well as staff and volunteer time is very limited. We have some incredible staff and volunteers who are picking up litter each day across our different Peak District sites. You can help look after the places you love to visit, by taking all your litter home when bins aren’t available. This includes dog mess, tissues, wipes, nappies, shoes, picnic blankets etc. Fly-tipping is against the law and you can face hefty fines for doing so.
- It is safest for you and for nature that you stick to footpaths as you could easily disturb the home of animals that live in these areas, as well as delicate wildflowers, vegetation, insects and amphibians.
Thank you for being #peakdistrictproud and helping to look after the places we all love.