Campsites in Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire is brimming with superb days out with animals, stunning natural landscapes, a variety of museums and architecture, as well as fun activities to suit those seeking thrills and laidback leisure alike. If you fancy watching tigers stalk their prey, this is the county, but equally if a day dangling your toes in the River Ouse sounds tempting - good book in hand - the East of England could be just for you.

Don’t Miss

• ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
• Dunstable Downs
• Woburn Safari Park
• Wrest Park

Uncover a world of history

A trip to one of Bedfordshire’s museums is a great way to pique your curiosity for the county. The Stockwood Discovery Centre is a free and fascinating attraction that hosts a creative exhibitions packed with photos and is home to the UK’s largest carriage collection. Outside, stroll the beautiful gardens, let the kids run in its playground and rest your feet in the Garden Café.

You'll want to swoop into the Shuttleworth Old Warden Aerodrome. The Shuttleworth Collection is sure to make spirits soar and includes the oldest airworthy aircraft in the world. Or, if you like your thrill ground based, zoom to the Stondon Motor Museum which is home to an array of 20^th century vehicles.

Once you're all revved out, breeze over to Wardown Park Museum - free to visit, it contains intriguing galleries where you can weigh up the county's contribution to textiles and hats, the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and the history of Luton. The Higgins Bedford knocks off two attractions in one with its art gallery and museum. Inside there a rich array of furniture, porcelain and paintings as well as changing exhibitions - a window into Bedford’s colourful history.  

There's a great range of shows, productions and performances at the Grove Theatre including opera, musicals, dance, comedy and theatre events. A trip to the Sharnbrook Mill Theatre is brimming with spine tingling atmosphere, where you can get lost in the performance from inside a centuries-old former water mill.

If architecture draws 'oohs' and 'aahs' from you, you can't beat Wrest Park. It features a stunning assortment of garden styles as well as a sculpture gallery and mansion that belongs in an Austen film. Meanwhile, the grandeur of Woburn Abbey was enough to tempt Queen Victoria. It must have been Woburn's superb collection of artwork, lovely gardens and extensive deer park that got the queen interested. Round it all off with Ascott House, which is believed to date from the early 17^th century, and the beautiful landscapes of Ascott Park.

Enough of buildings, let's get some fresh air! Bedfordshire has a kaleidoscope of greenspaces, starting with the Dunstable Downs and the Whipsnade Estate. The Dunstable Downs are located in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and are the highest point in Bedfordshire. The Harrold-Odell Country Park is also a lovely place to explore on foot, with walking routes, play areas for children and fantastic chainsaw carvings as you rable through the park. It also has two lakes and part of the River Great Ouse flows through it, all ideal for fishing. 

The Forest of Marston Vale is dotted with different landscapes including grassland, meadows and woodland as well as the Wetlands Nature Reserve. Naturally, it's an adventurer's dream. Beautiful Priory Country Park is another lovely location for walking, cycling, canoeing and fishing in stunning natural surroundings.

Think you have to travel to faraway locations to go on safari? Think again! Woburn Safari Park offers a superb safari adventure right in Bedfordshire, home to over 1000 animals. The park's foot safari is an incredible way to get up close to the animals and even touch some of them, with daily demonstrations. The road safari on the other hand will captivate you, where rhinos, lions, giraffes, bears, wolves and bison roam freely. 

A huge range of activities

Think Bedfordshire and you think rambling countryside, green under foot. Perhaps with a cosy pub to greet you as you finish. Try the Whipsnade and Dunstable Downs walk which provides amazing views from Dunstable Downs and takes in the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral. For those who would rather travel on two wheels, Bedfordshire also has top notch road and off-road cycling routes, such as the gorgeously silhouetted Ouse Valley.

Box End Park is a great location for open water swimming, off-road cycling and running, as well as exciting water skiing. There's an enormous aqua park and if you've never tried wakeboarding, their cable tow will have you slicing over the water's surface in no time.

If adrenaline-pumping action is the name of the game, charge down to Skirmish Central Paintball. Putting stealth and shooting skills to the test, participants can attempt to conquer the opposing team as they dodge paintballs, dive into bunkers and sneak through the trees. For little legs, Laser Tag and Splatball are also on offer, perfect for players aged 8 years and older.  

Twinwoods Adventure has an enticing selection of activities for those looking to do something a little different. Get a sense of what it’s like to be a bird with indoor skydiving, take to the water with indoor surfing and bodyboarding, put your skills to the test with a racing driving simulation, take the plunge with a simulated BASE jump or tackle the mighty climbing wall.

You'll be captivated by the feathered residents at the Bird of Prey Centre. You can handle them and watch these flying birds land on your gloved hand. There are also daily flying displays at the centre.

Amazing wild encounters

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo offers a rip-roaring day of fun for everyone in the family. The zoo is home to a fantastic variety of animals, so you can tiptoe around tigers, cosy up with big cats and get to know penguins, rhinos, red pandas and plenty more! Plus, kids will learn all about these amazing animals - and who said learning couldn't be fun?

The Hullabazoo is also great for little animal lovers, with outdoor and indoor play areas and the opportunity to meet a range of farm animals. Animal lovers can also trot over to Mead Open Farm which boasts a host of fun outdoor play activities and exciting animal activities (the majority of which are indoors, so rain won’t stop the entertainment). Get involved in pony grooming and feeding the lambs, hold an adorable rabbit and cheer on your favourite in the exhilarating sheep racing!

Fancy a train ride with a difference? Then chug along to the Leighton Buzzard Railway or Summerfields’ Miniature Railways for a delightful family journey on a steam train. 

But, if you want to leave the ground and take to the trees, the high ropes course, zip wire and Tarzan swings at the Go Ape Tree Top Adventure nestled in Woburn Safari Park make for a truly wild day out for kids and adults alike.