Wareham Forest Tourist Park

Rowdy, boozy campers are not the norm at Wareham Forest Tourist Park, a pristine, family-owned campsite on 55 acres of woodsy ground and meadows that draws families and couples seeking peaceful communion with nature in a setting that offers modern conveniences. There are dozens of trails with well-marked signage and generous paths. The tidy property is divided into sections such as The Glade and The Firs. Its homey reception area, in a red brick building, is behind two pine wood desks and filled with maps, brochures, and guides to the camp and Dorset attractions. The camp owners list some basic rules to maintain the peace: Barbecues must be extinguished by 10:30 p.m., and dogs must be on a leash when out of the dog walking area. The park has hardscape sites on beige gravel with access to electricity, water, night lights, and TV connections. Wires and hoses are concealed behind a low masonry wall at each site. Campers can also pitch a tent on the grassy area. There's access to free Wi-Fi. Some of the sites are remote from the toilet and shower block but promise an even quieter setting. For rainy days, there's an indoor table tennis room with bright blue carpeting, red chairs, and a few shelves of books to borrow. A heated pool with a wide, beige brick terrace and picnic tables, some with umbrellas offer other spots to lounge. And children have their own pool and sandy playground. Guests who cook at the camp grounds can access hot water for washing up and a well-stocked, brightly lit camp store, but if they wish to eat out, there are restaurants a six-minute drive away. For the undaunted, there's winter camping; at Christmas the park glows as a hearty few enjoy the relative solitude and brighten the dark nights by wreathing their campers with lights.

A three-hour drive from London, this camp site in North Trigon, Wareham is a woodland near the southern foothills of Dorset Downs. It's convenient to many area attractions. The village of Wareham is a six-minute drive away. To reach the beach, guests can drive 21 minutes to Poole, a bustling coastal town, or 25 minutes to Studland, a town known for its beaches and nature preserves. To the east of Wareham Forest Tourist Park, it's a 14-minute drive to Corfe Castle, a fortification built by William the Conquerer. It's a 19-minute drive south to Purbeck Hills, a breathtaking ridge of chalk downs. To dine in the same tea house as novelist T. E. Lawrence (the subject of "Lawrence of Arabia"), guests could drive seven minutes to Anglebury House. It's 43 minutes to Adventure Wonderland, a theme park based on the novel "Alice In Wonderland." And it's a seven-minute drive to Wareham Railway Station. The closest airport is a 44-minute drive away in Bournemouth. 

Whether guests are pitching a nylon tent for the night on one of the grassy fields or connecting a mobile home to an electrical source for a week-long stay, Wareham Forest Tourist Park provides tidy, thoughtful sites for camping in Dorset. The 55-acre property is loosely divided into sections, some with names such as the densely plotted Spinney, Coppice, and Southfield areas as well as the sparser Glen and the Firs. For guests who wish to connect to electricity and water, there are beige gravel sites with spaces neatly marked by low, red-painted wood fences. Wires and hoses are concealed behind a low masonry wall at each site. The property provides several sites for water. There are two toilet and shower blocks with white porcelain fixtures, gray slate tile flooring, and white walls with red doors housed in red brick buildings. The showers are individual cubicles with bright red doors in rooms divided by gender. And free Wi-Fi is available throughout.

Wareham Forest Tourist Park strikes a good balance between a rugged, natural setting and the option to plug into some of the conveniences of modern living. The 55 acres of woodland ground provide plenty of opportunity for trail hiking, and the signage at the camp and trail maps are quite good. The more expensive camp sites offer connection to water, electricity, drainage, and TV reception. Connection to Wi-Fi is free. There's free hot water for dishwashing, but a fee for using the washers and dryers. An indoor table tennis room gives a cozy spot for rainy days, complete with a shelf of books to borrow. And the heated pool, children's pool, and its bordering picnic tables offer a spot for sunny days. There's also a playground on the grounds, and bathrooms with showers. The on-site shop has an extensive collection of candy for sale for those who need a reward for all the hard work of communing with nature.