The Complete Guide to Sherwood Pines Caravan & Motorhome Club Campsite: Pitches, Prices, and the Best Gear for 2026
Award-winning Sherwood Pines camping in Nottinghamshire. Compare top tents, tourers, and drive-away awnings for your 2026 woodland escape.
The Complete Guide to Sherwood Pines Caravan & Motorhome Club Campsite: Pitches, Prices, and the Best Gear for 2026
Nestled in the heart of Robin Hood Country, Sherwood Pines Caravan & Motorhome Club Campsite is an award-winning, year-round woodland retreat that has become one of the most sought-after camping destinations in the Midlands. Operated by Camping in the Forest — a joint venture between Forestry England and the Caravan and Motorhome Club — this site sprawls across pine forest in Kings Clipstone and offers over 150 pitches, making it a perfect base for walkers, cyclists, families, and anyone looking to reconnect with nature. Whether you’re pitching a tent for a weekend or towing a caravan for a longer stay, this guide covers everything you need to know about Sherwood Pines camping in 2026 — including the specific gear and equipment that will make your trip a success.
Quick Picks
| Product | Best For | Why It Works at Sherwood Pines |
|---|---|---|
| Vango Airbeam Capri 600 | Family tent camping | Quick pitch on grass pitches; spacious living area for forest breaks |
| Outwell Ridgeline 5 | Couples/small family touring | Lightweight, durable, and easy to handle on hardstanding pitches |
| Thule EasyFold XT 3 Bike Carrier | Motorhome & caravan bike transport | Carries up to three bikes for the Family Cycling Trail and Kitchener’s Trail |
| Coleman Octagon 4 | Social camping & base camp | Large, airy design perfect for group gatherings near the Go Ape area |
About Sherwood Pines Campsite
Sherwood Pines is an award-winning Camping in the Forest site — operated as a joint venture between Forestry England and the Caravan and Motorhome Club — located in Kings Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, within the historic Sherwood Forest. It’s open year-round, which is a significant advantage for campers who want to enjoy the forest in every season — from spring bluebells to crisp autumn walks and winter stargazing. The site is just a short walk from the visitor centre, Go Ape, bike hire, adventure playgrounds, and picnic areas. Open-air concerts, including the popular Sherwood Pines Forest Festival, are held throughout the summer months, and these events are a major driver of camping bookings — if you’re planning a trip around the festival, booking well in advance is strongly advised.
The campsite itself is split into several pitch types:
- Grass pitches (with or without electric hook-up)
- Hardstanding pitches (with electric, fresh water, and drainage)
- Fully serviced pitches (electric, water, and waste water)
All pitches are designed to accommodate tents, tourers, motorhomes, and campervans, though if you require a pitch longer than 8 metres, you should contact the site directly. Minimum stay requirements apply: 2 nights on electric pitches over weekends and 3 nights over Bank Holiday weekends.
Facilities and Amenities
One of the standout features of Sherwood Pines is its modern, well-maintained facilities block. According to the site’s official information via Camping in the Forest, amenities include:
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the main facilities area
- Family and accessible bathrooms
- Baby changing facilities
- Laundry and dishwashing areas
- Drying room and locker room — invaluable for wet-weather camping
- Bike servicing facilities — a real bonus for cycling enthusiasts
- Complimentary dog wash — perfect for muddy paws after forest walks
These facilities are a cut above many comparable forest sites. On Pitchup.com, Sherwood Pines consistently attracts high ratings from verified bookers, with reviewer consensus specifically calling out the cleanliness of the toilet and shower blocks and the convenience of the dedicated dog wash station as standout features. The drying room alone makes Sherwood Pines a strong choice for autumn and winter camping.
Things to Do: Trails, Activities, and the Forest Festival
Sherwood Pines offers far more than a place to sleep. The surrounding Clipstone Forest is laced with dedicated trails and activity options that make it one of the most activity-rich forest campsites in the East Midlands:
- Go Ape Sherwood Pines — one of the original Go Ape sites, offering treetop adventures and zip lines suitable for older children and adults
- Family Cycling Trail — a dedicated, traffic-free, family-friendly cycle route through the forest, ideal for younger children and beginners
- Kitchener’s Trail — a longer, more challenging route popular with mountain bikers and trail runners, winding through the historic forest landscape
- Bike hire — available on site, so you don’t need to bring your own
- Sherwood Pines Forest Festival — a major summer music and arts event held within the forest; campers on site are ideally positioned for this
If you’re bringing your own bikes — particularly on a motorhome or caravan — a quality bike carrier is essential (see our gear recommendations below).
Best Camping Gear for Sherwood Pines
While the campsite provides excellent infrastructure, your experience will ultimately depend on the gear you bring. Sherwood Pines sits within a dense commercial pine plantation, which means the tree canopy acts as a significant windbreak — but it also creates specific conditions worth preparing for. The dense canopy means early summer sunrises filter through the trees from around 4:30 a.m., making a blackout bedroom tent a genuine priority rather than a luxury. Pine needles and sap on the forest floor can damage standard groundsheets, so a robust footprint or groundsheet protector is worth packing. In summer months, the warm, sheltered conditions in Nottinghamshire’s forest clearings can attract midges and mosquitoes, so midge-resistant mesh for your tent porch or a dedicated midge net is a sensible addition.
Vango Airbeam Capri 600
Best for: Family tent camping on grass pitches
The Vango Airbeam Capri 600 is a six-person inflatable tent that has become a favourite among UK family campers. Its Airbeam technology means you can have it fully pitched in under 10 minutes — a real advantage if you arrive late on a Friday evening and want to get settled before dark. The tent features a large, integrated living area with a full-height door, making it comfortable for rainy days when the kids need space to play. At around £800–£950 approximately at the time of writing, it’s a significant investment, but owner feedback consistently praises its build quality and weather resistance.
Crucially for Sherwood Pines, the Capri 600 is available with Sentinel Darkened Bedroom pods — Vango’s blackout lining technology — which is highly relevant given the early summer sunrises that penetrate the pine canopy from as early as 4:30 a.m. The Sewn-in Groundsheet is also worth noting: it provides a meaningful barrier against pine needles and sap on the forest floor, reducing wear on the tent’s base. For Sherwood Pines, the Capri 600 works particularly well on the larger grass pitches with electric hook-up, allowing you to run an electric heater or fan depending on the season.
Check the current price at Vango’s official site or major UK outdoor retailers such as GO Outdoors and Blacks.
Outwell Ridgeline 5
Best for: Couples or small families touring with a caravan or motorhome
If you’re touring in a caravan or motorhome, the Outwell Ridgeline 5 is an excellent choice for a secondary awning or standalone tent for extra sleeping space. This five-person tunnel tent is lightweight (around 18 kg) and packs down small, making it easy to store in a caravan locker or motorhome garage. It features a Darkened Bedroom for better sleep quality — again, a particularly relevant specification for Sherwood Pines given the early-morning light through the trees — and a Weather Defence System that includes taped seams and a hydrostatic head of 5,000 mm.
At approximately £400–£500 at the time of writing, the Ridgeline 5 sits at the premium end of the tunnel tent market, but its combination of packability, blackout sleeping, and weather protection makes it a well-suited choice for the Sherwood Pines environment.
Check the current price at Outwell’s stockists including Winfields Outdoors and Camping World.
Thule EasyFold XT 3 Bike Carrier
Best for: Motorhome and caravan visitors planning to cycle the Family Cycling Trail or Kitchener’s Trail
Given that cycling is one of the primary activities at Sherwood Pines — with both the dedicated Family Cycling Trail and the more demanding Kitchener’s Trail running directly from the site — bringing your own bikes is a popular choice for returning visitors. For motorhome and caravan users, the Thule EasyFold XT 3 is one of the most highly regarded towbar-mounted bike carriers on the UK market. It accommodates up to three bikes, folds flat for storage, and features integrated wheel straps and a locking mechanism. Thule specifies a maximum load of 45 kg and compatibility with e-bikes, which is increasingly relevant as e-bike ownership grows. It is compatible with both 13-pin and 7-pin towbar connections.
At approximately £700–£800 at the time of writing, it is a premium product, but owner consensus across cycling and motorhome forums consistently identifies it as one of the most secure and user-friendly carriers in its class.
Check the current price at Thule’s official UK site or retailers such as Halfords and Towsure.
Coleman Octagon 4
Best for: Social camping and flexible base-camp use
The Coleman Octagon 4 is a large, freestanding dome tent with a distinctive octagonal footprint that creates an unusually spacious communal interior. It’s a popular choice for group camping and social setups, particularly near activity hubs like the Go Ape area at Sherwood Pines. At approximately £150–£200 at the time of writing, it represents good value for a large-format tent. Coleman specifies a 3,000 mm hydrostatic head and includes a full-coverage flysheet.
For Sherwood Pines specifically, pairing the Octagon 4 with a dedicated footprint groundsheet is advisable given the pine needle and sap conditions on forest pitches.
Check the current price at Coleman’s UK stockists including Amazon UK and GO Outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to pay to park at Sherwood Pines?
Day visitors to Sherwood Pines Forest Park pay a parking charge managed by Forestry England. However, guests staying at the Camping in the Forest campsite receive free parking for the duration of their stay — this is one of the practical financial advantages of booking a pitch rather than visiting as a day tripper.
Can you wild camp in Sherwood Forest?
No. Wild camping is not permitted within Sherwood Forest or the surrounding Forestry England-managed land. The forest is actively managed, and unauthorised camping is not tolerated. The Camping in the Forest site at Sherwood Pines is the designated and only legitimate camping option within the forest itself, which is why booking in advance — particularly for summer weekends and Bank Holidays — is strongly recommended.
Are campfires allowed at Sherwood Pines campsite?
Open campfires on the ground are not permitted at Sherwood Pines, in line with standard Camping in the Forest policy across their sites. This is primarily a fire safety measure given the dense, dry pine woodland surrounding the pitches. Raised fire pits and barbecues that do not make direct contact with the ground may be permitted — but you should confirm the current policy directly with the site before arrival, as rules can be updated seasonally.
What time is check-in at Sherwood Pines?
Check-in times at Camping in the Forest sites are typically from noon for tent pitches and 1 p.m. for touring and motorhome pitches, with check-out by noon. You should confirm the exact times when booking, as these can vary slightly by season or site policy update.
Is Sherwood Pines suitable for motorhomes?
Yes. The site has hardstanding and fully serviced pitches specifically suited to motorhomes and larger caravans, including electric hook-up, fresh water, and waste water connections. If your vehicle exceeds 8 metres in length, contact the site directly before booking to confirm pitch availability.
