Donegal Camping Guide: 12 Mighty Places To Go Camping In Donegal In 2024

There’s some mighty spots to go camping in Donegal.

From dedicated campsites overlooking to Atlantic to wild camping in Donegal, there’s something to tickle most fancies.

Below, you’ll find our favourite spots along with some dos and don’ts if you’re looking to wild camp (at the end).

Camping Donegal: Our favourite spots

The first section of our guide is packed with the best campsites in Donegal – i.e. places to book into and pitch your tent.

Below, you’ll find campsites overlooking the ocean and places to park a camper with mighty mountain views.

1. Rosguill Holiday Park

We’re going to kick-start our guide to the best places to go camping in Donegal with somewhere special – the brilliant Rosguill Holiday Park.

If you want ocean views from your tent, Rosguill Holiday Park is a great place to head to on the north coast of Donegal.

Surrounded by golden beaches and clear water, this park has plenty of space for motorhomes, caravans and tents.

They also have a range of facilities for the whole family, such as toilet and shower blocks, tennis court, football pitch, laundry facilities and electrical hook ups for vans.

You can easily sit back with a glass of wine at the barbeque area and enjoy the stunning landscape of the bay.

2. Sleepy Hollows Campsite

Sleep Hollows is a small, adults only campsite in Donegal that’s located in the quiet village of Meenaleck in West Donegal.

It’s a beautiful and secluded area with room to park vans or pitch a tent. Leos Tavern is a convenient 200 meters away or you can enjoy fishing, walking and beaches within 10km from the property.

You can pitch a tent, rent a cabin or spend a night in their ‘Sleepy Hut’ or ‘Sleepy Bell Tent’.

This is arguably one of the best places to go camping in Donegal if you’re in search of a campsite that’s likely to be a lot more chilled that some of the others mentioned here.

3. Portsalon Luxury Camping

OK, so Portsalon Luxury Clamping is arguably more at home in our Donegal glamping guide, but it’s a good option for those of you looking for a more luxurious night beneath the stars.

Located just outside of Portsalon in a scenic and secluded spot on the Fanad Peninsula, this fancy Donegal campsite has five beautiful and furnished yurts. 

With a king-sized bed and sofa bed and wood burning stove, its luxury camping at its best. You also have access to cookers, a fridge, pots and pans, a dining area, Wi-Fi and charging points.

You can either enjoy stunning coastal views from the property or head down to the Blue Flag beach, Ballymastocker Bay for some sun. 

4. Binion Bay Caravan and Camping Facility

If you’re after views, look no further than this unique Donegal campsite in Clonmany, beneath Binion Hill.

Each site here is finely positioned to provide views over the surrounding green hills. Binion Bay Caravan and Camping is a small family run facility with plenty of things to do nearby.

There are a variety of walking trails from the park or if you prefer a day trip, Glenevin Waterfall and Doagh Famine Village are also a short drive away.

More of the best campsites in Donegal

The second section of our guide is packed with places to go camping in Donegal that have excellent reviews online.

Below, you’ll find a clatter of beachside campsites in Donegal, where you’ll be able to stroll right onto the sand. 

1. Killybegs Holiday Park

You’ll find Killybegs Holiday Park in the lively fishing port of Killybegs a stone’s throw from the Slieve League Cliffs, Donegal’s ‘secret’ waterfall and plenty more.

The campsite is located on an elevated site that offers stunning panoramic views and there’s designated pitches (families, adults and ‘calm’ spaces).

There’s also a little private beach close by where you’ll find crystal clear water. There’s also no shortage of electricity, fresh water and wifi.

2. Wild Atlantic Camp

Our next Donegal campsite is up there with the best places to go camping in Ireland. Wild Atlantic Camp has something to suit everyone, from cute heated wooden pods to powered motorhome sites and tent pitches.

If you opt for the pods, you’ll get a cosy furnished hut that can sleep up to four people. The onsite facilities at the camp include hot showers, communal camping kitchen, free Wi-Fi, children’s playground and a café/take away shop.

It’s located in the heart of Creeslough village overlooking Sheephaven Bay, making it a great base to explore North West Donegal.

3. Lakeside Caravan and Camping Park

Lakeside is located right on the shores of Assaroe Lake and only a brief walk from the little town of Ballyshannon.

It’s a great place to base yourself for exploring the North West, with plenty of things to see and do nearby.

The facilities at this four-stay caravan park are also top notch. They have Wi-Fi, a games room, laundry facilities, toilet and shower blocks and children’s play area.

They have a range of sites to accommodate caravans, motorhomes and tents, with some situated right on the edge of the water.

4. Tramore Beach Caravan and Camping Park

If you’re into water sports, Tramore Beach Caravan Park is for you. This place is located next to the beautiful beach in Rosberg (see photo above). 

The park has 20 spots for campervans and caravans and two large camping areas for tents. They also have a range of facilities on site including:

• Toilet and shower blocks
• A tennis court
• Children’s play area
• Laundry and waste disposal

The only downside is, if you’re a pet lover there are no dogs permitted at the park.

5. Knockalla Caravan and Camping Park

You can enjoy both the mountains and the beach at this caravan park on Ballymastocker Bay. It’s located right on the Blue Flag beach, not far from the slopes of Knockalla Mountain on the Fanad Peninsula.

The park includes Wi-Fi, a games room, café and shop, hot showers and toilet block, camp kitchen and a tennis court for all campers to use.

It’s the perfect place to bring the whole family, with plenty of walks and areas to explore nearby. 

Wild camping in Donegal: A disclaimer first

Since first publishing this guide, we’ve received hundreds (literally) of questions about wild camping in Donegal, and whether it’s allowed.

The quick answer is yes, wild camping in Donegal (and in many places in Ireland) is allowed, but you need to know what’s OK and what isn’t.

Leave no trace

Regardless of where you wild camp, you need to ensure that you leave no trace – if you bring it with you, you take it home – no exceptions.

Private land

Many landowners will be perfectly OK with you camping on their land, but it’s important to ask for permission in advance to avoid being booted out of your tent in the middle of the night.

Go remote (safely)

When wild camping in Donegal or elsewhere, a good rule of thumb is to head off the beat-and-track (do so safely). According to the wild camping code, ‘campsites must be 400m from a road capable of carrying a vehicle. Campsites must be at least 400m from a building.’

The elements

Be careful about where you choose to pitch your tent and ensure that you’re not too exposed to the elements. For example, never pitch a tent near a cliff edge, as the wind could blow it over (sounds unlikely, but we’ve heard horror stories).

Where to go wild camping in Donegal

There’s some mighty spots to go wild camping in Donegal, once you know where to look.

Again, make sure to read the points above before pitching your tent!

1. Glenveagh National Park

First up is Glenveagh National Park. Now, although you can’t camp in the main Glenveagh Valley, it’s permitted outside of it (about a 1-hour walk from the entrance).

Visitors are welcome to camp in the remote areas of the park once the Wild camping Code is kept to. More info here.

2. Beaches

Beaches (not on the sand, of course!) are another good option for wild camping in Donegal. However, they come with a warning – camp a good distance back from the sand on an area (ideally) of elevation.

You need to be confident that you’re well away from the point where the tide comes into. Some examples are Fintra Beach, Silver Strand and Carrickfinn Beach.

3. Off-the-beaten-path areas

When it comes to wild camping in Donegal or elsewhere, the best spots are often the ones you stumble upon and that you’ll never see in online guides.

Places like Lough Salt, pictured above and the many spots on Arranmore Island (just follow your gut and use caution).

Camping Donegal: Where have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant places to go camping in Donegal from the guide above.

If you have a place that you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments below and I’ll check it out! Or, see what other accommodation options the county has to offer in these guides:

• 17 quirky places to go glamping in Donegal
• 21 hotels in Donegal worth your hard-earned €€€
• 7 of the finest spa hotels in Donegal for a pamper
• The fanciest luxury accommodation and five star hotels in Donegal
• 15 of the most unique Airbnbs in Donegal
• 29 gorgeous cottages in Donegal to rent this summer

FAQs about the best camping Donegal has to offer

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Where’s OK to wild camp?’ to ‘Where’s good for families?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.