Judging by how many people visited the site and connected with accommodation providers over the last 12 months – 2018 was definitely a year of adventure.

More and more people are discovering the joys of holiday, short breaks and adventures in the UK. We’ve certainly noticed an increased number of families out and about in the wilds compared to a few years ago. Adventures are for everyone!

So where is everyone going?

We’ve looked at our search data and the number of visitors to each destination on the website and put together the top five most searched national parks during 2018!

5: Northumberland

Northumberland is always near the top when we compile our lists of the top destinations and there is so much to see and do that it’s no wonder it’s so popular!
Covering a variety of different landscapes there is something for everyone including beaches, coastline and hills to explore. Hadrians wall is of course a big attraction in terms of size – it stretches 80 miles and also popularity, but there is so much more to see and do. Kielder water and forest park boasts the largest man-made lake in Europe and the Cheviot Hills are a fantastic place to explore on foot or bike.

Plan a visit to Northumberland and stay at some amazing adventure accommodation including bunkhouses and hostels

4: The Lake District

The Lake District is a stalwart among popular destinations in the UK. Not just popular with those looking for activities and adventure the Lake offer some breathtaking scenery and stunning places for a relaxing break. It really is a good all-rounder for those wanting a fantastic place to spend the weekend or longer.

For adventurers it offers an amazing choice of bunkhouses and hostels most of them in truly picturesque locations usually a stone-throw from a lake. Activities on the water are an obvious draw, but the Lakes have some beautiful hiking routes that can be done in a day – or for somewhat more of a challenge try tackling part of the ‘Coast to Coast‘ route made famous by Wainwright, and if you’re a Star Wars fan it’s definitely worth a visit!

3: Dartmoor

There are few places quite like Dartmoor, and it’s no wonder people live to visit it again and again.
Popular with families, individual and especially with groups there is plenty of hiking and discovering to be had here.
Dartmoor is famous for a few things, one of which are the Tors there are over 160 Tors across Dartmoor and each one is unique. The annual ten Tors challenge is a popular event for young people with thousands taking part over a weekend trying to reach the nominated Tors with a 2 day period.

If you’re not quite feeling up to that level of challenge then there are plenty of lovely hiking routes which may take in a couple of Tors. Dartmoor is a very atmospheric place – helped by the infamous Dartmoor Prison right in the middle of it!
There are plenty of great places to stay – if you’ve never been to Dartmoor before it’s time to go!

2: Snowdonia

We’ve been writing and praising Snowdonia for a while now.. it’s more than just a mountain (although that is obviously a big draw!) along with some of Wales’ most stunning scenery there are a huge number of outdoor activity-based businesses springing up all over the National Park. Whether you’re looking for something for team building, a solo adventure or even stag or hen weekends there is just so much to do in Snowdonia.

…Or of course you can just climb that really big mountain 😉

Snowdownia is huge (823 sq miles!) and there are plenty of amazing places to stay – for every budget and requirement.

1: The Peak District

Right in at number one is The Peak District – the most searched national park on Bunkr during 2018!

The Peak District was the UK’s FIRST EVER national Park created way back in 1951 and it there are many reasons why adventurers find it so appealing. With stunning scenery and a varying landscape the Peak District offers an amazing environment for hiking or biking. If you love hiking you’ll love locations like Edale and Kinder Scout or if you’re after a more serious challenge the 268 mile long Pennine Way starts in the Peak District.

Plan your stay or break – start your search for bunkhouses in the Peak District

Just a note about this…

This is just a bit of fun, we’re not claiming this is a scientific study or recommending one park over another (we love them all!). In fact all the National Parks showed an increase in page visitors during 2018 and some places have very few places between them in the league table! All information and data regarding visitors and popularity is in relation to their performance on the bunkr.co.uk website.

If you own or run accommodation or an activity business and you’d like to be listed on our site click here to find out how to advertise (its easy!)