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If you are looking to fully experience the majestic natural beauty of the Lake District, as well as all of the fabulous activities that the Cumbrian great outdoors have to offer, a camping holiday in the Lake District is the ideal way to do it. Opportunities to pitch your tent are as stunningly varied as the wonderful Cumbrian countryside and the unrivalled proximity to nature that sleeping under canvas affords you makes a camping holiday in the Lake District an awe-inspiring experience.

Naturally, when it comes to beautiful Lakeland campsites you are simply spoiled for choice. A huge range of amenities are also on offer, catering for whatever level of creature comfort that you look for when ‘roughing it’. Where some may feel the need to make concessions with regard to their amenities, there is never any compromise on the breathtaking vistas that the Lake District has to offer.

Pitch your tent in the foothills surrounding England’s highest mountains and absorb the dramatic scenery that is synonymous with the countryside in Cumbria. Place yourself in the middle of a landscape that sees enchanting, misty peaks reflected in the cool, glassy waters of the Lake District. Whet your appetite for adventure and wake up to the majesty of nature, first-hand. Savour the sunrise over Ullswater before spending your days enjoying all of the outdoor pursuits that make the Lake District the greatest adventure playground in the country. Then, after another day of adventuring, head back to camp for a hearty fireside meal.

Camping in the Lake District isn’t all about nights under canvas though. You’ll also find a great selection of caravan and touring parks. The facilities that these parks have to offer are first rate and the sites are spread out across the whole region, giving visitors to the Lake District a great choice of locations. The added mobility afforded by camping allows you to savour a mixture of settings. If you so desire, you can wake up to a different, awe-inspiring scene each morning of your stay. The other key benefit of camping is monetary and Cumbrian caravan parks offer excellent value for money as well as some of the finest locations in the country.

Ideal for both families and couples, Castlerigg Hall Caravan & Camping Park is a superb example of the standard on offer in the Lake District. Crowned holiday park of the year in 2009, it has one of the most enviable vantage points in the Lake District, overlooking Derwentwater and the surrounding fells. The site aims to encourage as much wildlife as possible and is a committed supporter the David Bellamy Conservation Awards, having just achieved an 8th consecutive gold award for their continuing commitment to conservation and the environment.  You can even spend the evening relaxing on your caravan’s terrace, watching deer, red squirrel and even badgers.

Visit www.golakes.co.uk for more information on the finest camping and caravanning that the Lake District has to offer.

Hostels and Camping Barns in the Lake District offer an ideal alternative to those visitors who aren’t keen on camping out under canvas but still want to make the most of the Cumbrian great outdoors. Although they welcome any number of visitors, this type of accommodation is often best suited to larger groups. However, couples, families and those travelling alone will still find that the accessibility and overall ease of hostel accommodation in Cumbria makes them a great choice when looking for somewhere to stay.

The Lake District is synonymous with stunning scenery and the huge variety of outdoor activities that visitors can enjoy when staying in the area. Hostels provide excellent proximity to this fabulous countryside and the activities therein, with some added creature comforts that are not often afforded to those visitors who decide to camp. If you are intending to visit the Lake District in order to take advantage of some of the best walking that the UK has to offer, groups of intrepid walkers have long found that hostels provide the most convenient and affordable accommodation in Cumbria. After a hard day of trekking the fells, a hostel in the Lake District offers visitors a homely and relaxing environment, situated close to the wonderful countryside, in which to soothe those aching muscles.

If you decide to stay in a hostel in Cumbria, you can take advantage of some of the fabulous services on offer, like great home cooked food and well furnished living areas. If the visit calls for a secluded mountain getaway, a tranquil lakeside retreat or a convenient town centre stay, the Lake District is home to an unrivalled variety of hostels that offer guests great value for money and excellent facilities.

There is another option that bridges the gap between camping and staying in a hostel. So, if you like the idea of camping but find the reality to be a little wilder than you’d like, you should consider a stay in a camping barn. They tend to be old stone farm buildings and there are over a dozen barns in the Lake District, which sleep between 8 and 18 people. A bed space will cost from £6 per night or your group can hire the whole barn. The facilities differ between barns but cold running water, a flushing toilet, a sleeping area, dining area and parking are basic facilities that are common to them all. Some Cumbrian camping barns come equipped with log fires, hot water, showers and facilities for cooking. So, the freedom that’s offered by hostels and camping barns in the Lake District makes them an excellent choice of accommodation in Cumbria.

If you’re planning a springtime holiday with the family, the Lake District is home to an Easter Eggs-travaganza that simply should not be missed. We’re sure that children of all ages will relish the opportunity to join in with the biggest Easter Egg Hunt in the North of England. With 100 unique Peter Rabbit eggs hidden across Cumbria, your search could well draw you into Mr McGregor’s garden but never fear, there’s safety in numbers so bring the whole family and enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

The wonderful backdrop of the Lake District provides the perfect setting; birthplace of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and all of the other charming characters brought to life by Beatrix Potter. Follow in their pawprints as you adventure all over the Lakes, thanks to The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in Bowness-on-Windermere.

Peter Rabbit’s Easter Egg Hunt gets underway at 10.00am on 31st March 2010, when the Go Lakes website will unveil the map that shows the location of all 100 eggs. There will be clues to their location too but the searching is down to you. So, savour the fabulous spring countryside and get the whole family working together. The eggs could be hidden anywhere in the Lake District; in picturesque villages, gorgeous spring gardens, beside beautiful lakes or even on the top of some of the Lake District’s majestic, rolling hills. Wherever they are, they’ll be hidden in plain sight so you don’t have to worry about your little bunnies getting their paws dirty.

Every one of the 100 eggs in The Great Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt has been specially designed by local potter, Sue Dunne. Each is an extremely limited edition collector’s item for you to keep as a momento of your adventure. Not only that though, for everyone that finds an one of these fabulous eggs there is a free trip for two adults and two children to the wonderful World of Beatrix Potter Attraction and one of the first copies of a new Peter Rabbit tale, The Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt, published by F Warne & Co. Just bring your egg to The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in order to claim your reward. However, out of those 100 hidden eggs, there are ten which entitle the lucky hunter to an even more amazing prize! The top prize is a two night break for a family of four at the Low Wood Hotel, on the stunning shores of magnificent Lake Windermere.

You can keep up with the progress of the Great Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt by revisiting the map page on the Go Lakes website or by following peterrabbiteggs on twitter.

The Lake District is proud to have inspired Beatrix Potter’s wonderful stories and enchanting characters, like Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. These charming creations are loved by children from all over the world but have a special place in their Cumbrian playground. Potter first visited the Lake District in 1882 while on holiday with her own family and like many others before and after, was captivated by the inspiring scenery. She has drawn families to the area ever since.The Lake District was to be a defining influence on Beatrix Potter for more than sixty years, first as inspiration for her wonderful children’s stories and later, moving her to take on pioneering conservation work to protect the Lake District’s beautiful scenery and wildlife for future generations.

Bring your family and stir their imaginations in the same setting that gave generations of delighted children their fondest memories. Stay in the Edwardian villas and ancient farmhouses that were once owned by Beatrix Potter herself, now turned into hotels and guest houses where you can follow in Beatrix Potter’s footsteps and fall asleep in the rooms where once your favourite childhood characters were dreamed up.