Attract Cyclists and Walkers to Your Campsite

Every summer, thousands of people cycle and walk across Britain with a tent on their back or a pannier full of kit. They need somewhere to sleep at the end of the day. If you want to attract cyclists and walkers to your campsite, you do not need a big budget or a purpose built hiker hut. You need to understand what these guests actually want, and then make it easy for them to find you and book.

The good news is that this is one of the most welcoming markets for small CL and CS sites. Walkers and cyclists travel light, ask for very little and often stay for a single night, which means they fill the gaps that families with caravans leave behind.

Why cyclists and walkers are worth your time

On paper, a lone walker with a one person tent pays less than a family in a motorhome. In practice, they can be some of your best guests.

• They fit anywhere. A small corner by the hedge or a patch of grass that no caravan could use becomes a paying pitch.
• They book midweek. Many are on multi day trips, so they arrive on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when your diary is quiet.
• They are low maintenance. No hook up, no big vehicle to marshal, and usually asleep early.
• They talk about you. Long distance trails have active online communities where a good campsite gets passed along by word of mouth.

If you are working on filling those slow days, my guide to filling midweek campsite gaps goes deeper on the wider picture.

Check what passes near your site

Before you spend a penny, look at a map. Are you near a National Trail, a long distance footpath or a signed cycle route? The National Cycle Network, the South West Coast Path, the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast are well known, but there are hundreds of regional routes too.

Being a mile off a popular route is often enough. Walkers and cyclists will happily detour for a decent pitch and a hot shower, as long as they know you are there.

Where to look

• Ordnance Survey maps and the OS Maps app, which show footpaths and cycle routes clearly
• Sustrans, for cycle route maps
• The Ramblers and the official National Trails websites
• Local council tourism pages for regional trails

Once you know which routes are close, name them on your website. Something like "Half a mile from the Coast to Coast path" does more work than three paragraphs of general description.

Get the basics right for walkers and cyclists

You do not need to rebuild your site. A few small things make a huge difference to someone arriving tired, wet and hungry.

• A dry place for kit. A covered area, a lean to or even a shed corner where wet waterproofs and tents can dry overnight.
• Secure cycle storage. Cyclists are nervous about leaving expensive bikes outside. A lockable shed or a visible spot near your house puts minds at rest.
• Charging points. Phones, GPS units and lights all need power. A single socket in a safe spot is often enough.
• Hot showers and a pot wash. Simple, clean and hot beats fancy every time.
• A small, flat tent area. Backpacking tents need level ground and shelter from wind more than they need electricity.

If you sell a few basics, even better. Gas canisters, fresh eggs, bread, milk and bike inner tubes are the sort of things that save someone a long walk into town. My piece on selling extras at your campsite has plenty of simple ideas.

Make it easy to book for one night

This is where many small sites lose walkers and cyclists without ever knowing it. These guests plan day to day. They do not know exactly where they will be on Thursday until Wednesday afternoon. If your only booking method is "phone between 9 and 11 in the morning", you will miss most of them.

What they want is simple:

• A way to book online, from a phone, with a bit of signal
• A one night minimum stay, or no minimum stay on tent pitches
• Clear arrival instructions that work for late finishers
• A fair price for a small tent, not a caravan rate

Setting up a separate, cheaper "backpacker" or "hiker and biker" pitch type solves most of this in one go. With online bookings you can give it its own price, a one night minimum and its own spot on the site, so you are not blocking a full size pitch for someone with a tiny tent. If you are not sure how to price it, my campsite pitch pricing guide will help.

Think about late and last minute arrivals

Walkers and cyclists often arrive later than planned. Weather, blisters and punctures all happen. Tell them clearly how late they can arrive and what to do if they are going to be late. A short automatic message with the gate code or arrival instructions saves you waiting up. I wrote more on this in my guide to handling late arrivals.

Tell people you exist

Having a lovely site is no use if nobody searching for it can find you. A few cheap jobs make a real difference.

• Use the words people search. Phrases like "campsite near the Pennine Way" or "cycle friendly campsite" should appear in your website text, page titles and Google Business Profile.
• Add the right photos. A tent on a quiet grass corner with a bike leaning against a gate says more than a drone shot of the whole field.
• List your site. Walking and cycling directories, route guides and local tourism sites all take free listings.
• Update your Google Business Profile. Mention that you welcome walkers and cyclists, and keep your opening dates and phone number correct.

If you have not touched your Google listing in a while, start with my Google Business Profile guide for campsites.

Build relationships along the route

Walkers and cyclists rarely stay with you in isolation. They pass through pubs, cafes, bike shops and B and Bs along the way. A friendly word with these neighbours pays off.

• Ask the nearest pub if you can leave a few flyers on the bar
• Tell the local bike shop you have a safe place to camp
• Swap recommendations with a nearby B and B that is full when you are not
• Offer a luggage drop or a pick up point if you are close to a route

Then ask every guest for a review. Walkers and cyclists are generous with them, and a handful of good reviews on a trail forum is worth more than any advert. If you want help getting them, read my guide on how to get more campsite reviews.

A quick checklist before the next season

• Check which trails and cycle routes pass within a few miles of you
• Name those routes on your website and listings
• Create a cheap one night tent pitch type
• Offer secure bike storage and a place to dry kit
• Make online booking work on a phone with weak signal
• Send clear arrival instructions automatically
• Tell the local pubs, bike shops and B and Bs you are there
• Ask every guest for a review

The takeaway

Walkers and cyclists are not the biggest spenders, but they are easy to look after, they fill your quiet midweek nights and they spread the word. Work out which routes are near you, make the basics comfortable, and let people book a single night from their phone. That is most of the job.

If you would like to take bookings for those hiker and biker pitches without a paper diary, start with CampSuite for free. It is free for CL and CS sites, and small campsites can have it set up in an afternoon. You can see how it works for small sites or have a look at the pricing if you run something bigger.