But police rarely respond to fly-camping incidents, often because alleged offences are classified as civil matters, so enforcement is left to National Trust and LDNPA rangers. For many, like Bolton, this is a toothless approach. 

“They really do need more powers to move people on,” agrees Mick Pearce, the hiker from Egremont who cleaned up that Scafell Pike discarded campsite. “Fly camping is a massive problem along Wastwater’s shoreline, but wardens often get abuse when they tell people they can’t stay overnight. It’s immensely frustrating.”

The National Trust suggests a simple solution. “The responsible way to camp is to stay at a recognised campsite, especially for first-time campers or those lacking experience.” But this isn’t always possible. Official campsites often turn away groups of young people, while sites that do accept them sometimes descend into unruly chaos. 

The much-loved Stonethwaite Campsite in Borrowdale closed on July 9, after alleged problems with rowdy behaviour. “I watched a big group of lads have a two-day bender, playing loud music and burning everything,” wrote one online reviewer, while another said “since Covid the site has been absolutely ruined – there’s no respect for the area.”

A National Trust spokesperson added: “True wild campers have not typically caused any big issues for us, but in recent years we’ve seen an increase in the numbers of people ‘fly-camping’, leaving behind litter and the remnants of fires, and causing damage to the countryside, to grazing animals and to wildlife. Camping without the landowner’s permission is also illegal, but there’s a long tradition of wild camping in the Lake District, where the whole ethos is to leave no trace.”