TheAdventure Report

The best spots in the UK foradventurous activities and camping

2021 proved one of the strongest years for the UK staycation market,and Brits have continued to book UK based trips at record levels for summer 2022. But where inthe UK offers the most exciting holidays for thrill seekers?

Here at Parkdean Resorts, we love having amazing activities for everyone,but we wanted to find out the country's adventure hotspots! We're finding out which countieshave the best hiking trails, adventurous activities, waterfalls, rivers, backpackingopportunities and related hashtags to compile our adventure report, giving inspiration to theadventure hunters looking for their 2022 adrenaline-filled trip away! And, for the year-roundadventure hunters, look no further than our report for your next thrill seeking getaway!

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North Yorkshire

Adventurous activities 38
Hiking trails 475
Waterfalls 54
Rivers & lakes 323
Backpacking opportunities 47
Instagram hashtags 943,402

Overall adventure score 100

Devon

Adventurous activities 154
Hiking trails 61
Waterfalls 12
Rivers & lakes 124
Backpacking opportunities 33
Instagram hashtags 4,184,231

Overall adventure score 99

Cornwall

Adventurous activities 214
Hiking trails 35
Waterfalls 4
Rivers & lakes 76
Backpacking opportunities 32
Instagram hashtags 7,630,536

Overall adventure score 97

Hampshire

Adventurous activities 73
Hiking trails 40
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 278
Backpacking opportunities 35
Instagram hashtags 1,540,406

Overall adventure score 96

Cumbria

Adventurous activities 120
Hiking trails 4
Waterfalls 115
Rivers & lakes 743
Backpacking opportunities 101
Instagram hashtags 1,598,143

Overall adventure score 95

West Yorkshire

Adventurous activities 25
Hiking trails 267
Waterfalls 15
Rivers & lakes 259
Backpacking opportunities 6
Instagram hashtags 683,761

Overall adventure score 94

Derbyshire

Adventurous activities 40
Hiking trails 7
Waterfalls 41
Rivers & lakes 398
Backpacking opportunities 26
Instagram hashtags 1,537,449

Overall adventure score 92

Surrey

Adventurous activities 31
Hiking trails 12
Waterfalls 7
Rivers & lakes 332
Backpacking opportunities 22
Instagram hashtags 3,734,773

Overall adventure score 90

Lancashire

Adventurous activities 31
Hiking trails 42
Waterfalls 21
Rivers & lakes 252
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 1,219,980

Overall adventure score 90

Somerset

Adventurous activities 45
Hiking trails 34
Waterfalls 4
Rivers & lakes 103
Backpacking opportunities 7
Instagram hashtags 1,865,561

Overall adventure score 88

Gwynedd

Adventurous activities 28
Hiking trails 164
Waterfalls 18
Rivers & lakes 154
Backpacking opportunities 18
Instagram hashtags 92,943

Overall adventure score 87

Argyll and Bute

Adventurous activities 26
Hiking trails 120
Waterfalls 18
Rivers & lakes 101
Backpacking opportunities 31
Instagram hashtags 170,608

Overall adventure score 86

Kent

Adventurous activities 58
Hiking trails 19
Waterfalls 3
Rivers & lakes 141
Backpacking opportunities 6
Instagram hashtags 4,015,756

Overall adventure score 85

London

Adventurous activities 152
Hiking trails 31
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 244
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 149,233,937

Overall adventure score 82

West Sussex

Adventurous activities 32
Hiking trails 32
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 219
Backpacking opportunities 13
Instagram hashtags 795,031

Overall adventure score 82

Shropshire

Adventurous activities 32
Hiking trails 42
Waterfalls 4
Rivers & lakes 74
Backpacking opportunities 8
Instagram hashtags 916,422

Overall adventure score 81

Norfolk

Adventurous activities 52
Hiking trails 32
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 76
Backpacking opportunities 17
Instagram hashtags 3,525,350

Overall adventure score 79

East Sussex

Adventurous activities 55
Hiking trails 16
Waterfalls 3
Rivers & lakes 143
Backpacking opportunities 18
Instagram hashtags 717,576

Overall adventure score 78

Aberdeenshire

Adventurous activities 17
Hiking trails 99
Waterfalls 9
Rivers & lakes 91
Backpacking opportunities 13
Instagram hashtags 454,392

Overall adventure score 77

Powys

Adventurous activities 12
Hiking trails 139
Waterfalls 21
Rivers & lakes 142
Backpacking opportunities 25
Instagram hashtags 81,824

Overall adventure score 76

City of Edinburgh

Adventurous activities 33
Hiking trails 80
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 75
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 9,480,293

Overall adventure score 74

Cheshire

Adventurous activities 26
Hiking trails 23
Waterfalls 7
Rivers & lakes 156
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 2,571,351

Overall adventure score 73

Gloucestershire

Adventurous activities 16
Hiking trails 22
Waterfalls 3
Rivers & lakes 133
Backpacking opportunities 28
Instagram hashtags 762,705

Overall adventure score 71

Oxfordshire

Adventurous activities 37
Hiking trails 30
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 130
Backpacking opportunities 6
Instagram hashtags 960,852

Overall adventure score 71

Dorset

Adventurous activities 78
Hiking trails 29
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 44
Backpacking opportunities 20
Instagram hashtags 2,401,813

Overall adventure score 69

City of Glasgow

Adventurous activities 20
Hiking trails 53
Waterfalls 3
Rivers & lakes 55
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 7,166,712

Overall adventure score 68

South Yorkshire

Adventurous activities 18
Hiking trails 138
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 127
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 354,166

Overall adventure score 65

Greater Manchester

Adventurous activities 37
Hiking trails 5
Waterfalls 9
Rivers & lakes 277
Backpacking opportunities 5
Instagram hashtags 164,361

Overall adventure score 64

Staffordshire

Adventurous activities 31
Hiking trails 13
Waterfalls 6
Rivers & lakes 149
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 1,564,211

Overall adventure score 63

Pembrokeshire

Adventurous activities 34
Hiking trails 62
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 17
Backpacking opportunities 18
Instagram hashtags 608,096

Overall adventure score 62

Essex

Adventurous activities 74
Hiking trails 8
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 97
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 4,859,482

Overall adventure score 60

West Midlands

Adventurous activities 30
Hiking trails 12
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 132
Backpacking opportunities 10
Instagram hashtags 715,403

Overall adventure score 59

Fife

Adventurous activities 18
Hiking trails 51
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 25
Backpacking opportunities 5
Instagram hashtags 544,093

Overall adventure score 58

Monmouthshire

Adventurous activities 12
Hiking trails 74
Waterfalls 4
Rivers & lakes 53
Backpacking opportunities 9
Instagram hashtags 77,331

Overall adventure score 56

Lincolnshire

Adventurous activities 30
Hiking trails 42
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 66
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 829,497

Overall adventure score 55

Warwickshire

Adventurous activities 22
Hiking trails 40
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 79
Backpacking opportunities 13
Instagram hashtags 531,502

Overall adventure score 54

Suffolk

Adventurous activities 26
Hiking trails 17
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 62
Backpacking opportunities 4
Instagram hashtags 2,032,464

Overall adventure score 53

Bristol

Adventurous activities 19
Hiking trails 5
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 41
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 6,047,314

Overall adventure score 51

Berkshire

Adventurous activities 26
Hiking trails 9
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 165
Backpacking opportunities 4
Instagram hashtags 721,478

Overall adventure score 50

Carmarthenshire

Adventurous activities 11
Hiking trails 44
Waterfalls 2
Rivers & lakes 35
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 100,180

Overall adventure score 47

Buckinghamshire

Adventurous activities 30
Hiking trails 15
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 73
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 492,394

Overall adventure score 46

Northamptonshire

Adventurous activities 41
Hiking trails 11
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 74
Backpacking opportunities 5
Instagram hashtags 419,692

Overall adventure score 45

City of Aberdeen

Adventurous activities 7
Hiking trails 32
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 12
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 1,596,255

Overall adventure score 44

Herefordshire

Adventurous activities 24
Hiking trails 14
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 24
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 348,139

Overall adventure score 42

East Riding Yorkshire

Adventurous activities 11
Hiking trails 67
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 33
Backpacking opportunities 10
Instagram hashtags 106

Overall adventure score 41

Durham

Adventurous activities 3
Hiking trails 18
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 96
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 2,554,049

Overall adventure score 38

Leicestershire

Adventurous activities 16
Hiking trails 35
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 58
Backpacking opportunities 0
Instagram hashtags 559,205

Overall adventure score 37

Cambridgeshire

Adventurous activities 24
Hiking trails 8
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 73
Backpacking opportunities 0
Instagram hashtags 509,162

Overall adventure score 35

Clackmannanshire

Adventurous activities 2
Hiking trails 27
Waterfalls 5
Rivers & lakes 25
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 19,460

Overall adventure score 32

Plymouth

Adventurous activities 19
Hiking trails 12
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 6
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 2,111,125

Overall adventure score 32

Denbighshire

Adventurous activities 14
Hiking trails 29
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 18
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 39,957

Overall adventure score 31

Moray (Elginshire)

Adventurous activities 9
Hiking trails 24
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 16
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 245,032

Overall adventure score 29

Midlothian

Adventurous activities 0
Hiking trails 24
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 25
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 183,072

Overall adventure score 28

Isle of Wight

Adventurous activities 12
Hiking trails 10
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 14
Backpacking opportunities 3
Instagram hashtags 1,008,433

Overall adventure score 27

Nottinghamshire

Adventurous activities 26
Hiking trails 8
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 86
Backpacking opportunities 0
Instagram hashtags 435,064

Overall adventure score 26

Shetland Islands

Adventurous activities 3
Hiking trails 38
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 35
Backpacking opportunities 0
Instagram hashtags 648,717

Overall adventure score 24

Angus (Forfarshire)

Adventurous activities 3
Hiking trails 29
Waterfalls 1
Rivers & lakes 29
Backpacking opportunities 2
Instagram hashtags 278

Overall adventure score 23

Bedfordshire

Adventurous activities 16
Hiking trails 19
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 40
Backpacking opportunities 0
Instagram hashtags 464,075

Overall adventure score 22

Anglesey

Adventurous activities 16
Hiking trails 24
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 11
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 432,900

Overall adventure score 21

East Lothian

Adventurous activities 10
Hiking trails 28
Waterfalls 0
Rivers & lakes 18
Backpacking opportunities 1
Instagram hashtags 252,694

Overall adventure score 18

Yorkshire is the top adventuredestination

The best counties for adventureholidays

Adventure Score100

1Yorkshire

When it comes to ultimate adventure destinations in the UK,North Yorkshire takes the top spot with a combination of 475 hiking trails and 323 idyllic riversand lakes. From national parks and rugged coastlines to incredible architecture andvibrant cities, Yorkshire has it all - including adventure. From high rope walks at CaytonBay to zorbing and hoverboards, it's clear why the county is known foradventure. With 943,402 Instagram hashtags related to adventure holidays, it's aclear winner for more out-there family holidays in the UK.

Adventure Score99

2Devon

Coming in second is Devon. With itssandy beaches and fossil filled cliffs, it’s the perfect landscape for an adventureholiday, gaining a whopping 4,184,231 Instagram hashtags related to adventureactivities in the area. With Brits wanting to get out and about to catch up on allthe activities missed in the past year, Devon is one of the best counties to do thisin. From archery at Ruda HolidayPark to mountain boarding nearby at The Big Sheep, there are 38 amazingadventurous activities to do in this county.

Adventure Score97

3Cornwall

In third place is Cornwall with anincredible 214 adventurous activities, making it the best county to take up a newadventure or hobby in. Although known as a world renowned surfing haven, whilstholidaying with Parkdean Resorts, beachgoers can try their hand at a thrill-filledafternoon sand boarding at the iconic Holywell Bay Sand Dunes. Or, for a more leisurely outing, families can enjoy thebeautiful sites of the county through any of its 35 picturesque hiking trails.

Adventure Score96

4Hampshire

Hampshire isthe fourth perfect place for an adventure holiday for friends and family alike. Hometo an incredible 40 hiking trails, Hampshire is one of the best spots to really getto grips with beautiful coastal trails, or try your hand at watersports in itsperfect blue seas.

Adventure Score95

5Cumbria

In fifth place for the county that has the ultimate adventureoffering is Cumbria, with a trip to the LakeDistrict giving Brits the break they need to try something adventurous andnew! Enjoy the sights of Lake Windermere, or hike the region's iconic peaks to findone of the county's 115 waterfalls. As well as 743 rivers and lakes, there are anincredible 120 adventurous activities to enjoy in Cumbria for the perfect UKholiday.

Mountain biking isthe leading adventure sport

UK's most popularadventure activities

It isn't just the counties looking for adventure. Using Googlesearch data, we have been able to find out the most popular activities in the UK that get yourheart pumping and adrenaline racing.

#	Activity	Google Searches	Adventure Hotspot
1	Mountain biking	642,140	West Midlands
2	Kayaking	214,690	Hampshire
3	Longboarding	29,840	Hampshire
4	Bodyboarding	24,950	Devon
5	Surfing	21,330	Devon
6	Gliding	20,760	West Midlands
7	Rafting	19,030	West Midlands
8	Skydiving	17,770	West Midlands
9	Climbing	16,980	West Midlands
10	Snowboarding	16,500	West Midlands
11	Windsurfing	15,260	Hampshire
12	Rock climbing	14,740	West Midlands
13	Paragliding	14,700	West Midlands
14	Motorsport	14,580	West Midlands
15	Hiking	14,180	West Midlands
16	Archery	13,900	West Midlands
17	Laser tag	12,070	West Midlands
18	Scuba diving	11,000	West Midlands
19	Wakeboarding	10,970	Hampshire
20	Kitesurfing	7,850	Hampshire
21	Zorbing	7,450	West Midlands
22	Bungee jumping	7,130	West Midlands
23	Abseiling	6,960	West Midlands
24	Show jumping	6,370	Kent
25	Freerunning	5,860	West Midlands
26	Ziplining	5,400	West Midlands
27	Parasailing	4,720	West Midlands
28	Whitewater rafting	4,500	Essex
29	Base jumping	3,870	Essex
30	Freediving	3,780	Devon
31	Mountaineering	2,750	West Midlands
32	Water skiing	2,350	West Midlands
33	Cliff jumping	1,880	Devon
34	Slacklining	1,830	Hampshire
35	Flowriding	1,810	West Midlands
36	Canyoning	1,560	West Midlands
37	Ski jumping	1,510	West Midlands
38	Rallying	1,470	West Midlands
39	High ropes	1,340	Essex
40	Wingsuit flying	1,230	West Midlands
41	Cave diving	1,210	West Midlands
42	Whitewater kayaking	1,200	Devon
43	Ice climbing	1,140	West Midlands
44	Sandboarding	700	Devon

*Google searches - the total number of searches over the last 12 months

**Adventure hotspot - UK location with the highest search volumes

1MountainBiking

With 642,140 searches, Mountain biking comes in first placefor Britain's favourite adventure activity. A sport that can be practiced from everylevel, it just needs the power to pedal and guts to go.

UK hotspots formountain biking include Surrey, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Devon. Luckily, cycle hire isavailable at selected ParkdeanResorts, so you don’t need to worry about fitting the bikes and the familyin the car for your adventure holiday, as everything will be available on park.

2Kayaking

Kayaking is the adventure activity in second place, with thewater sport seeing 214,690 searches in the last 12 months alone. Located wherelakes, rivers and open waters are available, this is the kind of adventure activitynot everyone has access to. If you and the family want to give it a go, check outour SandfordHoliday Park, close to Poole and its incredible water sports activities, orhead to Poole Harbour SeaKayaking to head out on a coastal kayaking adventure.

3Longboarding

Coming in third is longboarding - the sister activity to thenew Olympic sport skateboarding. Seeing over 29,000 searches, longboarding isperfect for people looking for a curbside adventure and is a lifelong skill you cantake anywhere - just make sure you've got your helmet and pads!

4Bodyboarding

Perfect for children and parents, bodyboarding is an idealactivity for coastal getaways. With 24,950 searches, bodyboarding is universallyknown to be easier to learn than traditional surfing and is a great alternative forpeople looking to ease themselves into sea-based adventure activities. Coastlinesthat are home to great bodyboarding shores include Cornwall, Devon, North and SouthWales and North Yorkshire.

5Surfing

A step up from bodyboarding, surfing is normally wellattributed to the southwest peninsula. However, the water-based adventure came in asthe fifth most popular overall adventure activity, with 21,330 searches. Althoughsecond to bodyboarding, surfing can be found all over the UK, and for people lookingto learn, St Vedas School and Shop is onlya ten-minute drive from EyemouthHoliday Park in Berwickshire.

Durham is the trending hotspotfor adventure activities enthusiasts and searches

The UK's trending hotspots foradventure

From the counties equipped for adventure to the most popular activities,we've studied adventure across the UK - but which are the counties that are wanting to find outmore about adventurous activities? We looked at the increase in year-on-year Google searches ofmultiple adventurous activities to find out the counties that are looking to spice up theirhobbies and interests.

1durham

With the highest increase in year-on-year searches for 25adventurous activities, Durham's residents have shown the highest increase in interestaround adventurous activities in Britain. Whitewater rafting proved the most popularwith an 800% increase in searches of the last 12 months, followed by paintballing with a700% increase. The Tees Barrage (which is located less than thirty minutes from the CrimdonDene Park) boasts a menu of exhilarating water sport activities, includingwhitewater rafting, bell boating, paddlesports, raft building, powerboat trips, familyrafting and stand-up paddleboarding.

2cumbria

Close second, Cumbria is one of the top trending hotspots foradventure sports, the most popular of which is canyoning with a 400% increase. The areais famous for the adrenaline-pumping sport, so it is one of the best places to get ataste for adventure. Make your way down a canyon river by walking, swimming, or evenabseiling.

3cornwall

Coming in joint with Cumbria, Cornwall is another trending hotspot- but interestingly not for surfing! The seaside haven saw an upsurge in go-karting witha 400% increase in searches for the activity. Incredibly, it is rock climbing that hasturned the area into an adventure hotspot too, with a huge 7,150% increase in interestfor the activity in Cornwall.

4Bristol

Bristol appears three times as a trending hotspot and is anadventure hub for laser tag with a 1,340% increase in search activity, as well asflowriding with a 1,600% jump, a sport that combines elements of surfing, bodyboarding,skateboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding.

5Isleof Wight

Appearing twice on our trending hotspot list, The Isle of Wighthits the adventure hotspots with a 100% search increase in freediving - a dangeroussport that relies solely on your own breath whilst diving. Definitely a sport best leftto the professionals.

6norfolk

Norfolk appears twice as a trending hotspot on our list, with an88% search increase in freerunning, an aesthetic activity that is considered both asport and performance art, and a 133% search increase in slacklining.

7derbyshire

Derbyshire came up twice as a trending hotspot with a 75% increasein searches for the popular sport kitesurfing, an adrenaline seeker's sport that can becarried out on water, land or snow, and an 89% increase in snowboarding. Although thebirthplace of windsurfing, Hayling Island (Hampshire) is an ideal location for anybodylooking to try their hand at kitesurfing.

8cheshire

Appearing once, Cheshire landed its place on the trending hotspotlist with a 150% search increase for whitewater kayaking activities, the perfectadventure sport for thrill-seekers and those who love to take on a challenge in water.

9buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire takes two adventure sports on our trending hotspotlist with an 800% increase in searches for high ropes activities and 125% increase insearches for water skiing - perfect adventure sports for those who seek a challenge toreally get their heart pumping.

10essex

Essex appears once with a 662% increase in searches for basejumping, a sport for those seeking an adrenaline rush, involving using a parachute tojump from tall buildings and objects. Not one for those afraid of heights - or falling,for that matter.

11WestMidlands

The West Midlands appears once on our trending hotspot list forsandboarding, with a 425% increase in searches for this extreme sport that involvesriding across vast areas of sand, either strapped to a board or free-standing. You know,on all those beautiful West Midlands sand dunes.

12surrey

Surrey also appears once with a 200% increase in searches for skijumping, a popular winter sport that sees competitors aim to achieve the longest jumpwhile descending from a great height - not one for the faint hearted!

13Devon(Plymouth)

Plymouth, situated on the south coast of Devon, has seen a 100%increase in searches for cave diving, an extreme sport for true lovers of the ocean thatinvolves diving in water-filled caves.

14warwickshire

Warwickshire appears once on our trending hotspot list, with a100% increase in wingsuit flying, a sport that involves free-falling from height - theperfect sport for those seeking an adrenaline-fueled thrill!

15rutland

Finally, Rutland saw a 100% increase in searches for the popular,family favourite seaside water sport, bodyboarding, on our trending hotspot list.

Methodology

The Adventure Report was compiled using Google search data for citiesand counties of the UK for key adventure sports as well as the number of the elements thatmake a location an adventure hotspot from number of hiking trails and waterfalls toadventure hashtags and backpacking opportunities.