There’s no need to spend a lot to have fun - all-day parking at our lakes is £5 and you can fit so many fun activities in! If you regularly visit our lakes, why not consider being a Friend of South West Lakes? Becoming a Friend starts at £35 for the year, which provides you with access to free parking at all of our lakes, a free gift, calendar and regular email updates. 

Our lakes have lots of walking trails around or if you're feeling particularly energetic, you can also bring your bikes to cycle the woodland trails with spectacular views! We've come up with some cheap and free activities to try this summer at the lakes and there's something for everyone. Whether you'd like to learn about history, spot wildlife, be active, or simply sit and enjoy the view, #ItsYourOutdoors - come and explore!

Fun and learning for all the family...

You can find fun play areas at Tamar, Stithians, Siblyback and Roadford. At Roadford we have an interactive visitor centre, where visitors of all ages can learn about sustainability, discover which water-saving hero they are, take a water-saving pledge and take part in loads of fun activities. Click here to find out more about Roadford Lake Visitor Centre. 

If you're interested in history and wildlife, why not head over to Burrator Reservoir and pop into the Discovery Centre which is open 11-4pm every day through summer. There's lots of information including the construction of the reservoir, where to walk and the location of historical sites. The walks around Burrator give the opportunity to discover the ruins of abandoned farms, evidence of tin working, the remains of the Princetown Railway and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Spot cists, cairns and prehistoric settlements and keep an eye out for wildlife and Dartmoor ponies!

Wildlife spotting...

There’s always plenty of wildlife to spot and there are lots of trails for you and your children to choose from. Why not stop off at one of our bird hides and see how many birds you can spot. We've written a blog post for top tips on bird watching, take a look at our previous blog post by clicking here. If smaller creatures are more of interest, we have butterfly and dragonfly information too - how many can you spot?

Fantastic food... 

Pack up a picnic and find the perfect spot- you can find picnic tables and benches around our lakes with gorgeous views. We've also got cafes at Roadford, Tamar, Wimbleball, Siblyback and Stithians if you want to treat yourself to cup of tea or coffee! 

There's always a delicious selection of cakes and bakes available, so be sure to pop in and take a look. The cafes also have homemade breakfasts, lunches and cream teas so you'll have plenty of choice. Now the real question is... will you put the cream or jam first on the scone?

Free printable activity sheets...

We've created these fun activity sheets for outdoor inspiration and to help children learn about wildlife. Print them off and go exploring, identify trees, play pooh sticks or find mini beasts! Click the activity sheet you'd like and it will download a PDF copy for you to print. 

Let us know if you manage to tick off all of the activities, we love to see your adventures. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @swlakes and use the hashtag #ItsYourOutdoors.