Dog Friendly Holidays in Devon
Dogs are properly welcome here. Not tolerated — welcome. We have spent years putting the right things in place: a purpose-built dog spa, a walking trail to the Donkey Sanctuary straight from the park gate, dog friendly accommodation across every type of pitch and lodge and a café with a menu for dogs as well as their owners.
East Devon has some of the finest dog friendly countryside and coastline in the South West. Oakdown puts you in the middle of it, three miles from Sidmouth in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Jamie and Lorraine, with Buddy and Pickles, on holidaying at Oakdown with dogs.
Awards and recognition
- AA Five Star Platinum Pennant, 2026 to 2027 — 97 per cent at inspection in May 2026. One of the few parks in East Devon to hold it.
- Practical Caravan Best Pet Friendly Site 2026 — national recognition for dog friendly holidays.
- David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award — every year since 1996.
- Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice — 2025 and 2026.
Clean Paws dog spa
Clean Paws is our purpose-built dog wash, set centrally on the park and free to use throughout your stay. It was designed from the ground up for dogs coming back from a proper walk — full dog bath, hot water shower and a professional hairdryer.
No muddy car. No muddy lodge. Just a clean dog. Dog shampoo is available to buy from the on-site shop.
Free for every guest. Clean Paws is open all day and available to guests staying in any accommodation — touring, lodge or glamping.
The Donkey Sanctuary trail
A signed walking trail runs from the park gate through ancient managed hedgerow to the Donkey Sanctuary — fifteen minutes on foot, level ground throughout. No car needed. No stiles. Walkable in all weathers and suitable for dogs of any size.
The trail connects to the South West Coast Path, so from the Sanctuary you can carry on down to the clifftops and come back on a circular route.
Fifteen minutes from the park gate. Level ground, all weathers, connecting to the South West Coast Path. Entry to the Donkey Sanctuary is free and dogs are welcome throughout the site.
Dog friendly accommodation
Dogs are welcome across every type of accommodation at Oakdown. Whether you are in one of the landscaped touring groves, a luxury leisure lodge or glamping in The Shire, there is room for your dog alongside you.
Dog friendly lodges
Five of our sixteen leisure lodges welcome up to two dogs — Hazel Grove 1 to 5. Each one has a dining station with food and water bowl, a dog bed and blanket, a welcome treat and a corkscrew ground anchor for the garden.
Dog friendly touring and camping
Dogs are welcome on all 97 touring pitches. The landscaped groves give a natural sense of space — good ground for a dog with a nose for a hedge.
Dog friendly glamping
The barrel pods and premier pods in The Shire welcome dogs. The shepherd’s huts do not. Clean Paws is a short walk from every glamping pitch. Please bring your dog’s own bedding.
Dog friendly facilities
Clean Paws, the on-site shop for shampoo and treats, dog waste bins throughout the park and a welcome from the reception team that includes a treat on arrival.
Oak Mead Café
The Oak Mead Café at our on-site golf course welcomes dogs and has a doggy menu of its own — one of very few holiday park cafés in the South West to offer one. Dog friendly ice cream is served throughout the season.
Dogs are welcome throughout the café. It is the kind of detail that sounds minor until you are sitting in the sun with a coffee and a dog who is clearly having the better holiday.
Doggy menu all season. Dogs welcome throughout Oak Mead Café, with dog friendly ice cream served at the counter.
Dog friendly days out
Year-round dog friendly beaches, clifftop walks, country pubs and the Jurassic Coast are all within easy reach of the park.
Beaches
Branscombe is ten minutes away and welcomes dogs all year. Seaton, Beer and Sidmouth are all within twenty minutes. Seasonal restrictions vary, so check before you set off.
Walks
Salcombe Hill is five minutes by car — a 4.5 mile circular with views along the Jurassic Coast. Mutters Moor heathland is also five minutes. Branscombe to Weston Mouth is one of Devon’s finest coastal stretches.
Cafés
Dukes, The Mocha and The Marine are all sea-facing and dog friendly in Sidmouth, eight minutes away. Milsons Point and The Courtyard come recommended by Andrianna.
Attractions
The Donkey Sanctuary is on the doorstep. National Trust properties, historic villages and Jurassic Coast landmarks are all close by.
Seaton Tramway
For a small charge dogs can ride the on the lower decks alongside their owners. Assistant dogs go free.
Seaton Tram is a narrow-gauge railway through the Axe Valley estuary — one of the great dog friendly days out in Devon. Twenty minutes from the park.
Pubs
The Fountain Head and Masons Arms in Branscombe are fifteen minutes away, the Volunteer Inn in Sidmouth eight minutes and the Blue Ball Inn in Sidford ten. All recommended by the team.
Our dog policy
Dogs are welcome across every type of accommodation at Oakdown. Charges are applied at the time of booking, where the current rate is always the one you pay.
Lodges
Up to two dogs in the five Hazel Grove lodges. A dog bed, blanket, dining station and welcome treat are provided.
Touring and camping
Dogs are welcome on every pitch. They must be kept on a lead throughout the park.
Glamping
Barrel pods and premier pods welcome dogs. The shepherd’s huts do not. Please bring your dog’s own bedding.
Dogs on leads throughout. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times within the park and exercised off site. Please do not leave dogs unattended in your accommodation. Reception can point you to the nearest off-lead areas.
Guest reviews
“It really is the perfect place to take a dog-friendly break and we were so impressed by Oakdown Holiday Park.”
Kate Taylor, Dotty4Paws — specialist dog travel blog
“Oakdown is not only family friendly but genuinely dog friendly too, with a gated dog-walking lane and easy walks straight to the Donkey Sanctuary.”
Guest review
Book your stay
Book online or call the team on 01297 680 387 and we will help you find the right pitch or lodge.