The South West is packed with proper family adventures that don’t cost a penny – and a lot of them feel like you’ve stumbled onto something locals don’t always shout about. Here are some of the best hidden-gem-style free days out:

Here are our favourite hidden gems to explore with children,  the kind of places where they can run, climb, discover, and burn energy without you constantly checking your wallet.

Puzzlewood in Gloucestershire

This is basically “storybook forest turned real life”. It’s an ancient woodland full of twisted roots, moss-covered rocks, narrow winding paths, and natural rock formations that make it feel like a maze. It’s been used in films, but what matters more is how kids respond to it – they don’t really “walk” here, they explore. Every corner feels like it could lead somewhere new.

A few useful things to know:

• It’s more compact than it looks on photos – you can take your time and still see everything in 1–2 hours.
• Paths can be uneven and muddy after rain (proper boots help).
• It’s very imagination-driven rather than playground-driven, so best for kids who like storytelling, climbing, and hiding.

Haldon Forest Park in Devon

This is your “easy win” forest day out. Super accessible, lots of space, and designed so families can just turn up and go at their own pace.

You get wide forest tracks, marked trails, sculpture routes, and optional bike hire if you want to ramp it up. There are also play areas tucked into the woods so kids naturally drift between walking and playing without it feeling forced.

What it’s great for:

• Burning energy without risk (lots of visibility and open tracks)
• Mixed ages (older kids cycle, younger ones explore/play)
• Easy picnic spots everywhere

It’s not “wild and remote” like Dartmoor, it’s more structured, but in a helpful way.

Dartmoor National Park in Devon 

This is the big one! Proper open moorland where the landscape does most of the entertaining.

It feels vast in a way that’s hard to describe until you’re there: rolling hills, granite tors you can climb, winding rivers, and those famous semi-wild ponies just doing their thing.

Why families love it:

• No strict “route” needed – you can just explore safely in many areas
• Natural climbing and scrambling everywhere (tors are perfect for this)
• Huge sense of freedom compared to parks or forests

Things to be aware of:

• Weather changes fast – it can go from sunny to misty quickly
• It’s easy to lose bearings if you wander too freely (simple route planning helps)
• Not many facilities once you’re on the moor itself

It’s best for slightly older kids or confident little explorers.

Woolacombe Beach in North Devon

This is one of those beaches that makes you realise how small people are in the best way. It’s massive – wide stretches of sand that don’t feel busy even when they technically are, and is the perfect environment for running, digging and kite flying. You’ll see lots of bodyboarders and surfers, and dunes that kids turn into their own mini world.

For families:

• It naturally spreads people out, so it rarely feels cramped
• Great “let them burn energy for 3 hours without thinking” place
• Easy to dip in and out of the sea without committing to anything structured

Good to know:

• Parking can get busy in peak summer, but the beach is so big it absorbs crowds
• Wind can pick up — classic North Devon vibe

This one is more “geology adventure walk” than classic beach day. There are coastal paths with big cliff views over turquoise water, rocky, layered ground where you can spot patterns in the stone and slightly “out of breath from the views” kind of walks because you keep stopping.

For kids:

• It’s great if they like “finding things” or asking endless questions
• Less of a run-around beach, more of a discovery trail
• You can combine it with Lulworth Cove itself for paddling and sand time

Worth knowing:

• Some paths are uneven and a bit steep
• It’s more “look and explore” than “playground energy”

Steart Marshes in Somerset

This one is quietly brilliant! It doesn’t shout about itself, but it’s a proper wildlife-heavy, wide-open space that feels very different from typical seaside spots.

For kids:

• Feels like a “nature detective” place
• Easy walking (no hills, no stress)
• Lots of space to just wander safely

Why people like it:

• It’s calm in a way beaches and forests often aren’t
• You get a strong sense of “edge of land / edge of sea” atmosphere
• Great for buggy walks too

Wistman’s Wood in Dartmoor

This is the most “legendary” feeling space – a small, ancient oak woodland sitting high on Dartmoor, and it genuinely feels like stepping into folklore, with twisted oak trees and huge granite boulders everywhere.

For families:

• More of a “careful exploration” place than running around
• Kids tend to treat it like a fantasy setting (fairies, dragons, all that)
• It’s quite compact, so you don’t need a long hike to experience it

Important reality check:

• Terrain is uneven and rocky underfoot
• It’s more atmospheric than “playful” – better as part of a Dartmoor day rather than a full day on its own

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