Park and protect - our car parks
The Peak District National Park Authority owns and manages 44 car parks throughout the National Park, with 13 of these free to use. The remaining 31 car parks have a Pay & Display system, cashless payment by app is also available.
Please be aware that due to the rural location of most of our car parks, payment may be by coin as well as by card. A small number of locations may be coin or card only, for technical connectivity or security reasons.
See our car park locations in the Peak District page for more information.
We have 2 car parks with publicly accessible EV charging points. These are Millers Dale Station and Parsley Hay, they both offer two 7kw PodPoint chargers with 4 charging sockets in total.
We provide car parks to help handle the numbers of visitors to the National Park and reduce congestion. Fees from our Pay & Display car parks are re-invested into the care and protection of landscapes local to that area and visitor facilities the car parks serve.
Some of our car parks are small and fill up early in the day. Please be prepared before your visit to have some alternative options in mind and any relevant postcodes.
Wherever you are in the National Park please do not park on grass verges, on either side of double-yellow lines, by farm gates or other undesignated areas as this can reduce access for farm vehicles, the emergency services and damage protected habitats.
Parking permits
Parking permits (annual and weekly) are now available. An annual permit is £40 and a weekly permit £15. Parking permit holders cannot be guaranteed a parking space, as the spaces get filled on a 'first come, first served' basis.
Our annual permits apply to all forms of vehicle (excluding commercial coaches), including vehicles with horseboxes.
A permit is not allocated to a specific vehicle so can be transferred as needed. It must be displayed at all times when in use. To prevent misuse, permits that are lost must be renewed at full cost.
You can purchase a parking permit in one of the following ways...
- Order from shop.peakdistrict.gov.uk
- Pop into one of our visitor centres
- Contact our Customer and Democratic Support Team on
01629 816200 or email customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Please note: A charge of £1.50 will be added to the cost of the permit if it is being posted out to you.
Cashless payment by app
All Peak District National Park Authority car parks requiring Pay & Display now offer a quick and easy alternative to pay by phone with RingGo, the UK’s no.1 parking app.
No reception?
If phone reception is not available at time of parking, please take a note of the location number and pay immediately after your visit, usually this will need to be within 24 hrs to avoid any further action in relation to non-payment. This condition applies to the following sites only:
- Derwent Overlook
- Hartington Station
- Milldale
- Millers Dale
- Upper Burbage Bridge
For all other locations, a valid ticket, permit or blue badge must be on display or payment by phone submitted.
How to use RingGo
- Download the RingGo app - go to the App Store or Google Play Store and search for RingGo.
- Set up an account by registering a few details so the next time you want to park, you can pay in seconds.
- When you park in an area where RingGo is offered, you need to:
- Confirm your vehicle registration number (with no spaces).
- Enter the five or six-digit location number shown on signs at the location. For example, if there is a sign with ‘234567’ displayed, this is the location code you must use.
- Select how long you want to stay.
- Confirm your payment details.
If your parking is running out, you can extend the time wherever you are by using the RingGo app. Select your current parking session from the sessions tab and the app will ask how long you want to extend. Choose a time, confirm and your parking is sorted.
Parking charges
Charges apply between 9am and 6pm every day.
Cash and Card payments are not available in all locations, so please be prepared for our coin only and card only machines.
| Parking Tariffs | Charge (£) |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hr | 1.50 |
| Up to 2 Hr | 2.50 |
| Up to 4 hr | 4.00 |
| All day | 4.75 |
| Coaches (where permitted) 2 hr | 4.00 |
| Horse boxes/lorries up to 2 hr | 4.00 |
| Horse boxes/lorries all day | 7.00 |
| Motorcycles all day | 1.50 |
| Blue Badge holders | Free |
| Cycles | Free |
| Weekly permit | 15.00 |
| Annual permit | 40.00 |
| Parking charges for other providers' car parks |
Parking restrictions
Height restrictions
None of our car parks have height restriction barriers in place and are therefore suitable for small to medium sized motorhomes where spaces are available. Bakewell Station is not suitable for motor homes due to restricted space.
Overnight parking
Overnight parking or camping at all of our car parks is prohibited and may be subject to patrols and enforcement action.
Disabled parking
We aim to provide clear demarked/delineated disabled bays where car park surfaces allow. Car parks with dedicated spaces are listed below.
Vehicles displaying a valid blue badge can park for free.
Please contact our Customer Services team for information on the most suitable car park locations, accessible trails and cycle hire opportunities if you have additional mobility needs.
Horse boxes
Several car parks open onto trails or bridleways and are ideal for exploring the national park on horseback. Please ensure that you pay for the spaces you use and ensure that your vehicle is not obstructing the area for other users.
Coaches
Several car parks can accommodate coaches. These are indicated in the list with a coach symbol.
How do we use car park fees?
- To maintain the car parks, trails, Stanage-North Lees and public toilets
- Pay for litter removal (around 70 tonnes across the National Park each year)
Related documents
- Bylaws for Car Parks (392KB) - updated November 2024
- Off street parking order (3.5MB)
- Notice of making off-street parking order (125KB)
Finding our car parks
Our car parks usually have green entrance signs, and will reference the name/logo ‘Peak District National Park’ or ‘Peak Park’ Authority. National Park Authority parking permits are applicable in these car parks only, and must be clearly displayed within the vehicle when in use.
We are unable to accept responsibility for fees or penalty charges incurred in facilities we do not manage.
Other provider car parks
For other car parks in the Peak District please visit the relevant website: