Studland Beach: £4 Parking, Four Beaches and Dog Rules

Studland Beach is really four beaches along one four-mile curve of sand between the Sandbanks chain ferry and Old Harry Rocks: Shell Bay, Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and South Beach. The National Trust owns them, runs a car park at each, and charges £4 for up to two hours, £8 for up to four hours and £10 for the day, free for members and Blue Badge holders. The water at both of the Environment Agency’s sampling points was rated Excellent in 2025.

Prices and rules below were read from the National Trust’s own listings for Studland Bay on 21 October 2026. The Trust says prices vary through the season, so check the machine when you arrive.

The four beaches, north to south

Shell Bay sits at the northern tip, right by the Sandbanks chain ferry, looking across the harbour mouth to Sandbanks and Brownsea Island. It is the closest beach for anyone coming from Poole or Bournemouth on foot, by bike or by car over the ferry.

Knoll Beach is the long middle section and the one most people mean by Studland Beach. Behind it are the dunes and the National Trust’s visitor point, with a café and shop open all year, the accessible toilets and pushchair hire. Coaches can only park here.

Middle Beach and South Beach are the southern end, below Studland village. The sand is narrower and the chalk cliffs start to rise towards Handfast Point. South Beach car park is the start of the mile-long Old Harry Rocks walk.

The naturist beach

Studland has what the National Trust calls the most popular naturist beach in Britain. It is a designated section at the northern end of Knoll Beach, towards Shell Bay, marked by signs on the beach. If you are walking north from the Knoll Beach car park with children, look out for the signs.

Parking: prices and how to pay

How you pay depends on the car park:

• Knoll Beach uses number plate recognition. Remember your registration and pay by card or coins at the machines, or on the JustPark app.
• Shell Bay, Middle Beach and South Beach are pay and display: coins, the JustPark app, or a membership card scan.
• National Trust members park free but must scan their card at a machine or check in on JustPark on every visit.
• Blue Badge holders park free with the badge clearly displayed. Every car park has designated accessible spaces, though the Trust warns that “car park full” signs include those spaces.

There is no overnight parking or camping in the Trust car parks, and the Trust says police and Dorset Council are enforcing against overnight parking on Ferry Road. For other car parks across the county, see our Dorset parking page.

Getting there without the ferry from 2 November

The quickest way from Poole and Bournemouth is the Sandbanks chain ferry to Shell Bay. It closes for its planned refit after the last sailing on Sunday 1 November, for about seven weeks, with the return date due to be announced in December. Our ferry refit story has the details. While it is out, drivers from Poole have to go round by Wareham and Corfe Castle on the B3351.

Without a car:

• Bus: the Purbeck Breezer 50 runs from Bournemouth and Poole, via the ferry, and from Swanage. The National Trust lists a £3 single fare until the end of December. Check how the route runs during the ferry closure before you travel.
• Train: the nearest stations are Parkstone and Branksome in Poole, and Wareham. The Swanage Railway stops at Swanage.
• Bike: National Cycle Network Route 2 runs through Studland, with bike racks at Knoll Beach.
• On foot: Studland is on the South West Coast Path.

Dogs at Studland

Dogs are welcome on Studland’s beaches all year, with seasonal limits:

• 1 October to 30 April: dogs can be off the lead on the beach.
• 1 May to 30 September: dogs on a lead. Dorset Council’s dog rules name Shell Beach, South Beach, Middle Beach and the southern part of Knoll Beach; the National Trust asks for a lead under 2m anywhere on the beach.
• 1 March to 31 July: dogs on leads in the heathland and dunes behind the beach, to protect ground-nesting birds.

So right now, in late October, your dog can run on the sand. Our Dorset dog-friendly beaches page covers the rest of the county, and the 2027 dog beach rules consultation explains what could change next summer.

Swimming and water quality

The National Trust describes the bathing water as gently shelving, which is why Studland is popular with families and paddleboarders. The Environment Agency samples it at two points, Shell Bay North and Studland Knoll House, and both were classified Excellent in 2025, the top grade. Results for this summer are due in November. You can look up the sampling points on the Environment Agency’s Swimfo service.

The Trust’s listing does not include lifeguards, so treat it as an unpatrolled beach outside the summer holidays and check the RNLI’s beach pages before swimming in season.

Rules to know

• No barbecues or fires anywhere on the beach or the land around it.
• No drones on National Trust land.
• Horses need a permit from Knoll Beach visitor reception and are not allowed on the beach from June to October.
• The heathland behind the beach is a nature reserve where all six British reptiles live; stay on the marked trails.

Frequently asked questions

How much is parking at Studland Beach? £4 for up to two hours, £8 for up to four hours and £10 all day for a car at the National Trust car parks, as listed on 21 October 2026. Members and Blue Badge holders park free.

Which is the best beach at Studland? Knoll Beach for families, with the café, shop and toilets behind it. South Beach for the walk to Old Harry Rocks, and Shell Bay if you are coming over on the ferry.

Where is the naturist beach at Studland? A designated, signed section at the northern end of Knoll Beach, towards Shell Bay.

Are dogs allowed on Studland Beach? Yes, all year. From 1 October to 30 April they can be off the lead on the beach; from 1 May to 30 September they must be on a lead. In the heath and dunes, leads are needed from 1 March to 31 July.

Is the Sandbanks ferry running to Studland? Until the last sailing on 1 November 2026. It then closes for a refit of about seven weeks, so drivers from Poole need to go round by Wareham and Corfe Castle.

Is the sea at Studland clean? Both Environment Agency sampling points, Shell Bay North and Studland Knoll House, were rated Excellent in 2025, the highest classification.