Somerset Riverside Park, Coleraine: Free Overnight Park-Up
The rain was bouncing the day we pulled in. It didn’t matter. The River Bann filled the entire windscreen and just sat there looking dramatic about it. Sometimes the weather does your photography for you.
Somerset Riverside Park has become one of our go-to stops in the north, and at this point we’ve lost count of the number of nights we’ve spent here. Double figures, easily. That’s probably the only endorsement you need.
Where Exactly Is It?
Coordinates: 55.113804, -6.664691
It sits right on the bank of the River Bann, on the edge of Coleraine town. (Town, not city. I checked.)
The Parking
Around 30 spaces on hardstanding gravel, the majority of them reasonably level. There’s a grass verge closer to the river, and a grass mound at one end that doubles as a turning circle, which is handy if you come in and think better of it.
A few things worth knowing:
- Some spots collect serious puddles after rain. Our Lucky treats these as unmissable waypoints. Plan accordingly.
- There are two sides to the park-up. The far side, across the road, has a height restriction worth checking if you’re running tall.
- The near side has no barriers and that’s where the views are. Stay this side.
Overnight
We’ve stayed here more times than anywhere else on the Causeway Coast and never had a moment’s bother. You do get the odd late night visitor, the kind that just wants somewhere quiet and out of sight. They’re not interested in you. They leave. It’s fine.
The location is set back far enough from the main road that it’s noticeably quieter than the Strand Road park-up just along the river. If you’ve read that post, you’ll know I rate it highly. This one edges it for overnight stays.
The Walk
Step out the door and you’re straight onto a riverside path that threads along the Bann through tree cover towards the town centre. It runs all the way to Coleraine Bridge, and along the way you’ll pass the Strand Road park-up I’ve written about previously, useful if you’re doing a recce of both before committing.
The dogs love it. There’s enough to sniff to keep Milo occupied for the full stretch and enough puddle margin to keep Lucky happy before you’ve even set off.
The Retail Park
A stone’s throw away is Riverside Retail Park, which has absolutely no right to be as well stocked as it is for a free overnight stop.
- Costa
- Nando’s
- Lidl
- Sainsbury’s (with an Argos inside)
- M&S Food
- B&M
- B&Q
- Pets at Home
- The Jet Centre, a cinema and entertainment complex at the back end
Genuinely, if you needed to stay a week and sort your life out, you could do it from here.
The Practical Bit
- Cost: Free
- Surface: Hardstanding gravel (majority), grass verge near river
- Spaces: Around 30
- Facilities: Bins, dog waste bins
- Height restriction: Far side only, across the road
- Overnight: Yes, quiet, no issues
- Dogs: Yes, very much so
Worth It?
Every time. The views from inside the cab on a wet evening are reason enough on their own. The walk, the retail park, the lack of road noise, it all adds up. One of the best free stops on this stretch of the north coast, and we keep coming back to prove it.
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