For hundreds of years, people have been enchanted by the beauty of the Peak District, and particularly its most popular spot, the stepping stones at Dovedale.

Here, walkers totter across the babbling River Dove to picnic on its banks in the shadow of dramatic hills.

But in the age of social media, its tranquility is under increasing threat from hoarde of tourists influenced by the likes of TikTok and Instagram.

Visitors are flocking to the picturesque crossing in unprecedented numbers, and some locals are becoming increasingly agitated by the crowds and accuse day trippers of leaving litter behind. 

Farmer Barry Frith, 71, who has lived within half a mile of the stones since 1960, said: ‘We get people from all over Birmingham, Manchester, London and they bring everything with them except the kitchen sink.’

‘Covid is what started it,’ he continued. ‘We had cars parked all the way up this road. Sometimes the carers couldn’t get through to visit my wife who had MS.

‘We had to put up posts all along the verge to stop the cars from blocking the roads because the police would do nothing.

‘It’s still bad. By 1pm, the car parks will all be full and then they’ll just park anywhere.’

Queues often form at the stepping stones as they are only wide enough for one person at a time

Social media posts on TikTok and Instagram have helped publicise the stepping stones to a new audience, increasing tourism to the area

Farmer Barry Frith, 71, has lived half a mile from the stones since 1960 says ‘visitors bring everything with them except the kitchen sink’

Peter and his wife Shirley have been visiting the area for four decades. He said: ‘It’s a beautiful place but a minority can ruin it for everyone’

John Roulston, 74, was out with his grandchildren from nearby Belper and was also angry at the widening appeal of the area.

He said: ‘When I came here a couple of years ago there was litter everywhere. It gets into the river and damages everything.’

On a weekday, the £6-a-day, cashless National Trust car park was almost full by lunchtime and the path leading to the stones featured families, school trips and dog walkers.

Large bright red signs state the rules clearly: ‘No BBQs, No fires, no cooking, no shisha pipes, no gas stoves. Please also dispose of cigarettes responsibly.’

Joel, 21, who has worked the car park ice cream and drinks stall for two years, was sceptical of how much impact they had: ‘The overflow car park can be full by 10am on busy days. This is the most popular place in the Peak District and has been massively hyped on social media.

‘Do people respect the signage? Most do, but a lot really don’t.’

The same point was made by Peter and his wife Shirley who have been visiting the area for four decades.

‘I’ve seen busloads of people coming with prams loaded up with food, BBQs and the rest of it. The Rangers speak to them but they just get ignored. It’s a beautiful place but a minority can ruin it for everyone else.’

There are no bins provided in the picnic area by the stones and people are encouraged to take their leftovers back to the car park, a five-minute walk away, and use the bins there.

National Trust rangers patrol the picnic area with litter-picking equipment.

One, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Most of the rubbish I have collected has been dog poo bags. There are no bins down here so we expect people to take it back to the car park with them but not everyone does. There’s even a skip there so there’s no excuse.

There are frequently queues of people waiting to cross the Dovedale stepping stones

But locals have claimed that a minority of people visiting the beauty spot leave behind waste and damage the local environment

John Roulston, 74, out with his grandchildren from nearby Belper said: ‘We all want to go somewhere nice’

Locals have complained about litter being strewn across the area

But at the scene, there was nothing but this solitary KitKat wrapper floating in the river

One of the Ilam village’s oldest residents, Bob Sellers, 94, has seen it all and actually claims the situation was worse in the 1980s with campers pitching tents all over the place with no regard for the countryside

‘Most people are very respectful. They just come for a nice day out and there is not really a big problem.’

News of the the tensions came as a surprise to mother-of-six Adrienn, 45, visiting with four of her children from Nottingham.

She said: ‘I have been coming here several times a year for five years now – at busy weekends, during the week, at all times and I have found people act really respectful.

‘I have never seen any litter. The occasional plastic wrapper blows away but there are staff to clean up or others pick it up. I just don’t recognise this description at all.

‘To me it is a haven for children. They can just enjoy themselves – paddling where they can’t drown, exploring the fantastic hills – it is perfect for them.’

Tempers have been known to fray as people cross the iconic stones, set down in 1890 as Victorian England began to visit in large numbers. The stones are wide and flat but can’t be crossed in both directions at once, leading to queues and frustrations as people stop to pose for snaps.

In 2024, a fight broke out as one father tried helplessly to cross with a pushchair. The ensuing fracas went viral.

In the village of Ilam, which is just half a mile from the Stones, villagers are well used to the problems of living next to a popular beauty spot.

Each Friday evening, the Parish Council takes a string of bollards down to the village centre to prevent cars from parking on the verges.

One villager in his 40s who did not want to be named said: ‘We only go there in the winter because the place has been wrecked. I heard that on one weekend they picked up 40 bags of rubbish.’

In a statement, the National Trust said that during the peak season they picked up on average four bags of litter a day.

One of the Ilam village’s oldest residents, Bob Sellers, 94, who has lived there his entire life had a very different perspective.

He said: ‘I was born here so I have seen it all. I don’t think it is as bad as it used to be. I remember the 1980s when you would get camps being set up all over the fields by people with no respect at all for the countryside. They’d pitch up anywhere.

‘I think nowadays people behave better than they did and have more respect for beautiful places.’

Another elderly villager Sheila, 84, added: ‘It has always been popular but now we get loads and loads of people. I won’t go there myself because of the crowds.

‘It has always been popular,’ another elderly villager Sheila, 84, said

There are large signs put up saying no barbecues are allowed, but locals say that visitors regularly flout the rules

Signs have been put up to discourage littering, but some locals say it is still a problem

‘If I step out of my house I feel like a tourist guide. People are forever stopping and asking me which way it is to the Stones. It’s strange because there are so many signposts for them.’

Down at the Stones, dogs and children are frolicking in the shallows and others just dipping their toes in as they sit on the banks.

Student Misha Tayyab, 28, out with her two cousins on a day trip from Nottingham, said: ‘I have read lots of negative comments on Instagram about this place – people saying it is dirty with lots of people, but it is perfect – a very lovely, peaceful place.’

​​​In a statement, the National Trust said: ‘Dovedale is a popular destination, and many people come to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the great outdoors.

‘When the weather is warm and sunny there is an increase in the number of visitors to this beautiful spot. Sadly, the downside to this is that it increases the amount of litter left behind, as is the case in other beauty spots up and down the country.

‘Littering is not only unsightly but it also has a negative impact on the environment and poses a threat to wildlife.

‘Our rangers, welcome team and volunteers work hard to care for Dovedale doing regular litter picks, talking to visitors about ways to enjoy the space respectfully and to encourage responsible visits ,at the same time as carrying out vital conservation work.

‘We want people to continue to enjoy the countryside but we encourage everyone to take their litter away with them and bin it. It is important to remember, most people visit responsibly and it is important for people to play their part in caring for the places they love.’