Best campsites in Yorkshire: 8 top picks for 2026

Yorkshire has eight excellent campsites that reward every kind of traveller, from families after full-facility holiday parks on the coast to solo adventurers seeking proper off-grid experiences inland. The best campsites in Yorkshire range across the East Riding cliffs, the spa town of Harrogate, the North York Moors and deep into the Dales, making this one of England's most varied camping counties. If you're arriving by campervan, hirers can pick up locally from owners across the region rather than travelling far from home.

Browse campervans and caravans for hire in Yorkshire if you already know your dates.

Yorkshire sits roughly two hours from Manchester by road, making it one of the most accessible touring destinations in northern England. Camplify trip data shows that the county draws a strong mix of families, couples and solo travellers across a long season, with bank holiday camping weekends in May and August filling the most popular parks quickly. Hirers picking up a campervan from Manchester or Penrith are well placed for either the coastal or the Dales circuit. For a deeper look at rural pitches further west, the Best Yorkshire Dales National Park campsites guide and the best farm campsites Yorkshire Dales guide are worth reading alongside this one.

Yorkshire campsites on the East Riding and Holderness coast

Haven Thornwick Bay Holiday Village

Haven Thornwick Bay Holiday Village sits on the chalk clifftops above Flamborough Head, one of the most dramatic stretches of the Yorkshire coast, and it consistently ranks as the most popular park among Camplify travellers heading east. The setting is genuinely striking: the North Sea visible from the touring field, the RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve just up the road, and the seaside town of Bridlington a short drive south for fish and chips on the harbour.

The park offers electric hook-up pitches, a motorhome service point, indoor pool, and a wide range of entertainment facilities that make it particularly well suited to family camping. Dog friendly throughout the touring area, it also draws couples who want a reliable base with full facilities rather than the wilder pitches further along the coast. Camplify owners who know the area suggest arriving via the B1255 rather than through Bridlington town centre to avoid summer traffic.

Book well ahead for the school summer holidays and the May bank holiday weekends. Pitches here go fast, and the coastal location means demand stays strong even into September.

Quick facts:

• Distance: Approximately 45 minutes from Hull; 1 hour 40 minutes from York

• Best for: Families, couples, dog owners seeking coastal camping with full facilities

• Key facilities: Electric hook-up, motorhome service point, indoor pool, entertainment, dog-friendly touring area

• Book ahead: School summer holidays, May and August bank holiday weekends

Harrogate Caravan Park

Harrogate Caravan Park is a well-run, adults-preferred park on the western edge of Harrogate, a town that manages to feel simultaneously grand and approachable. The park occupies a quiet residential edge of town, yet the famous Montpellier Quarter, the Valley Gardens and the RHS Garden Harlow Carr are all within easy reach. Recommended by owners who base themselves here for exploring the broader Dales, it works well as a touring hub for the central Yorkshire circuit.

Hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up are the main draw for motorhome hirers, and the site is well maintained year-round. The Harrogate International Festivals, the Great Yorkshire Show in July and the Autumn Flower Show each bring a surge of visitors to the town, so hirers who've stayed here rate planning around these dates as essential, especially for anyone wanting a specific pitch type. The site's proximity to the train station also makes it practical for a day trip into Leeds or York without moving the van.

Quick facts:

• Distance: 30 minutes from Leeds; 45 minutes from York

• Best for: Adults, couples, motorhome hirers using Harrogate as a touring base

• Key facilities: Hardstanding pitches, electric hook-up, well-maintained facilities block

• Book ahead: Great Yorkshire Show week (July), RHS Harlow Carr events, bank holiday weekends

Camping in Yorkshire's North Sea bay and off-grid countryside

Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay Holiday Park

Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay Holiday Park commands a clifftop position above one of the finest sandy bays on the Yorkshire coast, just three miles south of Scarborough. The beach at Cayton Bay is a favourite with surfers and has a more rugged, less commercial feel than Scarborough's North Bay. Hirers who've stayed here rate the sunsets across the bay as a particular reward for choosing this site over town-based alternatives.

A well-equipped holiday park by any measure, Cayton Bay offers electric hook-up pitches, a heated indoor pool, a bar and restaurant, and direct footpath access to the beach. It's popular among Camplify travellers with families, and the combination of sea air and proper facilities keeps it one of the top-rated coastal campsites in Yorkshire across the season. Camplify owners suggest the touring field pitches with sea glimpses book up first, so it's worth requesting a coastal-facing spot when reserving.

The park is dog friendly and well set up for longer stays, with enough on-site amenities to keep the whole group occupied on the inevitable grey days that roll in from the North Sea.

Quick facts:

• Distance: 45 minutes from York; 3 miles south of Scarborough

• Best for: Families, surfers, beach-focused hirers

• Key facilities: Electric hook-up, heated indoor pool, bar and restaurant, direct beach footpath, dog friendly

• Book ahead: July and August, Scarborough Seafest weekend

Heggs Farm Off-Grid Bothy, Wild Camping & Rewilding Project

Heggs Farm Off-Grid Bothy, Wild Camping & Rewilding Project takes a completely different approach from the large holiday parks, and it's all the better for it. Set in the North Yorkshire countryside, this working rewilding project offers genuinely off-grid camping alongside bothy accommodation, with no electric hook-up, no entertainment programme and no pool. What it does offer is space, quiet and a rare sense of being somewhere that isn't trying to be anything other than itself.

Well-rated by the Camplify community for travellers who want to slow down and reconnect with a working rural landscape, Heggs Farm suits those comfortable with self-sufficient van life. A cool box, gas cooking and a torch are the essentials here. The rewilding project itself is worth exploring on foot, with wildflower meadows and hedgerow restoration that reflects a real commitment to the land beyond just providing a pitch.

This is one of the more unusual campsites in Yorkshire and it rewards visitors who appreciate the philosophy behind it. If you're new to off-grid camping, the best campsites in Yorkshire overview has useful context on what to expect from different park types across the county.

Quick facts:

• Distance: Varies by location within North Yorkshire; check directly with the farm

• Best for: Self-sufficient travellers, rewilding enthusiasts, off-grid camping

• Key facilities: Bothy accommodation, natural water source, fire pits (seasonal), no electric hook-up

• Book ahead: Spring and summer weekends fill quickly; mid-week stays more available

Around Harrogate and York: a pair of well-placed Yorkshire campsites

Rudding Holiday Park

Rudding Holiday Park occupies the grounds of Rudding Park House on the southern approach to Harrogate, and the setting is polished without being pretentious. Mature parkland, a well-regarded spa and a golf course sit alongside a genuinely well-run touring field that caters for motorhomes and caravans with full electric hook-up and hardstanding pitches. A go-to for Camplify regulars who want something a step above the standard park experience without crossing into resort territory.

The touring facilities are kept to a high standard, and the on-site restaurant and spa are available to campers as well as hotel guests. It's a practical base for exploring the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the west, and Knaresborough with its famous viaduct is less than ten minutes by road. Camplify owners in the area point out that this park suits couples and families equally well, with enough on-site interest to justify a longer stay of three or four nights.

Book early for the Harrogate International Festivals period and school holidays. The quality of the facilities and the Harrogate location mean pitches here are consistently in demand.

Quick facts:

• Distance: 3 miles south of Harrogate; 20 minutes from Leeds

• Best for: Couples, families, those wanting premium facilities alongside countryside

• Key facilities: Hardstanding pitches, electric hook-up, spa, golf course, restaurant, dog friendly

• Book ahead: Harrogate festival periods, school summer holidays, bank holiday weekends

York Meadows Touring & Camping Park

York Meadows Touring & Camping Park offers a practical and well-regarded base just outside the city walls, close enough to York for an easy cycle or bus ride into the centre but far enough to feel properly rural. The meadow setting along the River Derwent is calm, and the park is a firm favourite among hirers who want to combine city sightseeing with proper camping rather than staying on an urban site.

Electric hook-up pitches and a clean, functional facilities block make this a reliable choice for motorhome hirers. The Jorvik Viking Centre, the Shambles and the National Railway Museum are all within easy reach, and the ride along the old railway path into the city is a pleasure. Travellers recommend packing bikes or checking local hire options in advance if you want to avoid moving the van each day.

The park has a quiet, unhurried atmosphere that suits both families and couples. It's a sensible choice for anyone spending a few nights in the York area before continuing on a wider Yorkshire circuit.

Quick facts:

• Distance: A few miles east of York city centre

• Best for: Families, couples, hirers combining York sightseeing with countryside camping

• Key facilities: Electric hook-up, facilities block, river setting, cycling access to York

• Book ahead: York races weekends, school holidays, Viking Festival in February

Camping in the Yorkshire Dales: farms and fell views

Catgill Farm: Camping and Glamping Accommodation in Yorkshire

Catgill Farm sits in Wharfedale above Bolton Abbey, with views across the valley that make it one of the most scenic campsites in Yorkshire by any measure. The farm offers both standard camping pitches and glamping accommodation, giving hirers the option of pitching their own van or booking a more comfortable alternative for travelling companions who might be less keen on the full campervan experience.

Popular among Camplify travellers who use Wharfedale as a base for rambling and cycling, the farm is well positioned for the Dales Way long-distance route, the Bolton Abbey estate walks and the ridge above Barden Fell. The landscape here is the main attraction, and Camplify owners who know the Dales well suggest building at least two nights into any visit to make the most of the walking on the doorstep.

Facilities are honest and well-maintained rather than elaborate, which suits the character of the place. Hot showers, a basic facilities block and a genuine farm setting are the offer. For hirers who want further ideas across the Dales, the best farm campsites Yorkshire Dales guide covers the wider area in detail.

Quick facts:

• Distance: About 45 minutes from Bradford; 1 hour from Leeds

• Best for: Walkers, cyclists, families who want a working farm atmosphere

• Key facilities: Touring pitches, glamping accommodation, hot showers, farm setting

• Book ahead: Bank holiday weekends, July and August, Bolton Abbey events

Low Greenside Farm Campsite

Low Greenside Farm Campsite is a small, quietly confident site in the Yorkshire Dales, the kind of place where the pitch count is low by design and the atmosphere is unhurried as a result. A community favourite among hirers who've stayed here, it offers a peaceful alternative to the busier parks elsewhere in the county. The farm setting, with open fell views and the sounds of the countryside rather than a neighbouring entertainment stage, makes it particularly appealing for couples and solo travellers.

Facilities are simple and functional: electric hook-up available, clean amenities and owners who take clear pride in keeping the site in good order. The surrounding Dales landscape rewards walkers and cyclists, and the site is a sensible base for exploring the quieter corners of the national park. Hirers who prefer a smaller, more personal atmosphere over a large holiday park consistently recommend it as one of the top campsites in Yorkshire for that reason.

For anyone planning a longer northern England circuit, the NC500 campsites for motorhomes guide is useful if you're considering extending the adventure north of the border.

Quick facts:

• Distance: Within the Yorkshire Dales National Park; check directly for exact location from your starting point

• Best for: Couples, solo travellers, those seeking a quieter Dales campsite

• Key facilities: Electric hook-up, clean facilities block, fell views, dog friendly

• Book ahead: Spring and summer weekends, Dales bank holiday periods

More camping destinations nearby

Yorkshire is part of a broader network of outstanding English camping regions, and if you're planning a longer tour or looking for inspiration elsewhere in the country, these guides cover some of the best options.

• Best campsites in England – a comprehensive overview of the country's finest camping destinations from coast to coast.

• Best campsites in Cornwall – cliff-top pitches, surf beaches and the South West Coast Path on the doorstep.

• Best campsites in Devon – moorland, estuary and seaside sites across one of England's most varied camping counties.

• Best campsites in Dorset – Jurassic Coast views and a strong selection of family-friendly and adults-only parks.

• Best campsites in Somerset – Exmoor, the Levels and the Mendip Hills covered across a range of site types and budgets.

• Best campsites in the New Forest – ancient woodland pitches with free-roaming ponies and easy access to the Solent coast.

• Best campsites on the Isle of Wight – a compact island with a surprisingly wide range of well-run campsites and a gentle pace of life.

Find your Yorkshire base and book a campervan nearby

The best campsites in Yorkshire reward travellers who plan ahead, particularly around bank holidays and the school summer season. Pick up a campervan from a local owner near you and arrive at your chosen pitch with everything you need already on board. Browse campervans and caravans available across Yorkshire and find a vehicle that suits your group, your route and your style of travel.