10 awesome autumn caravanning locations in the UK

Get ready for the thrill of kicking through piles of golden leaves on a tour to see the autumn's most spectacular sights! Read our top ten Autumn destinations and where to stay in your caravan.

Words by Jared Miller

(All Prices Couple, Electric Hook-up, Per Night)

1. The National Arboretum,Westonbirt, Gloucestershire

Why restrict your autumn walks to UK colours when you could stroll past the seasonal displays of the world’s most spectacular trees?

The National Arboretum boasts 15,000 specimens from all around the globe, creating a dizzying array of reds, ochres, oranges and golds. Special autumn seasonal trails guide you past the most eye-catching colours you'll see this season!

W forestryengland.uk

Where to Stay

Tudor Caravan Park
Shepherds Patch, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BP
T 01453 890483
W tudorcaravanpark.com
OPEN All year
PRICE From £21

Nature lovers flock to this site every year for the vast amount of wildlife close by at both Westonbirt and Slimbridge.

2. Bala Lake, Gwynedd

Summits and rocky mountaintops. The national park is also home to magnificent woodland, and nowhere more so than the dense beech forests around Bala Lake. Lock up your ’van, lace up your boots and revel in one of the finest autumn panoramas, framed by a horizon of jagged mountains.

W visitbala.org

Where to Stay

Bala Camping and Caravanning Club Site
Crynierth Caravan Park, Cefn Ddwysarn, Gwynedd LL23 7LN
T 01678 530324
W campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
OPEN April to November
PRICE From £19.50

Recently renovated, this site is kept spotless as you’d expect from the Club. Caravanners love how quiet it is – oh, and you can tackle Snowdon if you wish!

3. Richmond Park, London

Caravanning fans of BBC’s Autumnwatch can enjoy a grandstand view of one of autumn’s greatest spectacles, right on the edge of London.

To watch and hear the red deer stags during the annual rut is a visceral thrill, and Richmond Park brings the action to life. It’s a brutal contest as the stags bellow, collide and lock antlers.

This annual mating ritual takes place between late September and early November, says the British Deer Society.

W royalparks.org.uk

Where to Stay

Crystal Palace Caravan and Motorhome Club Site
Old Cople Lane, Crystal Palace Parade SE19 1UF
T 01342 326944
W caravanclub.co.uk
OPEN All year
PRICE From £15.20

The capital is your oyster at any time of year when you stay here. A city break doesn’t need to cost the earth.

4. World Conker Championships, Southwick, Northants

For caravanners of a certain vintage, autumn used to mean just one thing – conkers. Here’s a chance to relive those heady days of playground fun, without the risk of losing your shoe in the horse chestnut tree trying to knock down another conker.

The World Conker Championships take place on 13 October in Northamptonshire, they’re open to all-comers, and the conkers are supplied (so there’s no opportunity to bake yours in the caravan oven the night before!).

W worldconkerchampionships.com

Where to Stay

Stamford Caravan and Motorhome Club Site
Fineshade, Stamford NN17 3BB
T 01780 444617
W caravanclub.co.uk
OPEN 15 March to 4 November

PRICE From £11.50

This is a simple site with no shower block so it’s ideal for self-sufficient caravanners. And it’s in the heart of Fineshade Woods.

5. Catbells, Cumbria

Here’s a simple recipe. Take one of the finest views in Britain, add gold, and a glint of sunshine, and voilà! Magnificent Catbells serves up jaw-dropping views across Derwentwater towards Keswick, and the giant bulk of Skiddaw. Flanked by forest, the lake’s autumn views are even more stupendous, and if it’s a still day the beauty is doubled by reflections in the water. Utterly unmissable.

W golakes.co.uk

Where to Stay

Borrowdale CAMC
Manesty, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5UG
T 01768 777275
W caravanclub.co.uk
OPEN 15 March to 4 November
PRICE From £16.40

The Lake District in autumn has to be one of the most glorious places to be and even if you stay on the site, you can bask in the golden glow.

6. Wakehurst Place, Sussex

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew always gets a lot of attention but if you'd rather lose yourself in the Sussex countryside, a visit to Wakehurst Place is sure to delight you.

It's home to the Millennium Seed Bank – a collection of seeds from around the world that are stored here for safe keeping.

With 500 acres of land to explore, lose yourself in nature and when you're ready to return to the real world, warm up in The Stables restaurant.

W kew.org/wakehurst

Where to Stay

Blacklands Farm
Wheatsheaf Road (B2116), Henfield, Sussex BN5 9AT
T 01273 493528

W blacklandsfarm.co.uk
OPEN March to February
PRICE From £12

This campsite set in oak meadows makes for a wonderful autumn escape with both Brighton and the South Downs within easy reach. The country shops sells great local produce, too.

7. The Northern Lights, East Lothian

The night sky’s finest theatrical performance, the aurora borealis, has captivated the world for centuries, and the eye-widening phenomenon starts in October.

There’s no guarantee of seeing the celestial display – it requires clear skies and the right atmospheric conditions – but nor is there a need to tow your caravan all the way to John o’Groats.

The Northern Lights can often be seen off the coast, so cross your fingers as darkness falls near Barns Ness Lighthouse, close to Dunbar, and wait for the magic to happen.

W visitscotland.com

Where to Stay

Dunbar Camping and Caravanning Club
Oxwellmains, East Lothian EH42 1WG
T 01368 866881
W campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
OPEN 1 April to 4 November
PRICE From £15.70

During the summer months, expect to see surfers but in the autumn, walkers and stargazers pitch up here.

8. Donna Nook, Lincolnshire

The seal capital of England offers a captivating autumn spectacle as grey seal pups are born and weaned amid the dunes of this vast Lincolnshire beach between Grainthorpe Haven and Saltfleet.

Prime time runs from late October to early December, and there’s a viewing area to avoid disturbing the seals.

W lincstrust.org.uk

Where to Stay

Windy Ridge Caravans
New Delights, Tetney, Lincolnshire DN36 5PA
T 01472 488985
W windyridgecaravans.co.uk
OPEN April to October
PRICE From £15

Fishing your thing? Like a site without the noise of children? You’ve found it! The Wolds are just a short drive away, too.

9. The Glenfinnan Viaduct, Highland

Add a hint of magic to your autumn touring with a trip to Glenfinnan Viaduct – the scene-stealing view from the Harry Potter films. The railway towers 100ft above the surrounding woodland, which turns golden as summer blurs into autumn.

For a knockout panorama of the viaduct in one direction and the handsome Jacobite clansmen monument and Loch Shiel in the other, climb the track behind the visitor centre.

W visitscotland.com

Where to Stay

Linnhe Lochside Holidays
Corpach, Fort William PH33 7NL
T 01397 772376
W linnhe-lochside-holidays.co.uk
OPEN 15 December to 31 October
PRICE From £13.50

Pitch by the loch and experience gorgeous views and the ultimate in peace and quiet. It’s a wild, dramatic setting – perfect for the autumn months.

10. Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire

Pump up your tyres for a three-counties ride through the gorgeous Vale of Belvoir. Its name derives from the Norman French for ‘beautiful view’, and it’s arguably at its finest in the autumn.

Belvoir Castle crowns this corner of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, and the three woods on Terrace Hills, immediately to the west, serve up spectacular views.

W visitbelvoir.co.uk

Belvoir Caravan and Campsite
Main Street, Redmile NG13 0GQ
T 07917 877061 or 01949 843214
W belvoircaravansite.co.uk
OPEN All year
PRICE From £15.50

Within walking distance of two pubs? We’re there! With just a handful of pitches, book ahead to secure your place.