Motorhome travel: 12 campsites for exploring Yorkshire

Whether you're looking for a family holiday with the kids or a relaxing weekend break away, we've hand-picked 12 campsites perfect for exploring Yorkshire in your motorhome or campervan...

Old Station Yard Caravan & Camping Park

Station Road, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4DF
01765 689569
Open: 1 March – 30 November

Old Station is a small, family-owned campsite set within the Yorkshire Dales near Masham. Wildflowers, plants, shrubs, hedges and trees have all been added to create a garden-like atmosphere at the site. Facilities include toilets and showers, a laundry, electric hook-ups, WiFi, a motorhome service point and café.

The site is within walking distance of Masham, which is famous for the Theakston and Black Sheep breweries, making it a beer and real ale lovers’ paradise. The Black Sheep Brewery, which produces cask, keg and bottled beers, is home to a visitor centre, where you can book tours of the brewery, enjoy a drink in the bar or dine in the bistro. Dogs are welcome in bar area, too. Then there is also the Theakston Brewery in the town, which also offers tours during the day and in the evenings and has a wonderful visitor centre called the Black Bull in Paradise!

High Moor Farm Park

Skipton Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 2LT
01423 563637
Open: All year

High Moor Farm is situated four miles from Harrogate and on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The site has several recreational facilities including a bar serving food, a golf course, bowls and fishing. There’s a large indoor pool and a games area. The toilet block has showers and bathrooms, plus a separate disabled room and a laundry.

There are several notable attractions in the area including Harrogate with its famous Betty’s Tea Rooms. Two historical properties are nearby – Bolton Abbey and Ripley Castle. The priory ruins of Bolton Abbey sit on the banks of the river surrounded by countryside and woodland. Ripley Castle and Gardens is open all year with guided tours, plus walled gardens and a deer park to explore.

Golden Square Caravan & Camping Park

Oswaldkirk, Nr Helmsley, North Yorkshire YO62 5YQ
01439 788269
Open: 1 March – 31 October

Tucked away in the southeast corner of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, Golden Square has views across a farm, forest and the moors beyond. The campsite is laid out across three different levels with trees, hedges and bushes planted to offer screening for the pitches. Pitches are available with electric or ‘deluxe’ with full services.

The site is ideal for people holidaying with children as there are two outdoor play areas, an indoor play area, crazy golf and a football field.Other facilities include a shop, toilet and shower blocks with a family/disabled bathroom, a laundry and motorhome fresh and waste water points. There is a dog walking field and numerous woods to wander into.

Ten minutes’ drive away are Helmsley Castle and Sutton Bank. The castle towers over the market town of Helmsley and has a history spanning the past 900 years. Sutton Bank is a high point on the Hambleton Hills and an official Dark Sky Park, perfect for night-time stargazing.

York Caravan Park

Stockton Lane, York YO32 9UB
01904 424222
Open: 16 March – 6 January

If you’re heading to Yorkshire to visit its most famous and beautiful city, then you won’t get much closer and more convenient than York Caravan Park. This adults-only site is just two miles from York Minster and there’s a half-hourly bus service from the site that will have you in the city centre within 10 minutes.

There’s 55 hardstanding pitches that are surrounded by hedges on three sides to add privacy to each pitch. Each pitch is fully serviced and therefore benefiting from electric, fresh water and waste water hook-up, along with TV hook-up and a lighting bollard. The facilities comprise of privacy rooms with shower, toilet and sink in each, a full disabled suite, free WiFi and a dog walk. The on-site fishing lake and picnic area are free for guests to use.

Hillside Caravan Park

Moor Road, Knayton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4BR
01845 537349
Open: 4 February – 4 January

This nine-acre site lies near Thirsk in a quiet and peaceful setting. Luxury toilet and shower facilities serve the 50 gravel hardstanding super pitches, which have full services. Extra-large pitches can be requested. Also on the site is a coffee lounge with free WiFi access.

In the local area are pubs serving food and plenty of attractions. It’s a 15-minute drive to Thirsk where there is the racecourse for a day at the races. Hillside is on the edge of the North York Moors and less than 10 miles from Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, which offers dramatic views and no light pollution, so ideal for stargazing.

Whitby Holiday Park

Saltwick Bay, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 4JX
01947 602664
Open: 1 March – 31 October

For clifftop views you can’t get much better than Whitby Holiday Park, with views of the North Yorkshire coast. The site is set amid peaceful foothpaths, golden beaches and stunning countryside. Whitby itself is close by and you can even see the ruins of the gothic abbey from the site. National Trust owned Saltwick Bay and the Cleveland Way Coastal Path can both be accessed from the site and you can walk down to the sandy beach below.

There are two areas where you can pitch – there’s a large touring area on the clifftop consisting of grass pitches with hook-up, or a smaller, more sheltered area of hardstanding pitches with electric but these pitches sacrifice the coastal view. Facilities on site include a toilet and shower block, a laundry, bar, café and shop. There’s also a small cinema room and the Info Hub room with iPads and an Xbox to use.

Crows Nest Caravan Park

Gristhorpe, Filey, North Yorkshire YO14 9PS
01723 582206
Open: 3 March – 3 November

Crows Nest is located on the North Yorkshire coast between the popular seaside resorts of Scarborough and Filey. The site has its own bus stop at the bottom of the drive with regular services between Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington, running regularly from March to October.

Motorhomes have a choice of pitch types – grass with electric and super pitches, which are all-weather with hook-up, water, grey water and chemical waste disposal. Facilities on site include toilets, showers, wetrooms, a laundry and motorhome service point. There is an enclosed dog walk area, too. Leisure facilities include a heated indoor pool, family bar and a lounge bar, fish and chip takeaway and live entertainment.

St Helens Caravanning & Camping Park

Wykeham, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9QD
01723 862771
Open: All year

Set within the Dawnay Estate, St Helens is just seven miles from the popular seaside resort of Scarborough. The site is also on the edge of the North York Moors National Park meaning there’s plenty of open space to explore and walkers will have many routes to choose from.

The site has 100 touring pitches spread across 36 acres, with both family and adults-only areas. The adult zone has 30 pitches and most pitches across the whole site are hardstanding. St Helens is divided into terraces with tree screening to provide more intimate areas. Facilities on site include toilets and showers, a laundry, play area, shop and café. There’s also a bus stop at the site entrance.

St Helens is part of a large country park estate, with alpacas and donkeys, fishing and leisure lakes and, for those looking for a little more adventure, there’s even a water park with floating inflatable obstacle course.

Harrogate Caravan Park

Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 8NZ
01423 546145
Open: 5 March – 4 November

Located to the south of Harrogate, and only 2½ miles from the town centre, Harrogate Caravan Park overlooks the Crimple Valley. There’s a bus stop just half-a-mile away, with services into Harrogate so you can easily explore the historic buildings, pretty gardens and head to the famous Betty’s tearoom for a delicious lunch or afternoon tea. The site has 66 pitches that are a mixture of grass and hardstanding, with electric hook-ups, heated washrooms and a laundry room. It is dog-friendly, too.

Adjacent is the award-winning farm shop and café, Fodder. This is is also within the Great Yorkshire Showground, which hosts events such as antique fairs, motorhome shows and vintage and countryside shows. Just under two miles from the site is Rudding Park, a luxury hotel with spa, AA rosette restaurants, golf course and 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland to enjoy.

Burton Constable Holiday Park

The Old Lodges, Sproatley, Hull, East Yorkshire HU11 4LJ
01964 562508
Open: 1 March – 30 November

This site is situated in the middle of the Burton Constable Estate with lakes, meadows and woods in 200 acres of parkland and the stately home of Burton Constable Hall. The grounds are the work of the famous Capability Brown, as is the walled garden, too. There are well-stocked fishing lakes on site and the touring and camping area overlooks two of the impressive lakes and is close to the children’s play area. Ten-amp electric hook-ups are available. There are a choice of grass or hardstanding pitches, along with facilities including toilets, showers, a laundry, shop and bar.

A short drive from the site is Hull, a port city with several museums in the aptly named Museum Quarter, including the Streetlife Museum and Wilberforce Museum. There’s also a vibrant mixture of culture, shopping and nightlife. Half-a-mile away in the village of Sproatley there is a regular bus service.

Vale of Pickering Caravan & Camping Park

Carr House Farm, Allerston, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 7PQ
01723 859280
Open: 5 March – 2 January

Winner of AA Campsite of the Year 2017 for England and Overall Winner for England, Scotland and Wales, Vale of Pickering is a quality site. As the name suggests, it is located close to the market town of Pickering, near to Dalby Forest, Malton and Helmsley.

The site consists of 15 acres, surrounded by countryside with panoramic views and planted with trees, shrubs and hanging baskets. For motorhomes there are all-weather pitches with electric, capable of accommodating units up to a length of 27 feet. Facilities include toilets, showers, bathrooms and privacy cubicles, along with a unisex washroom area with five individual wetrooms, one of which is fully accessible. There is also a laundry, licensed shop, play area and six-acre dog walk.

Just over a mile away, on the main A170 Scarborough to Pickering road, there is a bus stop, and both Scarborough and Helmsley are less than an hour away by bus. You can also get to Pickering in 15 minutes.

Sand Le Mere Holiday Village

Southfield Lane, Tunstall, Hull, East Yorkshire HU12 0JN
01964 670403
Open: 23 March – 2 November

For a top family holiday in a beautiful coastal location then Sand Le Mere really fits the bill. There’s access to a sandy beach just a few minutes’ walk from the site and, for beaches further afield, there is also Withernsea, Bridlington and Filey.

The dedicated touring field has hardstanding pitches with electric. For added luxury you can choose fully serviced en suite pitches, which come with their own wooden cabin adjacent to the pitch, containing a private toilet and shower. There are also public toilets and showers, a laundry and fishing lake. Sand Le Mere offers a multitude of leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, kids’ clubs, adventure playgrounds, a show lounge with entertainment, amusements and crazy golf, plus a restaurant, bar, café and takeaway.

This feature was originally published in the August 2018 issue of MMM magazine. Want to read more like it? Subscribe to MMM magazine today!