Yorkshire Moors

Where to Stay

Camping and caravanning in the North York Moors

By Jon Cosson · Updated 18 October 2026

This independent guide lists operator-confirmed campsites by area, with village names and direct websites. Opening seasons differ by site; check the operator for your dates and outfit. The guide has no connection with any campsite.

The short version
  • Wild camping is not a right here, it needs the landowner's permission.
  • No overnight vans in park car parks, sleeping in vehicles is prohibited and enforced at the honeypots.
  • Book August and bank holidays by spring; confirm availability with the operator.
  • Grass or hardstanding matters, dale-head fields turn soft fast after moorland rain.
  • Opening seasons differ by campsite, check each operator for winter availability.

Wild camping and the rules

Start here, because it catches people out. England has no general right to wild camp: outside parts of Dartmoor, pitching a tent anywhere means asking the landowner first. In the North York Moors almost all the open ground is privately owned, grouse moor, farmland or forestry, so a tent on the heather without permission is trespass, and on tinder-dry moorland in spring it is also a genuine wildfire risk. Read our moorland safety guide before you take any stove onto the moor.

The practical routes are a proper campsite, a camping barn, or a farmer who says yes. Backpackers on the Coast to Coast and the Cleveland Way generally plan stage ends around sites and barns for exactly this reason. The National Park's own guidance is worth a look on the North York Moors National Park site.

Campervans and motorhomes: the reality

Vans are welcome in the park; overnighting in a car park is not. National Park and council car park terms prohibit overnight parking and sleeping in vehicles, and North Yorkshire has tightened this at coastal and moorland honeypots with signage and enforcement after years of pressure at the busiest laybys and clifftops. Treat “quiet spot with a view” as off the table.

What does work: touring parks with hardstanding and hook-up, Caravan and Motorhome Club or Camping and Caravanning Club certificated locations (five vans, often a farm, usually cheap), and pubs and farms that offer a night's parking by arrangement, ring ahead rather than turning up.

On the roads themselves, caravans are prohibited on Sutton Bank, and Rosedale Chimney Bank, at around 1-in-3 with hairpins, is no route for a towed van either. The full picture, the prohibited roads, the punishing ones and the places a long outfit cannot turn round, is on our caravans and motorhomes page.

Operator-confirmed campsites by area

These are unranked listings, not recommendations or paid placements. The village and operator website identify each site; suitability, pitch type and availability need checking with the operator.

Forestry England land

Wild camping is not permitted on Forestry England land without permission. No Forestry England tent or touring campsite in the North York Moors was confirmed during this check. Forest Holidays accommodation at Cropton is cabin accommodation, not a tent campsite, so it is not included as forest camping.

Opening seasons

There is no single November-to-March or late-October-to-March closure across all sites. Rosedale Abbey's published 2026 season ends on 25 October, Hooks House Farm gives 31 October and the North Yorkshire Moors Club site gives 2 November. Check each operator for winter opening rather than assuming the list is open year-round.

Check the forecast and the seasonal guide before choosing dates.

Finding and booking a site

Read the barbecue, campfire and moorland fire safety guide for the Authority's advice and the council's named-site restrictions.

There is no single official list, so most people cross-check two or three sources: the National Park accommodation listings, Pitchup, the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club for certificated locations. Ring the small sites: operators can confirm arrangements not shown in general directories.

If camping turns out not to be the answer, our where to stay guide covers cottages, inns and B&Bs, and best base villages compares the villages themselves for access, pubs and parking.

Camping in the North York Moors FAQs

Can you wild camp in the North York Moors?
Not as of right. Unlike parts of Scotland, there is no legal right to wild camp in England outside Dartmoor, so pitching anywhere in the North York Moors needs the landowner's permission. Most of the open moor is privately owned grouse moor or farmland, and the National Park's own car parks prohibit overnight camping and sleeping in vehicles. Backpackers walking the Coast to Coast or Cleveland Way should use campsites, camping barns or a farm that has agreed to a pitch.
Can you sleep in a campervan overnight in the North York Moors?
Not in National Park or council car parks, their terms prohibit overnight parking and sleeping in vehicles, and North Yorkshire has tightened restrictions at coastal and moorland honeypots in recent years, with signs and enforcement in the busiest spots. Use a campsite with hardstanding pitches, a certificated location, or a pub or farm that offers overnight van parking by arrangement.
Which campsites are listed in this guide?
The operator-confirmed list below names sites in Rosedale Abbey, Lealholm, Sneaton, Robin Hood's Bay and the Scarborough and Ryedale edges. Nothing is ranked; choose an area and check the operator for your outfit and dates.
When should I book a campsite in the North York Moors?
Book directly against the operator's current opening calendar. There is no shared winter closing period: the published 2026 closing dates in this list range from 25 October to 2 November, while other sites' fixed closing seasons were not confirmed.
Are campsites in the North York Moors dog friendly?
Check each campsite's own dog policy and any restrictions in shared facilities or adjoining livestock fields. A missing policy is not treated as permission.
Is there glamping in the North York Moors?
Yes, shepherd's huts, pods, safari tents and yurts have spread across the park's farms over the last decade, particularly around Ryedale, the southern dales and the coast strip behind Whitby. They book further ahead than pitches because most farms have only two or three units, and they are the practical way to camp here in April or October.
Are there campsites with electric hook-up and hardstanding?
Yes. Most touring parks on the coast and around Pickering and Helmsley offer hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up, and many farm sites have added a handful. The small dale-head sites are more likely to be grass-only with limited or no hook-up, which matters if you are in a large motorhome after wet weather.

Operator pages above checked October 2026; Forestry England wild camping guidance. No prices are listed, and the guide has no connection with any site.

Where to stay in the North York Moors

Self-catering cottages, village inns and farmhouse boltholes right across the moors, from the southern villages to the coast.

Browse places to stay