Camping and caravanning in the North York Moors

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. Two practical warnings for large outfits: the moor roads over Blakey Ridge, Rosedale Chimney (1-in-3, with hairpins and a length restriction) and Sutton Bank (caravans banned) are not routes for a towed van, plan around them on the A170 and A171. And the old-town streets in Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes are hopeless in anything long; use the Park & Ride.

Types of site, and what each suits

Farm and dale campsites

Small grass sites in the dale heads, a field, a tap, a toilet block and the moor rising behind. The most characterful camping in the park and the best for dark skies, but expect grass pitches, limited hook-up and no shop.

Suits: Tents, small vans, walkers and stargazers.

Touring caravan parks

Larger, level, serviced sites with hardstanding, hook-up, showers and often a laundry. Concentrated around Pickering, Helmsley, Thornton-le-Dale and the coast road.

Suits: Caravans, larger motorhomes, longer stays and wet weeks.

Coastal holiday parks

The big operations behind Whitby, Sandsend, Robin Hood's Bay, Filey and Scarborough, usually with static caravans alongside touring pitches, pools and entertainment.

Suits: Families wanting the beach on the doorstep, busiest and priciest in August.

Forest camping

Pitches in and around Cropton and the Dalby Forest edge, with trails from the tent door and the forest drive on the doorstep.

Suits: Cyclists, families and anyone doing Dalby for more than a day.

Glamping, pods and shepherd's huts

Farm-diversification units scattered across Ryedale, the southern dales and the coast strip. A bed, a stove and usually a hot shower, so the shoulder season stays comfortable.

Suits: Couples, first-time campers and April or October trips.

Camping barns and bunkhouses

Basic indoor bed-space near the long-distance routes, often sole occupancy for groups. The traditional Coast to Coast and Cleveland Way fallback when the weather turns.

Suits: Walkers, groups and cheap wet-weather nights.

Where to camp, area by area

The park splits into distinct camping countries, and the right one depends on whether you want moor, forest or sea from the tent door.

Season and booking

April to mid-May is cold at night and glorious by day, with Farndale daffodils and empty sites, glamping or a well-insulated van earns its money here. Late May to June is the best all-round camping month: long light, dry-ish ground, birdsong on the moor.

July and August mean heather from around the second week of August, warm seas at Sandsend, and full sites. Book by spring, especially on the coast and for any bank holiday. September is the quiet reward: warm ground, cheap pitches, late heather in the dales. October onwards thins out fast as small sites close for winter; check opening dates rather than assuming.

Whenever you come, the moors make their own weather. Pitch out of the wind on the coast, take more warm kit than the forecast suggests for a dale-head field, and see our moors weather page and best time to visit before you commit to dates.

Finding and booking a site

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: the best fields in Rosedale and Farndale are still booked by telephone and are not on any platform.

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.

Where are the best campsites in the North York Moors?

It depends what you want. The dale-head villages, Rosedale, Farndale, Hutton-le-Hole and Westerdale. Put you on the moor with dark skies overhead. Cropton and the Dalby Forest edge suit families and cyclists. The coast around Whitby, Sandsend, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough has the largest holiday parks and the highest prices in August. Helmsley and Thornton-le-Dale are the easiest for touring the whole park by car.

When should I book a campsite in the North York Moors?

For late July and August, and for any bank holiday, book by spring. The coastal parks and the small dale sites both fill early. Late May and September are the sweet spot: warm enough, quiet, and often bookable a fortnight out. Many smaller sites close from late October to March, so winter camping means a short list of year-round sites.

Are campsites in the North York Moors dog friendly?

Most are, and camping is usually the cheapest way to bring more than one dog. Check whether dogs must be on a lead across the whole site and whether the adjoining fields hold livestock, a lot of moorland pitches back straight on to sheep. Ground-nesting birds mean leads on the open moor from March to July regardless.

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.