Vale of Pickering Caravan Park
North Yorkshire
Award-winning five-star park at Allerston, between Dalby Forest and the coast
About Vale of Pickering Caravan Park
Vale of Pickering Caravan Park has been run by the same family at Carr House Farm, Allerston, since 1986, and the long tenure shows in how carefully the site is kept. It lies on flat, free-draining ground between Pickering and Scarborough on the A170, just below the southern edge of the moors, which makes it one of the easier parks in the area to reach with a large caravan or motorhome and one of the more reliable in a wet spring. Touring and camping pitches come with electric hook-up, and there are Belle tents and an eco pod for anyone who would rather not bring their own canvas.
The park holds a five-star grading and was named AA Campsite of the Year, and the facilities justify it: private wet rooms and family bathrooms rather than a communal block, a launderette, a shop and cafe on site, free wi-fi throughout, and a children's playground. Dogs are genuinely catered for, with a six-acre exercise field and an outdoor dog shower by the entrance. Pitches are generously spaced, and the site takes a firm line on quiet hours.
The position suits people who want to split their time. Dalby Forest, with its mountain-bike trails, forest drive and Go Ape course, is a few minutes north; Pickering and the steam railway are five miles west; and Scarborough's beaches and the Cleveland Way coast are around twenty minutes east. Thornton-le-Dale, one of the most photographed villages in Yorkshire, is barely two miles away. The park is open from March to early January, which makes it a rare option for a late-autumn or early-spring trip.