The Best Campsites in the Yorkshire Dales: 15 Top-Rated Sites

The Yorkshire Dales are made for camping: wide green valleys, limestone scars, waterfalls and stone villages with a pub at the end of every walk. Campsites here tend to be small and farm-run, often in meadows by a river, and they suit walkers, families and anyone who wants proper dark skies. We list over 60 campsites in and around the national park, with around 20 offering glamping. These 15 are among the best rated, grouped by the kind of trip they suit.

Camping in the Yorkshire Dales: which dale?

Each dale has its own character. Ribblesdale, around Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale, is Three Peaks country, with Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Wharfedale, with Grassington, Kettlewell and Buckden, is the classic postcard dale. Wensleydale has Hawes, Aysgarth Falls and wide, open views, while Swaledale to the north is the wildest and quietest, known for its hay meadows and field barns. Malham, with its cove and limestone pavement, sits in the south near Skipton. See our Yorkshire Dales guide for more.

Best for families

Knight Stainforth Hall, near Settle

Knight Stainforth Hall Camping and Caravan Park is rated 4.8 from over 550 Google reviews and is one of the best-equipped sites in the Dales, with a shop, playground, hook-ups and Wi-Fi. It takes tents, caravans and motorhomes and welcomes dogs, and sits by the River Ribble close to Stainforth Force.

Usha Gap, Swaledale

Usha Gap Campsite is a working farm site in the meadows between Muker and Thwaite, rated 4.8 from over 450 reviews. It takes tents, caravans and motorhomes, has a shop and welcomes dogs.

Cow Close and Studfold

Cow Close Caravan and Camping near Leyburn is rated 4.9 from over 200 reviews and covers tents, tourers and glamping, with hook-ups. In Nidderdale, Studfold Caravan and Camping Park has pitches for every type of unit plus glamping, with hook-ups, Wi-Fi and dogs welcome.

Best for glamping

Malhamdale Glamping is rated 5.0 from over 130 reviews and puts you close to Malham Cove and Gordale Scar. Dentdale Pods is a dog-friendly pod site with Wi-Fi in one of the prettiest and least visited dales. Near Leyburn, Cherish Glamping is rated 5.0 and welcomes dogs, and Nethergill Farm is another 5.0-rated farm with tent pitches and glamping. Our glamping for first-timers guide covers what to pack.

Best for walkers and tent campers

Philpin Farm, Ingleton

Philpin Farm Campsite is a small family-run tent site near Ingleton, rated 4.8 from over 250 reviews, with Wi-Fi and dogs welcome. Ingleborough and the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail are both close by.

Pepper Hall, Reeth

Pepper Hall Campsite near Reeth takes tents and motorhomes and is rated 4.8 from over 450 reviews, a good base for walks in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.

Kettlewell and Buckden in Upper Wharfedale

Kettlewell Camping takes tents and motorhomes, allows campfires, has hook-ups and Wi-Fi, and welcomes dogs. A few miles up the valley, Buckden Camping and Pods takes every type of unit plus glamping, with hook-ups, Wi-Fi and dogs welcome, and Buckden Pike right above the village.

Best for caravans and motorhomes

Constable Burton Hall Caravan Park is a peaceful touring park in the parkland of a country house near Leyburn, for caravans and motorhomes, with hook-ups, Wi-Fi and dogs welcome. The Rowe House Certificated Location in Horton-in-Ribblesdale is a small site for caravans and motorhomes with hook-ups, rated 4.9, in the village where many walkers start the Three Peaks. Langcliffe Caravan Park near Settle, rated 4.7 from over 350 reviews, also takes tents.

Where to base yourself

Settle and Ingleton are the bases for the Three Peaks, and Settle is also a stop on the Settle to Carlisle railway. Skipton and Grassington suit Malham and lower Wharfedale. Hawes and Leyburn cover Wensleydale, Richmond is the gateway to Swaledale, and Dent is ideal for a quiet stay. Browse every site on our Yorkshire Dales campsites page.

Practical tips for camping in the Dales

Book the small sites early. Many Dales campsites have only a handful of pitches, so summer weekends and bank holidays go quickly.

Watch the rivers. Riverside pitches are lovely but the Dales rivers rise fast after heavy rain. Follow the site's advice and never swim in a river in spate; our wild swimming guide has safety tips.

Look up at night. The Yorkshire Dales is an International Dark Sky Reserve, so clear nights away from the towns can be spectacular. See our dark sky staycations guide, and staycations for walkers for more walking bases.