Motorhome-Friendly Campsites Near York

York is one of the finest cities in England, and motorhome campsites near york are the key to experiencing it properly. Rather than paying hotel prices in the city centre, you park up at a campsite on the outskirts, catch a bus or cycle into town, and spend the day exploring two thousand years of history before returning to your own comfortable base in the evening. It is a formula that works brilliantly, and York is one of the best cities in the country for it.

From Heath's Motorhome Hire in Pontefract, York is barely 30 minutes east via the A1(M) and A64. It is one of the easiest and most rewarding trips you can do with a motorhome - close enough for a weekend break, rich enough to fill a full week if you include the surrounding North Yorkshire countryside.

The Best Motorhome Campsites Near York

Here are the best campsites near York motorhome travellers can use, with practical details for each.

Rowntree Park Caravan Club Site

Distance from centre: 1 mile - walkable
Bus links: Not needed - 15 minutes on foot to the Minster
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, waste disposal
This is the closest of the motorhome sites York has to offer, right in the city centre, situated on the banks of the River Ouse next to Rowntree Park. The location is exceptional - you can walk along the river into the heart of the city in about 15 minutes. The site is run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, so you will need membership, but it is worth joining for this site alone. Pitches are on flat grass, and the site is well-maintained. Book well ahead for summer weekends - this is one of the most popular urban campsites in the country.

York Caravan Park (Stockton Lane)

Distance from centre: 2.5 miles north-east
Bus links: Number 10 bus from Stockton Lane, every 15 minutes
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, laundry, shop
A well-established family-run site on the north-east side of York. The bus stop is a short walk from the site entrance and takes you into the city centre in about 15 minutes. The site is well-sheltered with mature hedgerows between pitches, and the owners are helpful and knowledgeable about York. Good for families - there is space for children to play, and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Beechwood Grange Caravan Club Site

Distance from centre: 4 miles south
Bus links: Number 415 from nearby, or cycle path into city
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, woodland walks
Set in woodland south of York near the Designer Outlet, Beechwood Grange has a more rural feel despite being close to the city. The cycle path along the old York-to-Selby railway line runs nearby, offering a flat, traffic-free route into the city centre in about 20 minutes by bike. The woodland setting is attractive, and the site is quieter than the more central options. Another Caravan and Motorhome Club site, so membership is required.

York Meadows Caravan Park

Distance from centre: 3 miles south-west
Bus links: Regular services from Tadcaster Road
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, hardstanding pitches
On the A1036 Tadcaster Road, York Meadows is another of the reliable campsites near York motorhome visitors appreciate, convenient for the A64 approach from the west, making it particularly easy to reach from Pontefract. The Tadcaster Road corridor has frequent buses into the city centre. Hardstanding pitches are available, which is useful in wet weather when grass sites can become soft.

Goosewood Holiday Park

Distance from centre: 8 miles north (Sutton-on-the-Forest)
Bus links: Limited - car or taxi recommended
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, heated pool, bar, restaurant
Further out but with significantly more facilities, Goosewood is a full holiday park in the village of Sutton-on-the-Forest. If you want a swimming pool, on-site bar, and entertainment alongside your motorhome pitch, this is the option. The drive into York takes about 20 minutes, and the surrounding countryside is classic North Yorkshire - flat vale farmland with views toward the Howardian Hills. It is a good choice for families who want campsite facilities as well as city access.

Allerton Park Caravan Park

Distance from centre: 12 miles north-west (near Knaresborough)
Bus links: Train from Knaresborough to York (20 minutes)
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, well-maintained grounds
Technically closer to Knaresborough than York, but the train connection makes it a viable motorhome site York explorers should consider. Knaresborough itself - with its viaduct, castle, and riverside - is worth a day of exploration, and the 20-minute train ride into York means you can leave the motorhome parked up and travel car-free. A good option if you want to combine York with the Harrogate and Knaresborough area.

Weir Caravan Park (Stamford Bridge)

Distance from centre: 8 miles east
Bus links: Number 10 bus from Stamford Bridge village
Facilities: Electric hook-ups, toilets, showers, riverside pitches
Situated on the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge - the site of the famous 1066 battle - this is a peaceful riverside site with easy access to York via the A166. The village has a pub, a fish and chip shop, and a history that predates the Norman Conquest. The bus service into York runs regularly, or you can drive and use the Park and Ride at Grimston Bar on the eastern edge of the city.

Your York City Break Itinerary

Once you are settled at your campsite and ready for some York motorhome camping adventures, York itself rewards exploration on foot. Park the motorhome and take the bus, cycle, or walk into the city centre.

Morning: Start at York Minster - the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. The Chapter House alone is worth the entrance fee, and climbing the tower gives you views across the city and the Vale of York that stretch to the Pennines on a clear day. From the Minster, walk the city walls. The circuit is about 2.5 miles and takes roughly two hours, with excellent views over the streets below.

Lunch: The Shambles is York's most famous street - a medieval lane of overhanging timber-framed buildings that is now home to independent shops, cafes, and the inevitable Harry Potter references. For lunch, skip the tourist traps on the Shambles itself and head to Fossgate, a parallel street with better restaurants. The Chopping Block does excellent sandwiches, and Khao San Road serves proper Thai food at reasonable prices.

Afternoon: The Jorvik Viking Centre is genuinely fascinating - an underground museum built on the actual archaeological site where Viking-age York was excavated. The York Castle Museum offers a different perspective, with reconstructed Victorian streets and wartime rooms. The National Railway Museum - free entry - is one of the best museums in the country, even if you are not particularly interested in trains. Mallard, the world's fastest steam locomotive, sits in the Great Hall alongside a Japanese bullet train and a royal saloon coach.

Evening: Betty's Tea Rooms on St Helen's Square is a York institution - the fat rascals and afternoon tea are legendary, though there is often a queue. For a pint, the Guy Fawkes Inn (birthplace of the man himself) and the Blue Bell on Fossgate (one of the smallest pubs in York) are worth seeking out. The King's Arms on King's Staith, right on the river, is a classic spot for a summer evening drink - though check the flood markers on the wall and hope the Ouse is behaving.

York is the kind of city that deserves more than a day trip. Two or three nights of York motorhome camping gives you time to absorb the history, eat well, and explore properly without feeling rushed. And with Pontefract just 30 minutes down the road, it is one of the most accessible motorhome city breaks you can do. For more, see our Whitby campsites guide.

See our Yorkshire Coast destination guide for more.