Swallowtails

View prices & book 9.2 60 reviews
Around the site
Around the site
Pitches
Pitches
Pitches
Grass tent pitches
Small pitch
Family fun
The first guests
1/40
Pitches
Pitches
Pitches

  • Small, friendly site 15 minutes' walk from the centre of Pickering
  • Flamingo Land Resort and Go Ape Dalby within 15 minutes' drive
  • Play area and playroom on site; communal campfire and pizza nights
What sort of location do you want for your North Yorkshire break – somewhere rural and peaceful or a handy town location so you can get to shops, pubs and places to eat without having to get in the car? Mix both of these together and you'll have the excellent setting of Swallowtails, a small site on the edge of Pickering. This place ticks a whole lot of boxes on the location front – it’s on the edge of the North York Moors National Park for your rural rambles, it’s about 40 minutes' drive from the coast for your beach days, and within easy walking distance (about 15 minutes or so) of Pickering’s shops, cafés and places to eat (and its heritage railway station too). Options for days out nearby are plentiful, as you’ll also be within easy reach of the thrills of both Flamingo Land and the Go Ape course and mountain bike trails in Dalby Forest. Swallowtails is a fairly small-scale campsite but it's got a big heart – and a good list of facilities too, with an outdoor play area and an indoor playroom, a shared kitchen and a bathroom block with showers and toilets. Pitches all have electric and water hook-ups to keep life nice and easy, and there’s a sociable communal campfire area where you can gather for chatty evenings by the fire (although you're also welcome to bring your own raised firepit if you wish). Being on the edge of Pickering means it’s easy to get into town for an evening out if you like, but do make sure you’re back on site if it's pizza night, when guests gather once a week for tasty treats from the two outdoor pizza ovens.

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 9
Tent sites 9
Rent a tent 5
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 6 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Entertainment and activities are available between 23/07 and 21/08.
  • Units longer than 7 metres are not allowed.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

9.2

Overall rating from 60 Pitchup.com customers

  • 59%
    10
  • 19%
    9
  • 9%
    8
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    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

97% would recommend this campground to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot, super chill with ripper hosts. Clean and handy for Pickering (10-15 min walk). Facilities mostly tops, though some reckon the loos and shower heat could be better when it's brassic.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 7
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely clean facilities and hot showers.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Powered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (medium)

Liked Lovely clean facilities and hot showers. Nicely spaced out pitches with water taps and a great communal fire pit! Friendly and welcoming host!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely friendly site, well maintained, not too big, great facilities

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Catie W.

Powered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (large)

Liked Lovely play area for kids, small personal campsite with great facilities

Disliked Pitches were a bit tight and close - but well maintained and I liked the addition of picnic tables

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with lovely owners

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Lucy H.

Powered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (large)

Liked Really nice and well maintained site, clean bathroom/toilets, cute games room for kids and kitchen with fridge/freezer/washing up facilities. Shower was nice and warm also. Play area was a huge hit for my little one who spent hours and hours on it. Site was a nice size, not to large so could relax with the kids.
Absolutely amazing communication from the site owners with clear pitch info in advance which I thought was really helpful plus super accommodating before hand on any queries our group had . Didn’t meet Freya but met Mark around the site who was absolutely lovely. Lidl/petrol stations a few mins drive away but site itself secluded. We were in a tent with electric hook up but we got to have a peak at the glamping pods which looked super cosy and nice/good value for money so I’d recommend them also! I’d like to return to this site.

Disliked Got absolutely battered by storm Dave which can’t be helped haha so we shot off early morning. Wouldn’t mind a wifi just to put a movie on for the kids of a night time but tbf I didn’t struggle with mobile signal so really a non-issue.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely, small and friendly site close…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Joe S.

Powered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (medium)

Liked Lovely, small and friendly site close to local amenities. Great play park and games room to keep kids entertained.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious and clean. Owner very kindly…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Alex P.

Unpowered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (small)

Liked Spacious and clean. Owner very kindly helped with our car trouble.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Small quiet site, friendly owners…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
steve n.

Unpowered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (small)

Liked Small quiet site, friendly owners

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Emma C.

Unpowered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (small)

Liked Great place to stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly and level site

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 7
Kevin L.

Unpowered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (small)

Liked Mark was very welcoming upon arrival and the ideal location makes it worth returning.

Disliked The electrical supply appears to be the Achilles heel of the site currently but I am reassured that this is to be upgraded soon. The grey and black water management could also be better but was satisfactory.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really enjoyed this site, will return.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Emily W.

Powered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (large)

Liked Great site, super location. Facilities all good.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location, lots of nearby walks

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass and gravel tent or motorhome site (small)

Liked Great location, only 10 minute walk into Pickering. Even though I booked a small pitch and my tent wasn’t going to fit. The owner moved us to a bigger pitch with no issues.

Disliked Booked a small pitch for a 4 person tent. This was too small. Unclear when booking how big the grass area is for each pitch.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Swallowtails

Wayside

Goslipgate

Pickering

North Yorkshire

England

YO18 8EQ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.23749°N
0.7837°W

Nearest transport

Coach
0.9 km The Royal Oak
24.3 km Sunday School
24.3 km Playing Fields
Rail
11.8 km Malton Rail Station
22.3 km Egton Rail Station
22.4 km Grosmont Rail Station
Ferry
48.2 km Transporter Bridge South Side
48.2 km Transporter Bridge North Side

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

There are of course lots of walks to try in the North York Moors National Park – a couple of favourite spots include the trails around the Hole of Horcum (15 minutes’ drive) and Mallyan Spout Waterfall (25 minutes). To take in some of the scenery from a different angle, climb into the trees at Go Ape Dalby (15 minutes) or settle in for a viewsome ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (five minutes’ walk). Getting to know a bit about the area might involve outings to Ryedale Folk Museum or Eden Camp Modern History Museum (both 15 minutes' drive), covering different aspects of the region's past. Scampston Hall & Walled Garden (20 minutes) is another nice spot to visit, with some lovely trails through parkland and gardens designed by Capability Brown. A couple of top picks for family outings are the rides of Flamingo Land Resort (10 minutes) and the beaches, castle and amusements of Scarborough (40 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Scarborough North Bay 25.2 km Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Scarborough South Bay 25.7 km Sea PoorPoorPoorPoor
Robin Hoods Bay 26.9 km Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Cayton Bay 27.4 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Whitby 30.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

North Yorkshire Moors Railway 1 km

Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo 3.9 km

Dalby Forest Visitor Centre 7.5 km

Kew at Castle Howard 15.2 km

Castle Howard 15.2 km

National Trust

Bridestones, Crosscliff and Blakey Topping 11.6 km

Nunnington Hall 13 km

Rievaulx Terrace 21.4 km

Yorkshire Coast 26.1 km

Treasurer's House 36.2 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Pickering to Levisham Station by Train - Return on Foot 1.1 km

Lockton - Stain Dale - Bride Stones - Lockton 8.6 km

Lockton and Levisham 8.7 km

EBBERSTON HALL 10.2 km

SCAMPSTON HALL 10.9 km

Local events

  • Whitby Goth Weekend (Friday 1 May 2026 – Friday 1 May 2026)

    Whitby, England 30 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in North Yorkshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Swallowtails have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Swallowtails dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Swallowtails? There are of course lots of walks to try in the North York Moors National Park – a couple of favourite spots include the trails around the Hole of Horcum (15 minutes’ … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Swallowtails?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Swallowtails? From $45.28 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.