Swallowtails

View prices & book 9.1 88 reviews
Around the site
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 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 park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Entertainment and activities are available between 07/23 and 08/21.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling 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.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Units longer than 7 metres are not allowed.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 56%
    10
  • 18%
    9
  • 10%
    8
  • 9%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 0%
    4
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    3
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    2
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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

92% would recommend this campground to a friend

92% would stay here again

What customers say

A peaceful, friendly campsite with great, clean facilities, including hot showers and a game room. Ideal rural location, walking distance to Pickering. Welcoming owners, well-kept sites, good for kids. Minor electrical/toilet issues quickly fixed. Many want to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 7/7/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 9
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely site, nice and peaceful…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (large)

Liked Lovely site, nice and peaceful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely friendly quiet site. Facilities excellent…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (large)

Liked Lovely friendly quiet site. Facilities excellent and very clean. Locality very good. Rural yet close to Pickering town. Lots of walking.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Warm welcome when arriving at site,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (large)

Liked Warm welcome when arriving at site, explained all site rules and where facilities were located.
Clean facilities and well maintained.
Communal fire pit.
Location ideal for day trip to the seaside.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great quiet site - fantastic facilities…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (medium)

Liked Great quiet site - fantastic facilities for kids will definitely be back

Recommend to friends Visit again

Liked everything…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Luke M. 1 review

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (large)

Liked Liked everything

Recommend to friends Visit again

Campsite is lovely and clean great…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (medium)

Liked Campsite is lovely and clean great for kids

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, great position- really relaxing…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (small)

Liked Lovely site, great position- really relaxing good facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

A good site for location to…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (large)

Liked A good site for location to Pickering. Our stay was for 2 nights and was very enjoyable although there was only 3 pitches in use which made for a quiet stay.

Disliked The toilets are unisex and only 3 of them so could be a problem if site was busy also only 2 showers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will return to the little gem of a campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
10
Alan S. 4 reviews

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (medium)

Liked Nice quiet site, pitch was a good size the amenities were very good showers were hot and a nice walk into pickering.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

The hosts were very friendly and…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel tent or RV campsite (medium)

Liked The hosts were very friendly and helpful. Lovely little campsite and my daughters thoroughly enjoyed the park. Facilities were spot on and very clean and a great base for Flamingo Land and close to the joys of Pickering.

Disliked Not much!

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Spectacular scenery Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation 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 Horseback 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

Bus
0.6 mi The Royal Oak
15.1 mi Sunday School
15.1 mi Playing Fields
Rail
7.3 mi Malton Rail Station
13.9 mi Egton Rail Station
13.9 mi Grosmont Rail Station
Ferry
29.9 mi Transporter Bridge South Side
30 mi 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 15.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Scarborough South Bay 16 mi Sea PoorPoorPoorPoor
Robin Hoods Bay 16.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Cayton Bay 17 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Whitby 18.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

North Yorkshire Moors Railway 0.7 mi

Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo 2.4 mi

Dalby Forest Visitor Centre 4.7 mi

Kew at Castle Howard 9.4 mi

Castle Howard 9.5 mi

National Trust

Bridestones, Crosscliff and Blakey Topping 7.2 mi

Nunnington Hall 8.1 mi

Rievaulx Terrace 13.3 mi

Yorkshire Coast 16.2 mi

Treasurer's House 22.5 mi

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 0.7 mi

Lockton - Stain Dale - Bride Stones - Lockton 5.3 mi

Lockton and Levisham 5.4 mi

EBBERSTON HALL 6.3 mi

SCAMPSTON HALL 6.8 mi

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Swallowtails? From $38.86 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.