Campsites Near Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Whether you're camping in Harrogate with your family and friends, on a couple's getaway, or on a solo escape, you'll find plenty to do in the quaint town. Here are some of our top recommendations.

1. Visit the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Located just 20 minutes from Harrogate is the Yorkshire Dales National Park. During your visit, you can capture the stunning scenery, walk or cycle along the three peaks, stay up late and enjoy stargazing under the night sky, or plunge into waterfalls when you need to cool down.

2. Crimple Valley Viaduct

The Crimple Valley Viaduct carries the Harrogate to Leeds railway line across Crimple Beck and its valley. The structure itself has 31 arches, each spanning over 15.5 meters. Not only is this a Grade II listed structure, but it also has a picture-perfect backdrop that draws visitors from all over. If you’re visiting during the spring, you’ll be in for a treat as the buttercups bloom and stretches of yellow fields create a phenomenal background.

You can get a good look at the viaduct from multiple places in the south of Harrogate. A popular spot to set up a picnic and watch trains pass can be found near the valley and wood that line Crimple Beck. It’s easily accessible from Pannel and Follifoot.

3. Valley Gardens

Breathe in some fresh air at the Valley Gardens in Harrogate. This Grade II-listed garden is 17 acres long and contains more mineral springs than any other known place. If you head to Bogs Field, you'll find the 36 mineral wells that were discovered.

Not only is Valley Gardens open throughout the year, but if you're visiting in the summer, on Sunday afternoons, the gardens host concerts where you can dance the afternoon away to your favourite bands.

There are also plenty of family-friendly activities and games to enjoy at the park, including playing tennis on the tennis courts, playing golf on the putt golf course, taking on a round of crazy golf, enjoying the boating and paddling pool, and letting the little ones run wild in the play area. You can also lay down a picnic blanket and read a lovely book while wildlife watching.

4. Peek Into The Past Trail

Imagine an escape room in the outdoors. Peak Into The Past is precisely that. Taking you to the streets of Harrogate, you'll learn the town's history, visit monuments, and find secret nooks and hidden gems as you solve clues and untangle riddles. On your adventure, you can take breaks in some of the town's best pubs and cafes and enjoy tasty food before heading back on your adventure.

5. How Stean Gorge

Campers who love adrenaline-pumping activities can visit How Stean Gorge. Here, you can get stuck into team-building activities or try rock climbing, canyoning, canoeing, and heli-canyoning.

6. The Harrogate Spa

Harrogate Spa is nestled in a stately Victorian building and offers a modern, relaxing spa experience. There are plenty of packages and treatments to choose from. Get your nails done, enjoy a facial treatment, or go for a hot stone massage. Whatever you pick, you're sure to feel relaxed and nourished afterwards.

7. Victorian Turkish Baths

If a modern spa doesn't hit the spot, why not travel back and visit Britain's fully restored Victorian Turkish Baths? Surrounded by intricate Italian mosaic floors, Islamic arches, and Moorish designs, the atmosphere alone will transform your body into a state of Zen.

Sit back in the steam room and let your troubles melt away as your pores open and eliminate toxins. Afterwards, go to the three heated rooms, which start at 40 degrees Celsius and continue up to 70 degrees Celsius. Once your body heals through heat, plunge into cold water and energise your body. The change in temperature improves circulation, flushes out toxins in muscles and provides a toning effect.

8. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden - National Trust

Discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can see breathtaking landscapes and uncover fascinating history. Studley Royal Water Gardens are one of the best surviving examples of a Georgian water garden, which you must capture on your trip. The ruins of Fountains Abbey are another eye-catching part of this trip, where you'll get to see the remaining ruins of Cistercian monasteries in England.

9. The Stray

Escape to one of Harrogate's best-known landmarks, The Stray. This 200-acre grass parkland is a breathtaking place to enjoy a romantic picnic, play fun family games, or go on a gentle stroll through fields full of colourful flowers and cherry blossom trees.

10. Harrogate Theatre

Book a show at Harrogate Theatre. Built in 1900, this Victorian theatre hosts a variety of shows throughout the year. Laugh until your tummy hurts at a comedy gig, be moved to tears while watching a dance number or watch your favourite shows come to life at the beautiful auditorium.

11. The Mercer Art Gallery

A building which has 200 years of rich history was transformed into the Mercer Art Gallery in 1991. Prior to it displaying stunning modern and contemporary art, the building was a spa, theatre and town hall.

12. Royal Pump Room Museum

Built by Isaac Shutt in 1842, the Royal Pump Room welcomed over 15,000 visitors each summer who were attracted to Harrogate's 'curing' waters. This practice soon slowed down and stopped after World War Two as the NHS came into fruition, and fewer people visited the curing waters. Now, the Royal Pump Room is a museum that showcases Harrogate's proud history and tells the stories of those who visited.