North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is the largest county in England and encompasses an extraordinary range of landscapes. The Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North York Moors National Park, the Vale of York, the Howardian Hills and a stretch of spectacular coastline between Whitby and Scarborough all fall within its boundaries. For van travellers, it is a county that can easily absorb a week or more of exploration.

The two national parks at either end of the county offer contrasting experiences. The Dales are limestone country – white-walled villages, waterfalls, stone barns and high moorland. The Moors are darker, heather-clad and atmospheric, punctuated by hidden valleys and dramatic coastal drops at Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay.

Beyond the national parks, North Yorkshire has outstanding market towns – Skipton, Ripon, Helmsley, Thirsk and Pickering – that make excellent bases for a night or two. The coast around Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay is dramatic and atmospheric, particularly in autumn and winter when the summer crowds have gone.

The North Yorkshire posts on this site cover real van stops and routes across the county – honest first-hand experiences to inform your planning.