How to Find a Seasonal Caravan Pitch in Whitby (and Beyond)

Whitby and the North Yorkshire area are some of the most popular places in the UK for seasonal caravan pitches. In this article, we’ll share some tips to help you find the right park.

For many people, owning a touring caravan and putting it on a seasonal pitch is the perfect middle-ground between freedom-filled touring holidays and the convenience of a static caravan. You get a familiar base in a fantastic location – but none of the hassle of towing every weekend or booking pitches months in advance.

Whitby – and the wider North Yorkshire area – is up there with the most sought-after regions in all of the UK for seasonal caravan pitches. As such, demand is high, availability can be limited, and getting it right can sometimes involve more than just finding a nice-looking park.

This quick guide will explain what you need to know about tracking down a great seasonal pitch here in North Yorkshire – so you can make sure your next year or more of holidays are as relaxing and enjoyable as possible.

What Exactly is a “Seasonal Pitch”?

A seasonal caravan pitch is a space on a caravan park that’s designed for people who want to keep their touring caravan on that park for a large chunk of the year. The exact length of the season varies park-to-park – but it’s typically between 8-11 months. 

For some people, this makes using a touring caravan far more convenient than moving it on and off every week or weekend – and guarantees you a familiar space, even during busier periods. 

It might sound similar to a static caravan – but because you’re putting a touring caravan on the pitch, it’s infinitely easier to move to different locations each season, so it strikes a nice balance between convenience and familiarity. 

Why’s North Yorkshire So Popular for Seasonal Pitches?

Whitby and the surrounding North Yorkshire area consistently ranks as one of the most desirable areas in the UK for caravan owners – and for good reason!

When you choose Whitby, Scarborough, Filey or one of the surrounding areas, you get a beautiful combination of dramatic coastal scenery and beaches, easy access to the North York Moors, plenty of traditional seaside charm, and a slower pace of life than most cities.

As a result, lots of seasonal pitches in this area are snapped up quickly – and those who do find one tend to keep coming back year-on-year. 

How to Find Seasonal Pitches in Whitby and North Yorkshire

Owing to the popularity of the area, finding your perfect seasonal pitch can be tricky – so it pays to know a few helpful hints when it comes to finding one that’s right for you.

Here’s some insider knowledge that will hopefully help if you’re planning on starting your search soon:

1. Contact Parks Directly

While it’s usually a piece of cake to find a short-term pitch on booking sites, lots of caravan parks only offer seasonal pitches to people who ask. 

Part of this is down to park owners being careful who they let use their park – they may want to get a feel for whether you’ll fit into the little seasonal community they have (i.e. no wild parties at all hours!)

Because of this, a quick phone call or an email explaining what you’re looking for can be much more fruitful than simply waiting for the right advert to pop up. 

2. Ask About Waiting Lists

Since breaks here in Whitby and along the Yorkshire Coast are so popular, it’s not uncommon for parks to have waiting lists for seasonal pitches. 

It might feel frustrating if you’re eager to get set up and start enjoying the area ASAP, but getting your name on a list is a good way to make sure you’re alerted as soon as something becomes available. 

3. Time Your Enquiry

Typically, people will decide if they’re going to renew their seasonal pitch agreement towards the end of Summer, into Autumn, or sometimes even a little later. 

This makes phonecalls and emails around this time usually much more productive than trying to find a place around Easter, when people are well established and have no plans to move on.

Of course, this isn’t to say it’s pointless to inquire in busier times – people’s circumstances change all the time. However, there are usually more pitches becoming available as the season winds down.

4. Be Flexible

There’s no doubt about it – a fantastic sea view pitch with handstanding parking in the best part of the park is what everyone’s looking for – but that also makes it hard to find.

If you’re willing to bend a little on exactly what you’ve got in mind (be that exact park, location on the park, or a specific start date) – you’ll typically have far more options.

This is often a case of not letting ‘perfect’ get in the way of ‘very good’ – you can wait forever for the perfect pitch, when you could be having just as much of a nice time on an otherwise very nice pitch that’s not quite what you’d pictured in your dream scenario.

5. Think Strategically!

This is really a continuation of tip four – but it warrants a special mention for people willing to play the longer game. 

If you find a park with some standout pitches that you’d love to spend your weekends or holidays on – it’s worth getting your foot in the door with a slightly less desirable spot on the same park.

By doing so, you put yourself in the best position to find out when your dream seasonal pitch comes up. You might even let the park manager know you’re eager to get a special pitch – and, as an existing customer, you stand a good chance of being the first person they’ll let know as it becomes available.

Finding the Right Park For You

Those tips will help you find parks that have seasonal pitches – but, it’s also worth asking yourself how you know a park is going to be right for you.

When you visit parks or even just make some phonecalls, it can be easy to let your heart start making quick decisions, rather than carefully thinking through what you’re looking for.

As such, it’s useful to think about the following things before you start exploring parks:

• Atmosphere: Do you prefer quiet and relaxed, or lively and social?
• Facilities: Do you want a bar, shop, and entertainment – or peace and space?
• Access: How easy is it to reach Whitby or the local town/village, any coastal walks, or nearby points of interest?
• Rules: Does the park have specific rules around visitors, caravan age limits, winter access, or similar?
• Costs: What’s included and what’s charged separately (extras can quickly add up)

These things might not matter if you’re only staying for a week – but when you’re choosing a seasonal pitch, it’s important to make sure all the parts of the puzzle make sense.

Is Your Caravan Right for Seasonal Use?

Hopefully, those tips and thinking points will help you find a park that’s close-to perfect for you. So, it’s useful now to think about the caravan itself.

A common mistake people make when planning for a seasonal pitch is not carefully thinking about whether their tourer will be suitable for their needs.

In reality, seasonal use is quite different from touring holidays. Where there’s a nice “make do” attitude that works for odd weekends here and there, a seasonal pitch lends itself to lots of long weekends, fortnights in summer, and, for some, even months spent detaching from the stresses of home.

This makes certain elements of the caravan matter more than others. Things to think about might include:

• Whether the layout of a particular caravan suits how you actually live
• If you’ve got plenty of comfortable seating for when the rain (inevitably) arrives
• Practical storage for clothing and things needed for longer stays
• Whether the heating and insulation is suitable for the full season
• If there’s space for awnings that extend your living space

We talked to Stephen Kelly, owner of webuyeverycaravan.com about the mistakes people make with caravans and how to make sure you’re choosing a model that’s going to work for you:

“We buy any caravan for any reason – but it’s always a shame to see people selling quickly simply because they’ve rushed into a purchase. I always recommend going and looking around as many caravan dealers and showrooms as possible. It’s important to know what kind of layouts and features are out there – even if you plan to buy a pre-owned caravan. It’s almost always a mistake to purchase the first caravan you see just because you’re excited about your new holiday lifestyle.”

What Are The Costs of a Seasonal Pitch?

Now, as a very rough guide, a seasonal touring pitch might cost anywhere between £1,000 and £2,500+, with the lower end covering more basic, smaller parks, and the upper end covering all-action big brand parks.

Needless to say, prices vary, so it’s important to call around and get some prices – but it’s also important to not forget that there can be add-ons to this cost. 

Typical additional costs include:

• Gas and electricity
• Insurance
• Any transport/siting costs (if you’d prefer not to do this yourself)

Some parks will bundle all of these costs in together – but others might meter the cost of electric, or have  set fee for getting your caravan all set up. It’s always a good idea to ask about this upfront so there are no surprise bills further down the line.

What Are Some Common Slip-Ups to Avoid?

Caravan holidays can be amazing – but, if you’re not careful, you can make missteps that can either cost you money, or, at the very least, cause a bit of frustration.

Some common mistakes include:

• Buying a caravan with the sole plan of putting it on a seasonal pitch before you’ve actually found your pitch.
• Falling in love with a park before you’ve checked that the rules work for you.
• Underestimating demand and leaving it until the last minute to enquire.
• Choosing a caravan that looks good on paper but doesn’t really fit your real-life needs.

Again, taking your time to think about these things usually means lots more enjoyment further down the line. 

Seasonal Caravan Pitches in Whitby: A Quick Summary

A seasonal pitch in the Whitby or wider North Yorkshire area can be your gateway to holidays and breaks that you’ll remember forever. In fact, having a bolt-hole near to the coast or in the North York Moors can be a totally different, generally more relaxing way of life. 

That said, it’s important to do a bit of homework when it comes to finding and choosing your pitch – it’s not just about availability, it’s more about what’s going to be the right fit for you.

The right park, in the right location, with affordable costs, and a caravan that genuinely suits how you live,  a seasonal pitch can become a place you look forward to escaping to week after week. When all these things come together, a caravan stops feeling like a once-a-year holiday and becomes more of a home-from-home, which is exactly why so many people love doing it.