YHA Grinton Lodge, Grinton

There are few more dramatic locations in the northern dales than this 200-year-old, castellated shooting lodge set amid purple heather on the moors above Swaledale. It's full of period appeal, from the main arched courtyard to the open fire and mounted antlers in the cosy lounge, and the interior has been smartly refurbished, with bunk rooms ranged along deep-red panelled corridors. All the rooms have a view of some kind – straight across the moors and down the dale in some cases – and while there are no en suites, there are plenty of showers and loos. You can also camp in the grounds, though the locally made wooden camping pods are proving more popular, and come with a fire pit, barbecue and children's play area; you'll need to bring your own gear if staying in the pods. Good-value breakfasts and evening meals are served in the lodge, and although it seems like the middle of nowhere, the nearest pub is only a 15-minute walk downhill, while the wilds of Swaledale itself await adventurous bikers and hikers.
• Grinton, Richmond, 0845 371 9636, yha.org.uk. Dorms £19.40pp (all single-sex), two-bed room £47, four-bed family room £75, pods from £30 per night

YHA Hawes

The hostel at Hawes sits at the highest point of Yorkshire's highest market town, and offers superb views. From the lounge of the large, stone-built house you can look across the central part of Wensleydale, while from the en suite shower room of "Room 13" you get what's billed as the "million-pound toilet seat view" across the valley. There are two bunk-bed en suite rooms; otherwise accommodation is in standard dorms with cheerful yellow-painted brick walls and pine bunks. The hostel was purpose-built in the 1970s and there's something of a vintage feel, especially in the shared bathrooms which, while spotless, are decidedly old-fashioned. But there's plenty of space in the public areas, and a more up-to-date approach to facilities and services, including good bistro meals available nightly and a well-stocked bar. Being bang in the middle of one of the more well-trodden dales means it's walker-friendly, but families too will find it a really useful base.
• Lancaster Terrace, Hawes, 0845 371 9120, yha.org.uk. Dorms £19.40 (single-sex, unless occupied by couple/family/group), en suites £49, four-bed family room £63. Groups only November–March

Dalesbridge, Austwick

Once a convalescent home and hospital, Dalesbridge now offers comfortable B&B rooms with nice views in the Edwardian main house (formerly the nurses' home) and more budget-rated accommodation in the garden and grounds. Here, there's a line of well-used four- and six-bunk cabins, whose fairly spartan decor – ceiling strip lights, basic showers and loos – reflect the largely boots-and-bikes clientele. The four-bed cabins are pretty small, though you do get a kettle, toaster and microwave; the six-bed versions are much more spacious, with a proper kitchen area and a big picnic-style dining table. You can barbecue (and park) at the cabins, and there's a family friendly pub in the nearby village. The whole complex is much quieter during the week when kids will have the run of the large tree-lined field out front that doubles as the campsite.
• Austwick, 01524 251021, dalesbridge.co.uk. Doubles from £74 a night B&B, cabins from £60 a night

Dales Bike Centre, Fremington

Long may you wonder at the names of the bunk rooms at Dales Bike Centre in deepest Swaledale – "Booze" and "Crackpot" among them. But keen mountain-bikers know them as local villages, as you'll doubtless be told in the funky little cafe at the heart of the operation. There are also serious cycle facilities on site (bike shop, rental and guided tours, lock-up, repairs and bike wash), while the accommodation sits above both cafe and bike shop in the two adjacent, stone-built dales barn buildings. Small bunk rooms in pine, cream and peppermint share high-quality, modern showers and toilets, and the above-cafe rooms also have a walk-in kitchenette. Everyone gets after-hours access to the cafe where there's free Wi-Fi and "24hr-cake". Breakfast is cereal and a bacon sandwich or scrambled eggs, after which you're set up for a day's biking on Swaledale's old lead-mining trails and grouse-beater tracks. No question, the centre is aimed squarely at bikers (and a few coast-to-coast hikers), but for a "bunk and breakfast" with a touch of class, this place can't be beaten.
• Parks Barn, Fremington, Reeth, 01748 884908, dalesbikecentre.co.uk. Dorms £28pp B&B

Whashton Springs Farm, Richmond

There's a gracious air at Whashton Springs Farm, just three miles from the lovely market town of Richmond in the northern dales. The farm is of the same Georgian pedigree as Richmond itself, with elegant bay windows overlooking a garden and rolling fields beyond, while three very spacious en suite rooms inside the main house sport antique chairs, floral wallpaper and lovely old beds, including one swagged four-poster. The style is more contemporary in the courtyard annexe, where another five rooms occupy converted farm buildings. Less spacious but modern and light, with country pine furniture, pale carpets and handmade bedspreads, the family suite comprises two adjoining rooms sharing a neat little bathroom. Breakfast is a big old Yorkshire farm fry-up, served with homemade preserves and local honey from the heather-clad moors. Nearby pubs – all horse-brasses, beer gardens and bistro meals – offer good rural dining, or it's a short drive to Richmond's restaurants, Georgian theatre and medieval castle.
• Richmond, 01748 822884, whashtonsprings.co.uk. Doubles from £75 B&B first night, £70 thereafter

YHA Lockton, Lockton

The long-serving manager here feels a real affinity for the cosy, red-brick hostel in this small village, right next door to the churchyard. It used to be the old village school and she and her parents were once pupils here – there's still a line of antique coat-hooks in the lobby. Everything else, though, has been revamped on modern, eco-friendly lines, as Lockton was the first YHA "green beacon" hostel; from the solar-heated showers to the insulating grass cover on the living room roof, Lockton is entirely dedicated to cutting its carbon footprint. Three smart little bunk rooms have decent carpets and matching curtains, and share bathrooms down the hall. A snug fourth room (sleeps three, but is great for couples) has an en suite wet room designed for disabled access. There's a spotless stainless-steel kitchen and otherwise facilities are limited. But, frankly, why laze about when there are remote moorland walks and age-old villages to all sides?
• Old School, Lockton, Pickering, 0845 371 9128, yha.org.uk. Dorms £21.40. Group bookings only from mid-September to Easter

Bank House Farm Hostel, Glaisdale

The delightful valley of Glaisdale goes almost unnoticed in the eastern half of the North York Moors, with the nearby attractions of Goathland (Heartbeat country), the steam railway to Pickering and even Whitby soaking up most visitors. This relative isolation makes Bank House Farm even more of a gem, sitting in an elevated position on one side of the wide valley, with scintillating views to all sides. Emma and Chris Padmore farm organically here (sheep and cows), and welcome visitors to their converted lambing barn and "cart shed", which sleeps 11 upstairs under the beams in Ikea single beds on oatmeal carpets. Downstairs, the huge old doorways have been glassed in to throw light on a large open-plan communal space with a modern kitchen, bench tables and long sofas which can sleep three more. Outdoors, there's a huge trampoline for panoramic bouncing, a stone-flagged barbecue and seating area, and walks right off the property, including the couple of miles down through ancient woodland to Glaisdale village and the nearest pub. One thing to note: at weekends, you usually have to book the whole hostel.
• Glaisdale, 01947 897297, bankhousefarmhostel.co.uk. Dorms, £18, under-16s £10, under-5s free

Boggle Hole YHA, Whitby

You would be forgiven for not knowing about Boggle Hole YHA, it hides in a coastal valley so narrow that its eaves almost touch on both sides. A few yards further down is the sea with cliffs that are full of fossils and jet – watch out for the tides though. Robin Hood's Bay is an easy stroll. The hostel is a real treat: a warren of cosy rooms and hideways in an old mill building. There is a cafe selling hot food and breakfasts plus a games room well-stocked with puzzles and board games. If you are walking the coastal path, the hostel is right on it – very convenient – but it is not so easy for car drivers, being 500m from the nearest parking up on the hill behind. 
• Mill Beck, Fylingthorpe, 0845 371 9504, yha.org.uk. Dorm room beds £12

The Tan Hill Inn, Swaledale

At 528m, the Tan Hill Inn, on the northern edge of the Dales national park, is the highest pub in Britain (it can get snowed in for days in winter), as well as one of the most characterful. There's a wonderful sense of isolation up here and the otherworldiness is enhanced by the farmyard feel of the pub – and that's just the inside, as sheep, dogs and chicks share the open-fire with the punters. It hosts country, ceilidh and brass bands on the weekends. Being near the crossroads of the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast trail, it's very popular with walkers, who refuel on a good selection of local ales, including their own Ewe Juice, and hearty tucker, such as the roasts which are served inside plate-size Yorkshire pudding. The accommodation won't win any style awards – rooms are comfy enough but slightly chintzy – but then you're not really here for that. The Tan Hill is all about the unique, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
• Reeth, Richmond, Swaledale, 01833 628246, tanhillinn.co.uk. Triples £90, doubles £80, twins £70, dorms £25pp; main meals from £7.95

Spiers House campsite, Cropton Forest, near Pickering

This Forestry Commission site on the edge of the North York Moors national park is criss-crossed with foot and cycle paths. There are 160 pitches but they are well spread out, some under the shelter of conifers, others in more open spaces. Don't trust the English weather? Then opt for a cabin instead (bookable through forestholidays.co.uk). Child-friendly activities range from Dusk Watch, where you track night time creatures, and exploring the forest with a ranger.
If you're kids have energy to spare, head over to the GoApe high-wire adventure course is 13-miles away. Alternatively, rest tired legs and ride the North York Moors steam railway from nearby Pickering. If you find it difficult to sleep on a blow up mattress perhaps a pint or two of Blackout, brewed by the New Inn pub two miles away will help.  
• 0845 130 8224, campingintheforest.co.uk. From £14.70-£19.30 for a basic grass pitch based on two campers, to £22.30-£27.50 for a large pitch with picnic table. Bank holidays cost more, open all year

• Seven of the places to stay on this list are featured in the Best Places to Stay in Britain on a Budget (Rough Guides, £9.99, published April), available from the Guardian Bookshop for £7.99

Know a great place to stay in the Yorkshire Dales or Moors national parks? Add your recommendation in the comments below