Five of the best camping spots in NSW

So you have a few weekends free, maybe even a month or two. You are itching to pack up the car, and maybe caravan, and go camping in New South Wales, but where to go?

Well, we’ve done the hard work for you with suggestions from the outback to the sea, from free camping to blindingly bling glamping.

Green Patch Campsite, Booderee National Park

It’s hard to pick from the Jervis Bay region’s many campsites, but this one’s a winner because of its natural setting, cheap price and peaceful atmosphere. 

It’s a great base for water sports including snorkelling, scuba diving and stand-up paddleboarding. Or just soak up the beaches with some of the whitest sands in the world lapped by aquamarine waters. 

Also, the marine park means you stand a good chance of seeing whales, dolphins, seals and little penguins. 

Getting there: three-hour drive from Sydney and Canberra. 

Facilities: fresh water, public toilets, showers, firewood provided, drive-through sites, rubbish removed daily, barbecues, although it’s recommended to BYO as the onsite barbecues can get busy in peak periods. Dogs not permitted.

What visitors like: wildlife, wildlife everywhere. Expect kangaroos in the campsite and plenty of bird life. It’s also metres from a pristine beach. 

Traveller tip: make sure to lock up your food, the possums are on to the free tucker. 

Good for: taking overseas tourists because of guaranteed wildlife encounters. Bonus: sometimes the navy does manoeuvres offshore. 

Booking information, visit here.

Broken Hill Tourist Park, Broken Hill

You can’t go much further away from anywhere in New South Wales than Broken Hill, but if you are planning to visit red dirt country it should definitely be on your list. It’s also a good launching pad for South Australia and Northern Territory adventures. 

The most popular camping spot by far is the Broken Hill Tourist Park with everything from unpowered sites to luxurious cabins.  

Getting there: Google says 13 hours by car from Sydney, but realistically you should stop overnight on the way. Rex and Qantas both fly to Broken Hill from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide although there are hardly any direct flights, and there are trains from Sydney. 

Facilities: pool, barbecue, free wifi, drive-through sites, satellite TV, playground, laundry, airport shuttle, dogs allowed for camping and selected cabins although with some hefty rules, tours available. 

What visitors like: location, cleanliness, staff helpful for tours, rave reviews about new shower block, close to shops. 

Traveller tip: calling in person should get you a cheaper deal than online.

Good for: plenty of outback charm but a Broken Hill must-see is the bonkers Palace Hotel and its over-the-top murals. You may remember it from Priscilla Queen of the Desert.    

Thredbo Diggings, Mount Kosciuszko National Park

Thredbo Diggings is a proper bush campground set amongst snow gums in a river setting. It’s popular with families, anglers and hikers and a short drive to the Thredbo and Perisher ski fields.

Getting there: two-and-a-half hours by car from Canberra, five-and-a-half hours from Sydney and six-and-a-half hours from Melbourne. 

Facilities: not a lot, to be honest, just a long drop toilet, fire pits and picnic tables. It’s real back-to-nature stuff here. Glampers look away. Dogs not permitted. 

What visitors like: big skies day and night, off the grid and mountain views. 

Travel tip: you will have to take everything in and out including drinking water and firewood. Bookings essential, and there is a fee to enter the national park.

Good for: trout fishing, swimming in the Thredbo River – in summer for everyone, in winter for idiots only – walking tracks and mountain biking trails.  

For bookings, visit here.

Cathedral Reserve Camping Grounds, Blue Mountains

Cathedral Reserve is a free campsite just 10 minutes off the main highway, but feels like a hidden forest. It’s one of the Blue Mountains’ largest camping grounds, so you should always get a spot.  

Getting there: two-and-a-half hours from Sydney, four hours from Canberra.

Facilities: Basic only. Picnic tables – four undercover – barbecue pits and long drop toilets. However, it is free. Dogs are only allowed in the camping site, not the surrounding national park. 

What visitors like: great autumn colour and misty, lush bushland walks. 

Travel tip: no need to book, just rock up and camp. Bring your own water and toilet paper. You will need snow chains in winter. 

Good for: wandering around gorgeous surrounding private open gardens in the Mount Wilson area – visit here for more information. Getting away from seasonal heat.

Katoomba Falls Tourist Park, Katoomba

If you want to enjoy the some of the best attractions of the Blue Mountains but also like a pub and supermarket nearby, this is the site for you. 

Getting there: one-and-a-half hours by car from Sydney, and two hours on the Blue Mountains line train. If taking the train, experts recommend a seat on the left side for best views of the Blue Mountains once you leave the city. Just under four hours’ drive from Canberra. 

Facilities: powered and unpowered sites and cabins. Mobility-accessible shower blocks, free wifi hotspots, laundry, free electric barbecues, camp kitchen, playground. Pets not allowed. 

What visitors like: proximity to famous Blue Mountains attractions such as Scenic World, Three Sisters and Katoomba Falls, which is just across the street. 

Travel tip: it’s just a decent walk to the shops, but a hop on, hop off bus into town has a stop just outside the site.

Good for: sampling the best of the Blue Mountains without going off the grid. 

Bubble Tent Australia, Capertree

This is more about the experience than the site, although the sites are pretty darned amazing too. As the name suggests, you stay in a bubble tent and can take in the majesty of the views from all angles.

The business offers three tents: Virgo overlooking Capertee Valley; cliff-top Cancer and Leo on one of the highest points in the valley. All are completely secluded from each other and can confidently be called glamping.

Getting there: about three hours from Sydney by car and about four hours from Canberra.

Facilities: while you’ll have to bring food and drink for your stay, just about everything else is provided from linen to raincoats. Extra features include telescopes and outdoor showers and wood-fired bathtubs. Naturally, luxury indoor bathrooms are also provided. No kids, no pets.

What visitors like: stargazing, sunsets and sunrises from bed and for one reviewer the detachment from reality. Maybe he picked some special mushrooms on a hike while he was there.  

Travel tip: a 4WD is recommended to get to the site. And all that luxury comes at a price. It’s a minimum $575 a night and a minimum two nights’ booking, although they do have a waiting list for one night if you want to sign up.

Good for: romantic weekend getaways.  

What’s your favourite NSW camping spot? We’d love to hear about it and why it’s your favourite in the comments section below.

Also read: Five ways to save money on a caravan trip