Queensland Camp Sites; where’s the best camping?
Warm weather, sugar cane and some of the most amazing camping in the country means you’re in Queensland! In this post, we’re sharing all of our favourite Queensland Camp Sites, and expect it to become a truly massive guide, like our other camping posts.
We initially high tailed it into Queensland to make it on a Whitsunday Yacht cruise from Airlie Beach, and then after a couple of weeks around Cairns we slowed the trip down heading north, and then all the way back down again towards NSW.
Waterloo Plains Environmental Park
Its rare to come across a free camp on your way through that is as good as Waterloo Plains, and its not hard to say we really loved this spot. Located around a big, man made lake with stunning views, this was a fantastic overnighter.
Rockhampton Ski Club Camping
Camping metres from the Fitzroy River with stunning views was a fantastic way to unwind after 1800km from Wagga Wagga. This campground was a bit left field, but is really good.
Flaggy Rock
If you like grass, with a great amenities and a lovely pool, you won’t go wrong with Flaggy Rock. It’s well priced, has great views and made for a really good overnighter on our way up towards Airlie Beach.
Rowallan Park out of Mackay
We like low cost, open campgrounds and whilst calling through Mackay, had a fantastic couple of nights at Rowallan Park. This is home to some truly epic mountain bike tracks, and we really enjoyed the property here.
Bluewater Rest Area
Whilst heading north, we needed a camp site near Townsville, and Bluewater Park and Rest Area ticked a heap of boxes. It’s free, easy to get to, and had a playground, nice grass and was a perfect overnighter. We were very grateful for this rest area, and would highly recommend it if you want free camping near Townsville.
Cairns Cool Waters Caravan Park
We normally don’t like Caravan Parks and big cities, but we’d organised to meet up with a heap of family in Cairns, and this caravan park is truly exceptional. We had an amazing week camped here, and did a heap of the tourist attractions in Cairns.
Tropic Breeze Caravan Park in Port Douglas
There’s not too many camping options in Port Douglas, and we spend another week at Tropic Breeze Caravan Park with family, before they all headed back to Perth. This was a step down from Cairns Cool Waters Caravan Park, but it was still reasonable, albeit not our primary choice for style of camping!
Miallo Creek
We’d been dreaming of camping near a pristine creek with no one else around, and Miallo Creek Stay is up there with the best camping we’ve done in Queensland. This is a private property with stunning views, peace and tranquillity and we had a truly magic couple of days parked up.
Cooktown Campout
After not meeting the grey and black water requirements of the Cooktown RV area, we headed out to Cooktown Campout, which was a great decision. This is a private property run by a young family who do animal feeding, and have some huge sites for their campers.
Bloomfield Cabins and Camping
The Bloomfield Track was high on our agenda in far north Queensland, and we stayed a couple of nights at the Bloomfield Cabins and Camping property, which is truly beautiful, and really well set up. This is our sort of caravan park, and we’d highly recommend it.
Trevathan Creek Farm Stay
If you’re chasing a less well known waterfall in Far North Queensland, Trevathan is truly beautiful, and now there’s a private property that you can camp on not too far away, called Trevathan Creek Farm Stay. This has only recently been opened, and its a ripper.
Peninsula Caravan Park in Cooktown
Caravan parks aren’t normally our thing, but some do it just right. The Peninsula Caravan Park in Cooktown is big, spacey, beautiful, well priced and has good shade. We spent a couple of nights here exploring the beautiful Cooktown area, and though it was just right.
Elim Beach
It’s a reasonable detour to get to Elim Beach from Cooktown, and we debated over whether it was worth the effort or not. We headed out anyway, and spent two magic nights here, in a place that is extraordinary. If you want some protection from the wind, and coastal camping in FNQ, you won’t go wrong with Elim Beach!
Coen Free Camping
A lot of the free camping on the way to and from Cape York is nothing to rave about (like gravel pits), but Coen has some ripper spots, and we spent two amazing nights enjoying one of them on the way up, and a different one on the way back down. Want to know more? Check this out.
Moreton Telegraph Station
There’s quite a few places you can stop at on the way to and from Cape York, and Moreton Telegraph Station is right on the edge of the road. It’s picturesque, peaceful, has a few walks and is a great place to camp. It is however, awfully expensive, but if you can get past that its certainly worth a stop.
Elliot Falls
Cape York is well known for its beauty, and Elliot Falls, Twin Falls and the Saucepan contribute hugely to that. If you want to camp nearby, you can stay at Elliot Falls Campground, which needs to be pre-booked. It’s fairly standard bush camping, but you are within walking distance of three amazing waterholes.
Alau Beach
After a very long drive to the tip of Cape York, the first views I got of Alau beach left me shell shocked, and it gets better as you get closer. This place is one of the most beautiful that we’ve camped at, and we had 3 great nights here. It was disturbed by some external influences, but its still a ripper spot.
Bramwell Junction Roadhouse
If you want a great place to call in for a rest, or stop for a night or two, the Bramwell Junction Roadhouse is it. Located right on the edge of the road, and where the Old Telegraph Track starts, with great staff, decent pricing and a really decent camping ground, its a popular place, and for good reason.
Mutee Head
Free camping in Cape York is plentiful, but finding an amazing spot is a bit harder. We headed out for the day from Alau Beach and thought Mutee Head is a fantastic place to stay, and if we returned, we’d stay here for a night or two for sure.
Stewart River Free Camp
One of our favourite camps in Cape York was on the Stewart River. We spent a fantastic night here on the way back, and whilst there is limited room, if you get a spot its absolutely stunning.
Weipa Caravan Park
Weipa is a beautiful, and very interesting part of the world. If you want to camp, most people end up at the Weipa Caravan Park, and its a ripper. Prices are reasonable, the sunsets are great, the sites are big and its just a nice, but busy place to chill for a few days.
Mary Farm Creek Camp
Nothing beats creek side camping, and if you are heading home from Cape York you might find that the Mary Farm Creek Camp is a great place to stay. This is incredibly cheap, has a great creek for the kids and is close to a number of other attractions nearby.
Ringers Rest
We’ve met a lot of people on our travels, but very few compare to the owner of Ringers Rest, who is nothing short of a legend. We spent 3 awesome nights camped here, and had an absolute ball. There’s a lot to do around Mareeba, and Ringers Rest makes for the perfect place to base yourself.
Chillagoe Cockatoo Hotel Camping
Chillagoe completely and utterly blew us away, and the Cockatoo Hotel is the perfect place to camp. Set up behind the pub, get yourself a meal or some drinks and explore one of the most under-rated towns in Queensland. The Chillagoe Caves are spectacular, and the water holes absolutely magic.
Malanda Falls Caravan Park
Some Caravan Parks tick all the boxes, and Malanda Falls does a great job. It’s well priced, has heaps of room, allows camp fires and they’ve even got a petting zoo for the kids. If you’re looking to explore the Malanda area (and you should!), this is a great base.
Lake Tinaroo Camping
We’ve camped at some seriously picturesque locations over the years, but Lake Tinaroo is nothing short of mind blowing. This lake has everything; green grass, good fishing, lots of room, scenery to boot and a heap of attractions and 4WD tracks in the area. If you want to experience some fantastic Queensland camping you won’t go wrong at Lake Tinaroo.
Babinda Boulders
Queensland is full of amazing places, and Babinda Boulders is the ultimate day trip. However, just to add icing to the cake you can camp in the free camp literally 200 metres away, and this makes it so much better. You absolutely have to see Babinda Boulders, and if you get a spot at the campground you’ll love it.
Davies Creek Falls
We’ve been continuously shocked by great camping in Queensland, and Davies Creek is a place we’d love to go back to and spend a few nights. We only called in one afternoon to look at the falls, but some of the upper camping areas are truly phenomenal.
Tully Gorge Camping
Tully Gorge is a beautiful place, and you can camp right up the gorge in a pretty stunning camp ground. We spent a couple of nights here, and really enjoyed ourselves.
Archer Creek Rest Stop
Rest stops are usually pretty average, but occasionally you’ll stumble across a winner every day of the week. Not far out of Ravenshoe lies Archer Creek Rest Stop, and its a brilliant place to spend a couple of nights.
Jardine Station
Private property camping is the best, and when you’re on a rugged, stunning cattle station with some of the most incredible views around you cannot possibly go wrong. We had an absolute ball in the provided kayaks at Ellendale Hole, saw a freshwater crocodile and enjoyed some of the most amazing sunsets ever. If you’re after a low cost bush camp with great views, you won’t go wrong with Jardine Station!
Isabella Falls
Not too far out of Cooktown lies another spectacular waterfall, where you can free camp right near. We only called in here for a look, but its a great part of the world with good views, and would be a perfect place to base yourself if you were heading to Cape York through Battlecamp road.
Ebuta Farm
If you wanted somewhere safe, quiet and secure to stay outside of Townsville, there’s a few options. We spent 3 nights at Ebuta Farm, which is a small, retired goat dairy farm with lovely owners. It’s incredibly cheap, has great views and we really rated it.
Einasleigh Free Camp
After a great stop at Copperfield Gorge, we spend a fantastic night camped on the Einasleigh River. There’s not too many nicer free camps than this, and we’d happily return for a longer stay.
Leichhardt Lagoon
Want to camp close to Normanton, on a beautiful, big lagoon with all the facilities? Leichhardt Lagoon is a popular place by a stunning lagoon full of bird life, and is supposed to have great fishing in the river nearby too. We spent a night here after some pretty average weather in Karumba, and really enjoyed it.
Georgetown Cumberland Chimney Camp
Rest areas are often not that amazing, but Georgetown has a brilliant donation camp site not too far out of town, with a beautiful lagoon to overlook. We stopped here on our way back to the coast, and thought it was a great overnighter.
Crystal Creek Beach Camping
In the northern parts of Queensland finding anywhere to camp right on the beach is quite challenging, let alone somewhere that is completely free. Crystal Creek Beach Camping is a great option if you get good weather.
Malanda Falls Caravan Park
We’re not usually fans of caravan parks, but the Malanda Falls Caravan Park is no ordinary one, and we really enjoyed a weekend here. It’s big, open, next door to the Malanda Falls and decent value.
Wallaman Falls
If you want to see the biggest single drop waterfall in Australia, Wallaman Falls is the place to go. We didn’t actually stay here, but had a good look around the camping area and mainly the falls, which are truly epic.
Blencoe Falls
Perhaps our favourite waterfall in Queensland is Blencoe Falls, and the effort required to get here reflects this (as it often does). The Kirrama Range Road is a stunning drive, and the camping at Blencoe Falls is equally as good.
Murray Falls
There’s no shortage of great waterfalls in Queensland, and next on the list was Murray Falls. This is another great camping area, and the falls are absolutely worth a good look too.
Lake Proserpine Camping
Camping right on the edge of a beautiful lake always goes down well, and Lake Proserpine has a couple of really decent camping areas. We had terrible weather, but still thought it was a magic place
Blackiron Camping
We love private property camping, and Blackiron Camping is a perfect example of how a Hipcamp property can be the ultimate win win for the owners, and those looking for a nice, quiet place to camp.
Ball Bay
Cape Hillsborough is a truly magic place, but its mega expensive and busy, so we stayed just up the road at Ball Bay. This is cheap, right next to a beautiful beach and has a great feel about it. We’d certainly return here.
Hold it Flats
If you’re after stunning camping near a beautiful creek and not far from Mackay, you can’t go wrong with Hold it Flats. It’s not exactly cheap, but you have impeccable sites, decent amenities and views that are to die for.
Creek and Antique
A bit closer to Mackay lies another great private property called Creek and Antique. This is a bit more bushy, but cheaper, and a truly awesome place to camp. We scored a spot right near the water, and really enjoyed our time here.
Pinnacle Hotel
Supporting the local pubs is the ultimate thing to do when you’re travelling, and the Pinnacle Hotel offers free camping out the back if you buy a meal or drinks. We ended up spending 3 nights here, and thoroughly enjoyed both the pub, and surrounding area.
The Diggings Campground
One of our favourite camp sites in Queensland was the Diggings, near Eungella. This is 4WD access, beautiful beyond words, has heaps of room to camp and you’ve got a pretty good chance of seeing a platypus, which was extra special.
Jourama Falls
Another great camping area and waterfall in Queensland is Jourama Falls, and we called in to see what it was like. The walk to the falls is particularly scenic in places, and our kids had a ball swimming in the different pools and streams.
Big Crystal Creek
Big Crystal Creek Campground has a big reputation, and we spent a couple of nights here to see how it really fared. There’s a lot to do nearby, and its a stunning part of the world, with a pretty decent campground if you get in early.
Eungella Dam
Heading out from Eungella, we called in at the Eungella Dam, and really enjoyed our stay. This is one of the best value camping areas in Queensland, with great views and quite a bit to do if you bring some fishing gear out.
Mia Mia State Forest
Not far from the Pinnacle Hotel lies the Mia Mia State Forest, which has some great free camping right on the river. We only visited for the day, but were very tempted to drag the Reconn R2 in for a night or two.
Cattle Camp
If you want quiet, private property camping near Sarina, you won’t go wrong with Cattle Camp. We spent 3 nights here, and really rated it. It’s green, has plenty of room for the kids to run around and has the basic amenities that you need.
Notch Point
I was expecting Notch Point to be amazing, but it exceeded those expectations substantially. We spent 4 nights at Notch Point, purely because of how unbelievable it is in good weather. If you’re debating whether to visit Notch Point (and there is good weather), just do it. It’s epic.
