Our glorious state is dotted with a tonne of epic camping spots—we've got a long list of spots to visit that typically require a small fee, and we've got dog-friendly camping grounds, but right here we’ve rounded up the best free camping sites in NSW.
These gems make for the best kind of weekend away, with stunning views, hikes, swimming holes, fishing spots and wildlife, all at your fingertips (and free of charge). Before you embark, remember to check fire bans and park closures via the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services.
Here are Urban List's picks for the best free camping spots in NSW.
Ingar Campground
Blue Mountains
Image credit: David Trood | Website
Perfect for big-tent or backpack camping, Ignar Campground is a two-hour drive from Sydney, and a first-in-best-dressed kind of spot. You’ll find around eight (unmarked) campsites, alongside one mega campsite that can fit up to 20 people (and four to five tents). This site is also a popular stop for walkers and mountain bike riders following the Wentworth Falls to Woodford Trail.
Insider Intel:
The nearby dam on Ingar Creek is perfect for swimming, paddling and lilo-ing (you might also be lucky enough to spot an eastern water dragon sunning itself on the creek bank).
Wingello State Forest
Wingello
This old forestry camp inside a pine plantation offers up a range of different clearings, which means finding your perfect spot will be a breeze. You’ll find her located four kilometres southwest of Wingello Village (and a 2-hour drive from Sydney), with campfires only permitted from Easter to the October long weekend. This camping area is surrounded by radiata pine forest, so you’ll have a glorious and enclosed space that blocks off noise and wind.
Insider Intel:
- There are toilet and barbeque facilities around these parts too, so you’re completely set for all the secluded camping feels.
Newnes Campground
Wollemi National Park
Image credit: NSW National Parks | Website
If you’re keen on catching some spectacular glimpses of Mother Nature, Newnes Campground should be your go-to. Just a 3-hour drive from Sydney, you’ll be surrounded by sandstone cliffs, eucalyptus trees and the Wolgan River. This free camping ground has barbeque facilities and toilets, and you can pitch your tent for free on the flat campground before heading out to explore the tracks, tunnels and ovens of the old historic shale oil ruins nearby, or cool off in the river.
Insider Intel:
- You’ll also be within a short driving distance of the famous and luminous Glow Worm Tunnel, which makes for an amazing day trip.
Bretti Reserve
Bretti
This beauty is a bit more of a drive (4-hours from Sydney), but it’s well worth the trip. Situated on the banks of the Barnard River, you’ll find 50 sites here ready for the taking, and the reserve is packed out with toilets, picnic tables, wood barbeques, swimming holes and several cheeky little fishing spots. To top things off, this one is also pet-friendly.
Insider Intel:
- We’d recommend hiring a canoe or kayak too before you make your way to Bretti Reserve, there are some sweet inlets perfect for launching yourself off and going for a paddle.
Coxs Creek Campground
Coolah Tops National Park
Image credit: Lovleah | Website
Also a little further afield (a 5.5-hour drive from Sydney), this super peaceful campground is nestled within a forest of beautiful eucalyptus trees. Sites here are unmarked and unpowered, but they’re right next to a sling of awesome trails worth hitting up (we suggest Coxs Creek fire trail).
Insider Intel:
- You’ll definitely be in for a heap of wildlife around these parts too, so brace yourself for sulphur-crested cockatoos, red wattlebirds, kookaburras, crimson rosellas and blue rems.
Swans Creek Crossing
Lorne
Head on back to basics and camp out for a weekend at Swans Creek Crossing. Located inside Kerewong State Forest, a 4.5-hour drive from Sydney, this camping area contains 40 sites, toilets, large flat grass areas perfect for pitching your tent and a nearby creek which is the ideal spot for a dip on a hot day. You’ll also be sheltered from the wind, which means you can make like Robinson Crusoe and light a campfire pending National Parks and Wildlife restrictions.
Insider Intel:
- Pets are allowed here (under certain conditions), so you can bring your furry friend for the journey.
Humes Crossing Campground
Mount Kosciuszko National Park
Image credit: NSW National Parks | Website
Just a short drive from Kosciuszko’s northern attractions, Humes Crossing Campground is an ideal camping base for any camper’s adventure-filled trip. Located on the eastern shores of Blowering Dam, the Humes Crossing free campground is an ideal place for a picnic or a camping holiday, and is about a 5-hour drive from Sydney.
Insider Intel:
- This place is the ultimate spot to bring a footy or a cricket set or go for a fish at Blowering Dam and try your luck at catching cod or redfin.
Ellenborough Reserve
Ellenborough
Ellenborough Reserve is a real dream to camp at, period. This one will cost you zero bucks to set up shop over any holiday period or weekend, and comes in at a 4.5-hour drive from Sydney. This area is fairly large and open with a heap of level, grass sites, suitable for any camper or even caravan enthusiast. Toilets here actually flush (a luxury in the camping world), pets have been given the green light and you’ll have an enormous swimming gorge to make the most of (just don’t drink the water).
Insider Intel:
- Because Ellenborough does get so busy, there’s a maximum stay here of 48 hours.
Main Image credit: NSW National Parks | Instagram
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