Explore the Bush on a Budget: Top Free Camping Spots Across NSW
Camping is high on our list of the best things to do in NSW. The really great thing about camping is how little you need to start. A warm summer night, a sleeping bag, a good pair of boots and you’re halfway to a great bush adventure. And when it comes to exploring the bush, there really is no better state to explore than New South Wales. With our abundance of hillsides, sands, plains, and mountain ranges, there are plenty of camping spots for all types of outdoor explorers.
To keep the overheads down, and the adventures up, here are some of the best free camping spots for campers of all ages who are looking to explore NSW’s iconic natural wonders.
Kyffins Reserve, Lake Mulwala
This first one is for the fishermen: Kyffins Reserve in the pristine Lake Mulwala region. At this first campsite, there are few trails and sparse trees, making Kyffins Reserve a bit of an underdog when it’s compared to some of the other more verdant NSW state forests and parks. But some of NSW’s other most popular camping destinations don’t hold a candle to Kyffins Reserve when it comes to fishing spots, and the diversity of catches that you can hope to snag.
Here, Murray cod, yellowbelly, and Murray crays are the big draw, and they get big– a Murray cod can get to one and a half metres and eighty kilos. Kyffins Reserve itself hasn’t got any amenities, aside from good cell coverage, but if you’re going for the fishing you’re probably kitted out already anyway. However, the Reserve has been known to get pretty windy, so if you are packing a tent, make sure it’s on the sturdier side. You may also consider securing domestic travel insurance if you’re travelling with a lot of specialised fishing gear.
Cathedral Ferns Reserve, Blue Mountains
Besides the beauty of the Blue Mountains, Cathedral Reserve is unique in its autumn beauty. Unlike most of Australia, Mt Wilson and Cathedral Reserve is awash in deciduous trees. Visit at the end of April for a blizzard of red, yellow, and orange leaves. It’s an intoxicating experience that you can only find in just a few other places across the country – making Cathedral Ferns Reserve the perfect spot to trick your friends into thinking you flew to Ontario or the English countryside for a quick autumnal trip.
That’s not to mention that with opportunities to explore the ancient Gondwana Rainforests, the country’s most famous mountain range, and simply to enjoy all the amenities at the reserve itself– fire pits, picnic tables, toilets–, you can bring nothing and somehow still basically be glamping.
Nunnock Campground, South East Forest National Park
For the bushman, hotspots like Cathedral Reserve have their downsides: they get packed back-to-back with tourists and travellers. If that’s not the outback getaway you were picturing, Nunnock Campground is more your style. Classic Australiana with eucalyptus, gumnuts, and a lazy river for ambience (and fishing!).
The river is home to trout, bass, perch and short-finned eels while the trees are home to koalas, sugar gliders, and the Southern Boobook owl. How’s that for outdoorsy? Still, there are toilets, tables, and fire rings for you to use too, so it’s not totally off-grid– though you will need to download the NSW National Parks app because the phone service is limited.
Bigga Recreation Centre, Grabine Lakeside State Park
If you love kayaking, fishing, jet skiing or any other water sport, Wyangala Waters is the place to camp (it’s in the name). For most, that means the caravan park, but for the budget bushman, it’s Bigga Recreation Centre. Here, you can enjoy free hot showers, power, public WiFi, toilets and bins. You can even bring a caravan and your pets. The one downside is that it’s half an hour away from the Grabine Lakeside and an hour from Wyangala Waters proper.
Even so, both of these great attractions have stunning landscapes and waters to explore, plus there’s the dam and the nearby towns to explore too. For the best experience, we recommend that you take a week in the area to see it all at a comfortable pace.
Olney HQ, Olney State Forest
A real forest getaway, Olney is home to babbling brooks, waterfalls, and lush, lush forest. Perfect for walking trails, campfires and you can even go bow hunting (though few have any luck). Olney has a host of camping spots, but Olney HQ has the most amenities (with Casuarina Campground a close second). This means toilets, firepits, picnics tables and even wheelchair access.
Explore NSW Bushlands & Forests as a Happy Camper
Even if you’re the type to luxuriate on a lounge at a five-star resort, there’s going to be that part of you that craves a little adventure – wading through tall grasses, wandering under eucalypt canopies, conquering mountains with a heavy pack and a trusty stick, or sitting around a campfire, boiling a pot of bush tea and watching the stars. The real rough and tumble lifestyle of the great outdoorsman. And there’s no better place to indulge the inner outdoorsman in you than the NSW bush.
NSW loves its campers, and so much of its amenities are completely free. Beaches, forests, and lakesides are all waiting for you to arrive. No planning required. There are many, many more places for you to choose from so as a general rule, remember: beaches and state forests are almost all free for camping, but national parks will charge you.