National park camping in Western Australia: The best campgrounds

Camping in Western Australia’s national parks is available everywhere from the Fitzgerald River National Park in the south of the state to Purnululu National Park in the Kimberley. Many site are bookable online, but very basic.

Western Australia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife offers nearly 300 campgrounds throughout the state. And if you want to go camping in Western Australia’s national parks, you’re in luck, as several of the most-impressively sited campgrounds are within national park boundaries.

Be warned – many of these campsites are very basic, and often without power. You’ll also be expected to take everything you bring out with you in most instances. But for a wilderness camping experience in some of the most spectacular locations in Australia, these sites are hard to beat.

Many of the campsites in Western Australia’s national parks can be booked in advance through the Park Stay website.

Camping in Warren, Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Parks

In south-west WA, a major attraction is tall karri forests of the Warren National Park near the Western Australian town of Pemberton. Drafty’s Campground is the best spot for anyone planning to take on the three vertigo-inducing giant climbing trees – the Gloucester Tree, Diamond Tree and Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree.

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Continuing east, the Stirling Range National Park is primed for bushwalkers. Wildflowers, picturesque gullies and massive granite outcrops branch off from the 42km Stirling Range Drive. Camping is available amid the marri and jarrah trees at Moingup Springs. You can climb Bluff Knoll while you’re there.

Further east, the Fitzgerald River National Park makes a perfect stop between World War I heritage city Albany and beachy Esperance a perfect example of how to use National Park stops to break up a road trip. During wildflower season between August and November, Fitzgerald River is bright and colourful. Meanwhile, between July and October, southern right whales can be spotted from Point Ann. That’s the start point of a walk along the 15.5km Mamang Trail. There are several campgrounds within the national park, many of which have recently had new facilities installed.

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Camping in Yalgorup and Beelu National Parks

Nearer Perth, Yalgorup National Park is great for wildlife-watching. Ring-tailed possums appear in the trees at night and there’s a bird hide at the end of the 6km Lake Pollard Trail. Preston Beach is an excellent swimming spot, with the best camping at the nearby Martins Tank Lake campground.

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Beelu National Park is even closer to the Western Australian capital, and offers enviable views over the Mundaring Weir. The Perth Hills Discovery Centre campground kits out well with barbecues, fridges, hot water showers and picnic benches. It’s also handy for tackling the Munda Biddi mountain biking trail or the Bibbulmun Track long distance walk.

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Take Blue Mountains day tour from Sydney – with kangaroo-feeding at a wildlife park, Scenic World tickets and a Parramatta River cruise.
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Camping on Australia’s west coast

On the long drive from Perth to Broome, the Shark Bay area is famous for dolphin-feeding at Monkey Mia. There’s also the ancient stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. But it is also flanked by the Dirk Hartog Island National Park on Western Australia’s largest island. Get there by boat, or by high clearance 4WD and a barge from Steep Point.

Extremely basic camping for the self-sustaining is available at Sandy Point, The Block, Louisa Bay Urchin Point and Sammy’s Camp. But it’s worth roughing it for the huge sand dunes, top grade fishing and world class deserted beaches such as the one at Turtle Bay. That’s near one of Australia’s most important historical sites, Inscription Point. It was where, in 1616, Dirk Hartog became the first European to land in Western Australia.

In the Cape Range National Park, camping means walking 200 metres to a Ningaloo Reef beach. That’s much better than driving half an hour from Exmouth, huh? There are several campgrounds here, including those close to the beaches at Tulki Beach, Yardie Creek and Osprey Bay.

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Swim with whale sharks – using a spotter plane for maximum shark snorkelling time. This is an experience you’ll genuinely remember forever.
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Sunset cruise – with dolphin-spotting, snacks and drinks.
Cape Range trekking adventure.
Dive on the Ningaloo Reef.
Swim with humpback whales – they come after whale shark season is over.
Kayak and snorkel with turtles.

camping in Western Australia's national parks gets you closer to Cape Range National Park beaches — Being much closer to the white sand beaches of the Cape Range National Park is one reason to go camping in Western Australia’s national parks. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Camping in Karijini and Kimberley

The lack of alternative accommodation options in the mining-heavy Pilbara region makes camping an appealing option. The Karijini National Park is the star here, with swimming holes at Hamersley Gorge, gorges, mountain lookouts and numerous waterfalls. The indigenous-owned Karijini Eco Retreat serves up a glamping experience. The en-suite tents have hotel-style facilities, and there’s a full restaurant service.

In the rugged Kimberley region of north-western WA, there are campgrounds available near the Bungle Bungles. These are the famous stripy rock towers within the Purnululu National Park. The Walardi campground is great for access to the Domes Walk and Piccaninny Gorge. Meanwhile, the the Kurrajong campground is in close proximity to the palm-lined Echidna Chasm. Watch out for bats while you’re there.