How To Find Good Camping Spots In A National Park?

If you are wondering how to find good camping spots in a national park, you have come to the right place. 

Australia is blessed with some of the most amazing landscapes in the world so it’s no surprise we have more than 500 national parks, spanning over 28 million hectares.

This comprises of almost 4% of the country’s total land mass! It’s no wonder us Aussies love camping as there are so many places to choose from.

Most of the time when you go camping in one of Australia’s many national parks, it is best to do so at an established campground. 

However, picking the right spot for camping will also depend on your personal likes and dislikes. 

Although every campground in Australia is a bit different, the process of picking the right spot to camp is almost similar. 

The first thing is to check the facilities and regulations of the potential campground you plan to choose. 

Are campfires allowed? Is potable water available? Do you need to make a reservation? Are there showers or flushing toilets? Are there any restrictions when storing your food? What is the maximum group size for the particular site? 

These are important things that you need to know in advance when choosing where to go camping in a national park. 

Following are some of the things you need to consider when deciding on the best place to go camping in one of the many national parks in this spectacular country of ours.

• Safety First
• Find A Cool Place
• Stay Close To Water But Not Too Close
• Camp On A Level Ground
• Consider The Sun

Safety First

Your family’s safety should be the most important factor to consider when choosing a good camping spot in a national park. 

Rivers can flood, bush fires can break out, and tides can cause havoc in case you are not aware of the tide table when camping on a beach site. 

That’s why you need to take these things into account when choosing the best camping spot in an Australian national park. 

Don’t choose locations too close to rivers or the ocean, and be mindful of dead trees that may have a large branch or limb falls from it.

Find A Cool Place

Most national parks in Australia have designated camping areas. If you plan to camp in a wilderness area, make sure you choose a place with some vegetation. 

This will ensure the comfort of you and your family during the hot and humid days and nights. The ideal location should be at least 75 metres from a water source. 

You can buy a map at the local store our tourism office to find the best places to camp.

Stay Close To Water But Not Too Close

Water is an essential resource when you are camping with your family. However, staying too close to water can become dangerous at times. 

For example, rivers can flood at any time – even in the middle of the night. 

Hence, make it a point to stay at least 50 metres away from a water source when setting up your camping site. 

It’s great to jump into some cold water before going to bed on a hot night however, make sure you wash the dishes away from the water. 

In some places, some authorities can actually fine you for camping too close to water. So you need to be mindful of this when selecting your spot also.

Camp On Level Ground

It’s better to look for the flattest area of the ground when setting up your tent. 

There is nothing worse than rolling out of your bed every night because the camping ground isn’t flat. 

Find a flat area to set up the tent and fill up any low areas with empty bags or clothing.

Consider The Sun

Set up your tent in a shaded area to avoid turning it into a sauna during the hottest part of the day, especially in summer.

If you are planning to spend some time in the tent during the daytime, you should definitely look for some shade when setting up the tent. 

When it comes to camping, there is simply no better way to do this than with a caravan.

If you are thinking about buying a caravan, then you can’t go past Retreat Caravans. 

Please check out our range of caravans below, all carefully designed with you in mind:

• Whitsunday – Touring caravan
• Keppel – Compact caravan
• Fraser – Semi off-road caravan
• Hamilton – Luxury caravan
• Daydream – Off-road caravan