15,500+ Campsites Verified By Aussie Campers Over 30 Years
15,500+ Campsites Verified By Aussie Campers Over 30 Years
Camps Australia Wide
Queensland is hard to beat for a free camp. You can wake up beside an outback waterhole at Winton, park on the sand at Balgal Beach near Townsville, or settle in by a quiet river in the Southern Downs without paying a cent. The tricky part is knowing which spots are actually worth the drive, and that is where we come in. We have been on the road checking Queensland camps since 1992, so every site below is one we have seen for ourselves.
Sunset over our camp at Long Waterhole, Winton
Below is a preview of the free and low-cost campsites we rate around Queensland, grouped by region and by season, with the facilities, stay limits and access notes you actually need. When you are ready to map out the whole trip, the Camps Australia Wide App and our CAMPS 13 and CAMPSPendium 2 guides put every Personally Checked site, with GPS coordinates and offline maps, in your pocket.
Six Queensland free camps we have stayed at and rate. Every one is listed in the Camps Australia Wide App, where you will find exact coordinates, current conditions and notes from fellow travellers.
~2 km from Winton on Jundah Road (dirt)
Babinda, 50 km south-east of Cairns
Northern Beaches of Townsville
26 km west of Gladstone, off the Bruce Highway
Lake Awoonga, 31 km south of Calliope
Near Condamine, Western Downs
Queensland is a big place, so timing is everything. Chase the dry up north over winter, and keep to the cooler coast and ranges when summer hits.
While the southern states are rugging up, the northern dry season turns on clear skies, warm days and mild nights around the fire. This is when we point the rig north, to the outback and the tropical coast.
We rate: Long Waterhole at Winton, Babinda Rotary Park, Julia Creek and Camooweal Billabong.
From November the tropical north gets hot and sticky, with storms, flooding and road closures that can leave you stranded. This is the time to enjoy the southern coast, the rivers and the mountain country instead.
We rate: Caliguel Lagoon near Condamine, Calliope River, Boynedale Bush Camp and Chinchilla Weir.
Queensland is roughly six camping regions, each with its own character. Here is the lay of the land so you know what to expect, then jump into the Camps Australia Wide App to see every Personally Checked site in the area you are headed.
Rainforest towns, waterfalls and the Atherton Tablelands around Cairns, Babinda and Tully.
Beachfront and creek camps around Townsville, Rollingstone and the Cassowary Coast.
Big-sky waterholes and history at Winton, Longreach, Julia Creek and Camooweal.
Rivers, lakes and easy Bruce Highway stops, including Calliope River and Boynedale Bush Camp.
Western Downs lagoons and weirs near Condamine, Chinchilla, Dalby and Miles.
RV-friendly towns and reserves within reach of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and hinterland.
Fresh from our blog. These six update on their own as we publish new Queensland free camping stories, so the page never goes stale.
The Camps Australia Wide App finds Personally Checked free and low-cost sites near wherever you are, works offline when you lose coverage, and lets you filter for your setup, whether that is a tent, a camper or a big rig. It is $14.99 a year, and most travellers tell us it pays for itself on the first night.
Get the Camps Australia Wide AppPrefer a book on the dash? CAMPS 13 is our go-to for free and budget camping right around the country, CAMPSPendium 2 is the full state-by-state trip planner, and Caravan Parks 7 has the caravan and holiday parks. All personally checked, the same as the app.
Shop the print guidesNothing takes the shine off a morning like a fine you did not see coming, or a No Camping sign you missed in the dark. A few simple habits keep these spots open and free for the rest of us.
Queensland has hundreds of genuine free and low-cost camps, from outback waterholes and council-run riverside reserves to beachfront stops, showgrounds and highway rest areas. Some of our favourites are Long Waterhole at Winton, Calliope River near Gladstone, Balgal Beach near Townsville and Caliguel Lagoon near Condamine. The easiest way to find one you can trust is the Camps Australia Wide App, where you can filter Personally Checked sites by price, facilities, pets and rig type.
Most genuine free camps are first come, first served with no permit. National parks and forests are the exception, as they usually need a paid camping permit booked before you arrive, with a tag displayed on site. We flag the permit-only areas in the app, so you can sort it before you drive there rather than getting moved on.
It varies from site to site. Many council camps run a 24 to 72 hour limit, some like Balgal Beach allow 48 hours once a week, and bush camps like Boynedale Bush Camp allow up to seven days in a 30 day period. We record the current limit on each listing we check, so have a look before you settle in.
Plenty are. Loads of Queensland free camps welcome dogs on a lead, though wildlife sanctuaries and national parks often do not. Filter for pet friendly stays in the Camps Australia Wide App and confirm any conditions, like on-lead rules or restricted areas, before you arrive.
We are a bit biased, but the Camps Australia Wide App is built around Personally Checked listings, with clear access notes, facilities, GPS coordinates and offline maps so it keeps working when reception drops out. You can filter by price, pets, vehicle type, facilities and connectivity to match how you actually travel, and save your favourites to build a trip.
Heading across the border? We have checked the free camps there too.
Wherever the road takes you in Queensland, we hope you find a cracking free camp and love it out there. For new sites as we check them, our free weekly newsletter is well worth a look.
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