Secluded campgrounds in NSW for a quiet escape

If your idea of camping involves hearing someone else's Bluetooth speaker at 7am, this list isn't for you. But if you're after secluded campgrounds in NSW where the only noise is birds, wind, and maybe a distant river, keep reading.

NSW has hundreds of campgrounds, but plenty of them feel more like car parks with tents. The popular spots along the south coast and near Sydney can get packed, especially over school holidays and long weekends. Finding a quiet campground in NSW takes a bit more effort — you might need to paddle, hike, or drive a long way down a dirt road. That's the point.

We've rounded up nine of the best secluded camping spots in NSW, from a boat-access-only island to a clifftop overlooking the Pacific. For each one, we'll cover what makes it genuinely quiet, what facilities you'll find (or won't find), and how to get there.

Some of these are on the best campgrounds in NSW list too. They've earned a spot here for one reason: peace and quiet.

Secluded campgrounds at a glance#

Campground	Park / Region	Sites	Access	Toilets	Water	Campfires
Broughton Island	Myall Lakes NP	5	Boat only	Pit	No	No
Little Beach	Bouddi NP	6	Walk-in (750m)	Yes	No	No
Boorkoom	Yuraygir NP	11	2WD	Non-flush	No	No
Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp	Wollemi NP	50+	2WD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Platypus Flat	Nymboi-Binderay NP	18	4WD	Non-flush	No	Yes
Gentlemans Halt	Marramarra NP	8	Walk/paddle in	Pit	No	Yes
Sheepstation Creek	Border Ranges NP	20+	2WD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cooleman Mountain	Kosciuszko NP	15	2WD (seasonal)	Non-flush	Tank	No
Mystery Bay	Eurobodalla	100+	2WD	Pit	Yes	Yes

Boat-access and walk-in campgrounds#

Broughton Island, Myall Lakes National Park#

If you want secluded camping in NSW, it doesn't get much more remote than an island 14 km off the coast. Broughton Island campground has five sites — that's it. Five. You need a boat to get there, landing at Esmeralda Cove on the south-eastern side of the island.

The island is about one square kilometre, and you'll be sharing it with wedge-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds), not other campers. It's the only campground in NSW where you camp among an active seabird colony. Bring everything you need: there's no drinking water, no shops, and mobile coverage is patchy at best.

• Getting there: Boat from Port Stephens (about 2.5 hours north of Sydney). Contact local boat charter services for transfers
• Facilities: Pit toilet only. No water, no BBQs, no power
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks. These five sites do fill up in summer, and cancellations are your best bet if the calendar is showing full. Set up a CampWatch alert to get a text when a spot opens up
• Best for: Snorkelling, diving, fishing, birdwatching, and genuine solitude

Little Beach, Bouddi National Park#

Little Beach campground is tucked into a cove surrounded by littoral rainforest in Bouddi National Park. With only six sites, it's one of the smallest campgrounds on the Central Coast — and one of the quietest.

Getting there involves a 750m walk from the car park on Grahame Drive. There are some uphill sections, so you'll want to pack light or make two trips. Once you're in, the campground sits metres from the sand and the bush closes in around you. It feels a long way from civilisation, even though Killcare is a short drive away.

Bring your surfboard for the early morning swell, or spend the afternoon walking the Bouddi Coastal Walk, which passes right through. No drinking water is available, so pack enough for your stay.

• Getting there: Drive to Killcare (about 90 minutes from Sydney), then walk 750m from Grahame Drive car park
• Facilities: Sheltered BBQs, toilets. No drinking water
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks, up to 12 months ahead. Popular on weekends
• Best for: Beach camping, surfing, coastal walks, couples

Gentlemans Halt, Marramarra National Park#

Here's one that most people haven't heard of. Gentlemans Halt campground sits deep inside Marramarra National Park, overlooking the Hawkesbury River. Your only options for getting there are walking 10 km along Canoelands Ridge walking track, or paddling in by kayak or canoe.

That access barrier is what keeps Gentlemans Halt so quiet. Once you arrive, there's a timber wharf, a couple of pit toilets, and wood fire pits — and not much else. You'll need to carry in all your water, food, and firewood. The reward is a riverside campground where wedge-tailed eagles soar overhead and lyrebirds call at dawn.

It's roughly opposite the community of Spencer on the Hawkesbury, so if you're paddling, the crossing is straightforward in calm conditions.

• Getting there: 10 km walk from park entrance or paddle across the Hawkesbury River
• Facilities: Pit toilets, wood BBQs/fire pits. No water, no power
• Booking: No booking required (first-come, first-served)
• Best for: Kayakers, experienced bushwalkers, birdwatching, total seclusion close to Sydney

Quiet campgrounds you can drive to#

Not every secluded campground requires a kayak or a 10 km hike. These spots are accessible by car but still feel properly remote.

Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp, Wollemi National Park#

Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground is one of those places that catches you off guard. The drive from Rylstone (about 28 km on sealed and unsealed roads) gives way to a serene waterway on the Cudgegong River, surrounded by pagoda rock formations and scribbly gum woodland.

Despite having plenty of sites, Ganguddy has an unhurried feel that bigger campgrounds lack. The waterway is huge, so even when the campground has decent numbers, you can paddle a canoe around a bend and have it to yourself. Platypus live in the weir. Greater gliders appear after dark. It's the kind of place where people whisper without being asked.

During school holidays, Ganguddy does get busier — it's no longer a complete secret. But midweek and outside peak season, this is secluded camping in NSW at its finest.

• Getting there: About 3.5 hours from Sydney via Mudgee or Lithgow. Last section is unsealed but 2WD-friendly in dry conditions
• Facilities: Toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, campfires allowed (check fire bans)
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks
• Best for: Kayaking, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching, families wanting quiet over crowds

Sheepstation Creek, Border Ranges National Park#

If you've driven the Tweed Range Scenic Drive in far northern NSW, you've passed the turnoff to Sheepstation Creek campground. Surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforest in Border Ranges National Park, this campground is spacious, green, and blissfully quiet.

The sites are spread out under the canopy, with enough room between them that you won't hear your neighbours. Three walking tracks leave directly from the campground: the Palm Forest walk (easy, great for kids), and the longer Rosewood Loop and Booyong walking tracks for a proper day out.

This region has the highest concentration of marsupial, bird, snake, and frog species in Australia. You're camping in a biodiversity hotspot. The drive from the Gold Coast hinterland takes about an hour, but it feels like another world.

• Getting there: From Wiangaree, follow Summerland Way north, then Lynches Creek Road for 16 km to the park entrance
• Facilities: Toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, campfires allowed (check fire bans). Suitable for caravans and motorhomes
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks
• Best for: Rainforest immersion, birdwatching, families, touring with a caravan

Boorkoom, Yuraygir National Park#

Eleven clifftop campsites on Wilsons Headland, looking out over the Pacific. That's Boorkoom campground in a sentence. Located in the Minnie Water section of Yuraygir National Park on the NSW north coast, Boorkoom is the kind of spot where you set up camp and don't move for three days.

The headland is a prime spot for whale watching during the annual migration (June to November), and the 3 km Wilsons Headland walk offers boardwalks and sweeping ocean views. Below the cliffs, the water is clean enough for swimming, surfing, and fishing for whiting, bream, and flathead.

Boorkoom is first-come, first-served — no bookings. That means getting there early is the move, particularly in summer. No drinking water at the campground, so bring your own.

• Getting there: From Grafton, head south on Pacific Highway, then turn onto Eight Mile Lane toward Diggers Camp Road (about 45 minutes)
• Facilities: Gas BBQs, picnic tables, non-flush toilets. No water, no campfires
• Booking: None required (first-come, first-served). $12/adult, $6/child per night, plus $8 vehicle entry
• Best for: Whale watching, coastal walks, fishing, ocean views

Platypus Flat, Nymboi-Binderay National Park#

Platypus Flat campground sits among tall trees and granite gorges on the Dorrigo Plateau, overlooking the rainforest-lined banks of the Nymboida River. The catch? You'll need a 4WD. The access roads can get boggy after rain, and they're not suitable for large caravans.

That 4WD requirement is what keeps Platypus Flat quiet. There are 18 sites — six suitable for small campervans or off-road caravans, and the rest for tents. No generators are allowed, which means the only sounds are the river, the birds, and maybe someone paddling a canoe past.

Launch your kayak right from camp and paddle the Nymboida, one of the best whitewater rivers in NSW. In summer, the swimming hole near camp is hard to beat. At night, stoke a campfire and cook on the wood-fired BBQ.

• Getting there: From Dorrigo, 14 km north along Tyringham Road. 4WD required, especially after rain
• Facilities: Non-flush toilets, fire pits. No drinking water, no generators
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks
• Best for: Kayaking, whitewater, swimming, 4WD adventure, fishing

Secluded campgrounds with more space#

Cooleman Mountain, Kosciuszko National Park#

Up in the northern section of Kosciuszko National Park, Cooleman Mountain campground is sheltered by a grove of mountain and snow gums on the edge of the High Plains. This is proper alpine seclusion — no phone signal, no crowds, and no park entry fees in the High Plains area.

A short drive from camp takes you to Blue Waterholes within the Cooleman Plain karst system. The Clarke Gorge and Nichols Gorge walking tracks wind through caves, gorges, and waterfalls that most people in NSW have never heard of. Mountain biking is another option if you've got the legs for it.

Note: the access road closes between the June and October long weekends, and can close at other times in extreme weather. Tank water is available but needs treating before drinking.

• Getting there: From Tumut or Adaminaby via Snowy Mountains Highway, then 17 km along Long Plain Road and 2.5 km on Blue Waterholes trail
• Facilities: Non-flush toilet, tank water (boil before drinking). No powered sites, no BBQs
• Booking: Online via NSW Parks
• Best for: Bushwalking, mountain biking, caving, alpine scenery, winter camping (when accessible)

Mystery Bay, south of Narooma#

Mystery Bay campground isn't a national park campground — it's council-managed — but it earns a spot on this list because it's one of the last genuinely off-the-grid coastal camping areas on the NSW south coast.

Set among spotted gums and banksias, the campground overlooks the ocean between Narooma and Central Tilba. There are no shops. Mobile reception is poor. The nearest supermarket is 12 km away.

That's the appeal. The sites are scattered through native bush, with plenty of space between them. Clifftop headlands and small beaches sit right at your doorstep.

It's pet-friendly, which is a bonus if you're travelling with a dog. Facilities are basic — pit toilets, cold showers, and water taps — but fires are allowed in the designated pits.

• Getting there: Turn off Princes Highway between Narooma and Central Tilba (about 5.5 hours south of Sydney)
• Facilities: Pit toilets, cold showers, water taps, fire pits. Pet-friendly
• Booking: Direct through Mystery Bay Campground. No online NSW Parks booking
• Best for: South coast road trips, snorkelling, kayaking, dogs, unplugging completely

What to bring for secluded camping in NSW#

Most of the quiet campgrounds on this list have limited facilities. A few things worth packing:

• Water: At least 5 litres per person per day. Many secluded campgrounds have no drinking water
• First aid kit: You're further from help than at a standard campground
• Firewood: If campfires are allowed, bring your own. Don't collect from the bush
• Torch and spare batteries: No campground lighting at most of these spots
• Paper maps or downloaded offline maps: Mobile coverage is unreliable at remote campgrounds
• Insect repellent: Bush campgrounds near water attract mosquitoes, especially at dusk

If you're heading to a walk-in or paddle-in campground like Gentlemans Halt or Little Beach, pack a dry bag for your gear and keep weight down. Everything you bring in, you carry in.

How to book quiet campgrounds in NSW#

Booking varies by campground. Most NSW national park campgrounds use the NSW National Parks booking system. A few, like Boorkoom, are first-come, first-served. Mystery Bay books through its own site.

The tricky part is that secluded campgrounds tend to have fewer sites — Broughton Island has five, Little Beach has six. When demand spikes during school holidays and summer, even the quiet spots fill up. If your preferred dates are showing full, CampWatch monitors campground availability and texts you when a cancellation opens up a spot.

For more options near the city, check our guide to the best campgrounds near Sydney, or read how CampWatch alerts work if you're new to the service.

Find your quiet corner of NSW#

These nine secluded campgrounds in NSW cover a range of access types, regions, and comfort levels. Whether you want a clifftop above the Pacific, an island with muttonbirds, or a riverside spot deep in the rainforest, the common thread is the same: peace and quiet.

The best secluded camping spots reward a bit of extra effort — a longer drive, a kayak crossing, or a short hike with your gear on your back. But that's what filters out the crowds and leaves you with the campground to yourself.

Happy camping.