Bandahngan campground

Bandahngan campground is a small, low-key bush camp in Bandahngan Aboriginal Area on the Northern Rivers / NSW–QLD border country. Five marked sites alongside Tooloom Creek, with platypus in the waterhole at dusk and Tooloom Falls a short walk away. It's a culturally significant site for the Bundjalung Nation, and the campground itself is genuinely off the well-trodden path — the kind of place you have to want to find.

Getting there#

Address: Tooloom Falls Road, Urbenville, NSW 2475.

Drive options:

• From Kyogle (~75 km, 1 hour 15 minutes north-west) — Summerland Way north, then Lions Road / Mount Lindesay Road country, joining Tooloom Falls Road. Some sections are unsealed.
• From Casino (~95 km, 1 hour 30 minutes north-west) — north on Bruxner Highway and Summerland Way through Kyogle.
• From the Gold Coast (~120 km, 2 hours) — south on the Mount Lindesay Highway via Beaudesert and Rathdowney, into NSW past the Border Ranges.
• From Brisbane (~190 km, 2 hours 45 minutes) — Mount Lindesay Highway south.

The final section into Tooloom Falls Road is unsealed and can become slippery after heavy rain — check road conditions before driving in. 4WD isn't required in dry conditions but ground clearance helps.

This part of the Northern Rivers has very patchy mobile reception. Download offline maps before you leave the highway.

Sites and facilities#

5 unpowered marked sites suitable for tents, camper trailers, and vehicle-based camping (one vehicle per site).

Online bookings cap at 2 sites and 12 people per booking. Group bookings for the full campground are not supported online — call NPWS for larger groups.

Check-in is from 2pm; check-out is by 10am.

On site:

• Toilets
• Wood barbecue facilities (bring your own firewood)
• Picnic tables
• Carpark

Bring with you:

• All drinking and cooking water (no tap water on site)
• Firewood from licensed sellers — collecting is prohibited
• Fuel stove as a fire-ban backup
• Insect repellent — leeches in the rainforest after wet weather
• First aid kit, torch, ice — Tooloom Falls Road is too remote for spur-of-the-moment supply runs
• Toilet paper

Dogs are not permitted.

Nearest town and supplies#

• Urbenville (~30 km, 30 minutes east) — small village with a general store, fuel, and pub. Useful for a forgotten-something run.
• Woodenbong (~30 km, 35 minutes south-east) — village on the Mount Lindesay Highway with basic supplies.
• Kyogle (~75 km, 1 hour 15 minutes south) — small country town with a Foodworks supermarket, fuel, hardware, and a few cafes.
• Casino (~95 km, 1 hour 30 minutes south) — regional centre with major supermarkets (IGA, Coles), banks, and full service. The right place for a real shop coming from the south.
• Beaudesert, QLD (~70 km, 1 hour north over the border) — full Queensland supply town with Coles and Woolworths.

The pragmatic plan: do a real shop in Beaudesert, Casino, or Kyogle before heading into Tooloom Falls Road country.

What to do at Bandahngan#

• Tooloom Falls — the headline attraction. A short walk from the campground takes you to the falls and the cultural lookout. The falls are a registered Aboriginal site of significance to the Bundjalung Nation and warrant the respect that goes with that.
• Tooloom Creek paddling and swimming — the waterhole below the falls is excellent for a cool swim on warm days. Calm sections of the creek take a kayak or SUP.
• Platypus spotting — Tooloom Creek holds a small platypus population. Dawn and dusk at the waterhole are your best windows. Stay quiet and patient.
• Walking tracks — short loops through the wet sclerophyll forest behind camp.
• Wildlife — the Border Ranges hinterland is rich in birdlife (regent bowerbirds, paradise riflebirds, satin bowerbirds), tree kangaroos in the rainforest pockets, and rufous bettongs at dusk.
• Border Ranges National Park (~45 minutes east) — the Tweed Range Scenic Drive offers spectacular views into the Tweed Valley caldera.

Best time to visit#

• Autumn (March–May) is excellent — warm enough for the swimming hole, mosquitoes manageable, the rainforest at its richest after summer rain.
• Winter (June–August) is dry and clear, but cold at night. The waterhole turns into a polar plunge.
• Spring (September–November) brings warming weather and rich birdlife; storm season starts late spring.
• Summer (December–February) is hot, humid, and storm-prone. The road in becomes slippery during sustained wet periods, so check conditions before driving.

Camping fees#

Camping is around $15–$25 per site per night. Park entry fees do not generally apply at Bandahngan Aboriginal Area, but check current rates at booking.

Confirm current pricing on the official NPWS Bandahngan page when you book.

Can't get a booking?#

Five sites means even small demand peaks fill the place quickly. Long weekends and school holidays book out months ahead.

Set up a free CampWatch alert and we'll text you the moment a Bandahngan site opens up. No app, no account — just your phone number.