Cotter Campground

Cotter Campground is the rare national-park-quality campground that's actually inside a capital city. Address-wise it's at 1691 Cotter Road, Stromlo ACT — about 14 km from Weston Creek and a 20-minute drive from Canberra CBD. The campground sits on the banks of the Cotter River near where it joins the Murrumbidgee, with a sealed access road, hot showers, drinking water, gas and wood BBQs, and a swimming hole. It's easy to forget you haven't actually left the city.

Getting there#

Address: 1691 Cotter Road, Stromlo ACT 2611.

• From Canberra CBD: about 14 km, 20 minutes via Cotter Road. Sealed all the way.
• From Weston Creek shopping centre: about 12 km, 15 minutes.
• From Tuggeranong: about 15 km, 20 minutes.
• From Sydney CBD: about 290 km, 3 hours via the Federal Highway.

Cotter has fully sealed road access, so it's the easy-access ACT camp for caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes, and standard 2WD cars. Mobile reception is generally good (you're effectively in Canberra's outer suburbs).

Sites and facilities#

Cotter is configured with drive-up sites for tents, camper trailers, caravans, motorhomes, and "camping beside my vehicle" setups. Bookings are paid per person, per night rather than per site (fees reviewed each financial year).

Check-in is 2pm, check-out is 10am.

On site (notably well-equipped):

• Flush toilets
• Hot showers
• Drinking water on tap (potable)
• Gas barbecues (free to use)
• Wood-fire BBQs and fireplaces
• Camp kitchen with dishwashing facilities
• Picnic tables and shelters
• Wheelchair-accessible facilities
• Direct river access for swimming and fishing

Bring with you:

• Firewood if you want to use the wood fires (BYO; collecting in the reserve is prohibited)
• Sun protection — Cotter is exposed in summer
• Insect repellent for the warmer months

Nearest town and supplies#

Cotter is inside Canberra, so the supply story is straightforward — anywhere in Canberra works.

• Weston Creek shopping centre (~12 km, ~15 minutes) — Coles, IGA, multiple takeaway places, fuel. The closest full-service shopping precinct.
• Tuggeranong (~15 km, ~20 minutes) — bigger town centre with supermarkets, hardware, hospital.
• Canberra CBD (~14 km, ~20 minutes) — full chain supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, etc.

You can effectively do supply runs mid-trip without it feeling like an expedition. Most campers do their main shop in Weston Creek on the way in.

What to do at Cotter#

• Cotter River swimming — sheltered swimming hole right at the campground; popular in summer.
• Cotter Dam is just up the road — walking trails, lookouts, and the old Cotter pump station.
• Murrumbidgee River Corridor walks — the Murrumbidgee Discovery Track passes nearby and offers extended walking either direction along the river.
• Stromlo Forest Park is 10 minutes back towards Canberra — extensive mountain bike trails (Australian Cup-level), running tracks, and the Mount Stromlo Observatory.
• Fishing — trout in the Cotter River (recreational licence required).
• Canoeing/kayaking — flat-water sections suitable for casual paddling.
• Wildlife — kangaroos in the surrounding paddocks at dawn and dusk; abundant birdlife along the river.

Best time to visit#

Canberra has the most pronounced seasons of any Australian capital:

• Spring (September–November) is excellent — wildflowers, mild days, swimmable river by November.
• Summer (December–February) is hot and dry, with peak demand around Christmas and Australia Day.
• Autumn (March–May) is the local sweet spot — crisp clear days, cool nights, the river running clean and cold.
• Winter (June–August) is genuinely cold (overnight temperatures regularly below zero) but Cotter stays open. Bring a four-season sleeping bag and you'll have most of the campground to yourself.

Floriade weekends (mid-September to mid-October) and the Canberra Show (late February) are surprisingly busy as visitors choose Cotter over hotels.

Camping fees#

Cotter's fees are charged per person, per night rather than per site. ACT Parks reviews rates each financial year. Confirm current pricing on the ACT Parks booking page when you book.

Can't get a booking?#

Cotter's combination of city proximity, full facilities, and river access makes it competitive year-round. Long weekends and summer school holidays book ahead. Cancellations show up in the booking system as soon as they're processed.

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