Mibanbah – Black Rocks campground

Mibanbah–Black Rocks is for campers who want coastal bush camping with room for real rigs, not holiday-park comforts. The main campground has 49 mapped sites behind the dunes; sites 50 and 51 are remote Jerusalem Creek tent sites reached by a 4km walk or paddle. The reward is Ten Mile Beach, creek paddling and a strong sense of nature. The price is bringing every drop of water and managing an unsealed approach.

Choose Woody Head instead if hot showers, town water, a kiosk or a sealed final road matter more than seclusion.

Choose the right site class#

The current NPWS layout distinguishes large sites over 4.6m, medium sites up to 4.6m, tent-only sites and three group areas. It also shows four toilet blocks spread from the northern to southern end.

• Caravan, motorhome or camper trailer: book only a live option that explicitly accepts the equipment and length. “Large” refers to the mapped site class, not an unlimited rig.
• Tent with minimal carrying: choose a vehicle-based tent site. A tent-only booking can mean parking in the gravel carpark and carrying gear about 30–50m.
• Family convenience: compare the live site with the nearest of the four toilet blocks and a beach path. The map proves relationships, not shade or nighttime noise.
• Quietest adventure: sites 50 and 51 are a different trip—remote, tent-only and 4km from the car by walking track, or accessible by non-powered craft or silent electric motor.
• Large group: use one of the exclusive Black Rocks, Booroora or Yabra group areas rather than assuming adjacent individual sites can be held together.

No current source supports a universal numbered favourite. Ask NPWS about surface, dimensions and allocation if a specific awning, mobility route or tent footprint is decisive.

Arrival: 20km of unsealed road, then a site-specific carry#

Leave the Pacific Highway at Tuckombil Road near Woodburn, follow it for 2.2km, turn onto The Gap Road and continue 20km to camp. The official visitor information lists all-weather 2WD access, but the final road is unsealed and has speed bumps. Slow down, especially with low clearance or a long drawbar, and recheck local alerts.

At camp, identify whether your booking is vehicle-based, tent-only, group or remote before unloading. Vehicle sites have parking on the site; ordinary tent-only campers use the gravel carpark; remote campers leave the vehicle in the main campground. Check the nearest toilet, beach path and evacuation route while there is daylight. Check-in is after 2pm and checkout is before 10am.

Pack for a dry camp#

There is no drinking water, shower, power or rubbish collection. Bring water for drinking, cooking and washing, plus sealed rubbish storage, lighting and charging. The main campground has four dual-stall accessible non-flush toilet blocks, picnic tables, clothes lines, a canoe pontoon and a Dump-Ezy for caravan waste.

There are no communal barbecues. Each ordinary campsite has a fireplace and table; bring firewood and a fuel-stove backup. Check bans before lighting anything and never collect timber in the park. Pets are not permitted except certified assistance animals.

The campground is flat and step-free, with hard-packed gravel or elevated timber routes to accessible toilets. That does not make the beach accessible: both beach paths descend steeply through soft sand.

Beach or creek: choose the day you can do safely#

The old vehicle beach access is permanently closed. Walk to Ten Mile Beach instead, and treat the ocean as unpatrolled water with strong-rip potential. If conditions are poor, do not turn the absence of lifeguards into a family swimming plan.

For a calmer alternative, launch a kayak or canoe at Jerusalem Creek. A realistic day is a short creek paddle from the pontoon with a conservative turnaround that preserves time and energy for the return. Only non-powered craft or silent electric motors may continue to the remote campsites. Carry PFDs and do not infer water conditions from campground availability.

What campers say#

Public campground-specific evidence is sparse after the 2024 redevelopment. Two visible Hipcamp campground reports and CamperMate material praise the natural beach setting and the bush-camping feel. A public Facebook discussion around the reopening also highlights clean new facilities, but it does not establish current rules or a best site.

Older Anycamp material and an independent Campedia review repeatedly describe privacy, a short beach/creek walk and a manageable 2WD dirt road. Treat those as atmosphere and arrival prompts, not guarantees: road condition, neighbours and vegetation change. There is no defensible recurring reception or shade pattern by site number.

Booking, costs and alternatives#

Book the exact equipment and party through NPWS. Up to 20 people or 5 sites can be booked online; larger groups need the group process. The live campsite quote, non-refundable booking fee and $8 per vehicle per day park entry are separate cost components. Do not book a remote site because it appears “near” the main campground on a search result.

• Woody Head campground suits campers wanting showers, town water, a kiosk and sealed access, but it is larger and busier.
• Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds offer another coastal Bundjalung base; compare current road, water and equipment rules rather than assuming the same facilities.

Before travel, recheck road and fire alerts, the live site class, your rig length and water load. If sold out, set a CampWatch alert only after deciding whether you would accept a carry-in, vehicle-based or remote cancellation.