Oaky Beach campground is a good choice when forest, tent camping and a short walk to the sea matter more than showers or an easy drive. It has two different experiences: near-car ground sites for ordinary bookings, and separate platforms for South Coast Walk hikers. Getting that distinction right is more useful than choosing a supposedly perfect pitch.
It is a poor fit for caravans, camper trailers, wheelchair access or a family trip built around patrolled swimming. Bring your own water and a vehicle suited to the steep approach.
Book the right camping area#
NPWS lists 15 marked, unpowered tent sites. Sites 1–10 are level ground sites roughly 10m from parking, suitable for larger family tents. Sites 11–15 are timber platforms, walk-in only, reserved for bookings on the 3-day Murramarang South Coast Walk. They are not overflow for drive-in campers.
For an ordinary campground booking, there is no nightly camping fee, but a $6 booking fee applies. Murramarang park entry is $8 per vehicle/day, unless covered by a valid pass. A multi-day walk package has its own price and conditions; the ordinary campground fee is not a quote for that package. Online groups can book up to 40 people or nine sites, subject to availability. Confirm a specific numbered allocation and your full party in the reservation rather than interpreting the group ceiling as a per-site allowance.
Use Search availability on the official page or 1300 072 757. The public campground pages do not state an arrival/departure time; keep the booking instructions offline and resolve missing times before travelling.
The final descent is the deciding factor#
Follow Princes Highway to South Durras Road; after approximately 2km, take North Head Road for 4.5km, then Old Coast Road for 300m, then Oaky Beach Road for 1.5km. NPWS visitor information calls the final descent very steep and classifies access as 4WD, with a specific wet-weather warning. The wet-weather wording does not establish dry-weather 2WD suitability.
Check the forecast and local alerts before leaving the main road. Assess your ability to climb back out, not merely roll down. If conditions exceed your vehicle or experience, turn back before committing to the descent and use a separately booked alternative. Do not improvise roadside parking and a long carry as a standard access plan.
Which site should you choose?#
The January 2023 layout gives useful relationships, but no pitch dimensions or measured shade:
| Need | Mapped option to consider | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Shorter toilet trips | Ground sites 9–10 are closest to the mapped toilet area | More potential passing traffic on shared paths |
| Separation from the toilet/path junction | Compare 1–3 along the approach side | You remain beside the access road, not in an isolated walk-in enclave |
| A hiker's forest platform | 11–15, only with the eligible walking booking | Gear must be carried; the map labels the walk-to-camp section 200m |
Those are layout-based comparisons, not guarantees of quiet. Pick within your eligible category, confirm the number assigned, and check current shade, drainage and usable footprint when you arrive. Site symbols are not to scale. Ask Ulladulla NPWS, 02 4454 9500, about a particular tent footprint or platform dimensions before paying for a walking package.
Your first half-hour#
Use the parking serving sites 1–10; a small additional parking area near the entrance holds three vehicles. Keep the turning area clear. Locate your site marker before carrying water and bulky bags, then walk the toilet route and beach exit while it is light. The picnic shelter sits nearer the remote walking section; it is not a private shelter beside every ground site.
For platforms, practise a freestanding setup with suitable cord before the trip. Do not rely on driving pegs into timber or attaching gear to surrounding vegetation. For ground sites, divide loads into containers you can carry from the car; “near-car” is not permission to park on the tent footprint.
Comfort, children and a worthwhile outing#
Pack drinking and cooking water, a fuel stove, lighting, toilet paper, insect protection and waste bags. Non-flush toilets are provided; no showers or powered sites are listed. Allow washing water separately so rinsing salt and dishes does not consume the drinking supply. Gathering firewood is prohibited. If planning any fire, establish the permitted arrangement and current restrictions with NPWS first; the public layout does not promise a fire ring at each pitch. Pets are prohibited apart from certified assistance animals, and smoking is prohibited.
NPWS rates the campground no wheelchair access. Level tent pads do not cancel out the approach, carrying routes or coastal terrain. Supervise children around vehicles and the beach. Strong rips are possible and no lifeguards patrol these beaches; use Beachsafe to find a patrolled option rather than treating a nearby rockpool as a safe substitute.
For a manageable forest-and-beach outing, Oaky Beach walking track is officially 2.4km return, Grade 3, 1–1.5 hours, with gentle hills, occasional steps and some obstacles. Follow the signed trail and return the same way. That published distance describes the whole track, not the few minutes between your tent and the sand; check the trailhead directions before setting out. Carry water and leave time to retrace the route before dark. The multi-day South Coast Walk is a separate undertaking with return transport to arrange.
What campers say#
These observations come from different trips and camping areas, not a single consensus:
- A February 2026 ground-site stay describes abandoning the final descent in a small car. This reinforces why the official 4WD classification matters; their improvised walk-in is not an endorsed workaround.
- The same visitor reported condensation despite ventilating the tent. It is one humid-night experience: allow time to dry gear rather than assuming sheltered forest means dry camping.
- Two independent 2023 hiking accounts—Great Walks and We Are Explorers—describe platform pitching as easier with a freestanding tent and extra cord. This recurring setup lesson applies to platforms, not sites 1–10.
- The We Are Explorers hikers reported possums investigating food. Secure supplies and rubbish; that anecdote does not establish how often it happens at every site.
Two alternatives that solve different problems#
North Head campground explicitly accommodates camper trailers, which Oaky does not. Its ten sites remain a basic, unpowered camp with no drinking-water supply: check its own road conditions before changing plans.
Depot Beach campground offers powered options, showers and an onsite check-in office, as well as caravan camping. Choose it for a more serviced stay; camping and park entry are separate costs, and NPWS still tells visitors to bring drinking water.
Reviewed 29 September 2026. Confirm allocation, booking times and road conditions with NPWS; save the layout offline. Mobile reception is limited, so leave a trip plan with someone before heading in.
Location
Open in Google MapsGet alerts for Oaky Beach
Enter your dates and we'll text you the moment a spot opens up. No app, no account needed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which Oaky Beach sites can I book?
Ordinary campers use ground sites 1–10, about 10m from parking. Platforms 11–15 are walk-in only and reserved for bookings on the 3-day Murramarang South Coast Walk.
Can I drive a 2WD or tow a trailer to Oaky Beach?
NPWS classifies access as 4WD and describes a very steep final descent. Caravans and camper trailers cannot use the campground. Wet-weather wording does not establish dry-weather 2WD suitability.
What does an ordinary Oaky Beach booking cost?
There is no nightly camping fee but a $6 booking fee applies, plus Murramarang park entry of $8 per vehicle per day unless covered by a valid pass. Multi-day walk packages have separate prices.
Which site is closest to the toilets?
The public layout places ground sites 9–10 closest to the toilet area. Compare that convenience with passing traffic, and confirm your allocated number; the map does not establish pitch shade or dimensions.