Private Town campground

Private Town is for campers seeking history, isolation and a real 4WD journey, not a quick roadside overnight. The reward is camping inside Yerranderie’s old mining settlement, with wildlife, ruins and mountain country around you. The price is a long unsealed approach, no mobile reception, no bins and very limited amenities capacity.

Choose elsewhere if anyone in the group is uncomfortable with remote travel, you need reliable connectivity, or your vehicle and recovery plan do not suit an all-4WD route. Nearby Government Town shares the remote access but places you away from Private Town’s main historic buildings; Mount Werong is the earlier fallback on the same approach, not an escape from all unsealed driving.

Choose by ground and facilities, not a site number#

NPWS lists 10 unmarked sites for tents and camping beside a vehicle, with room for up to 35 campers. The official map identifies the campground beside Private Town and the cookhouse, but does not show numbered pitches, shade, surface or dimensions. It cannot support an honest “best site 4” recommendation.

At booking or on arrival, ask the Yerranderie caretaker where your party should set up. Before unloading:

• find the firmest level footprint that keeps vegetation and access tracks clear;
• check the route to the amenities block for night-time use;
• keep smoke and sparks from neighbouring tents when choosing around a fire ring;
• inspect overhead limbs rather than assuming a shady-looking area is safe;
• confirm turning room before taking a trailer beyond an easy retreat point.

For privacy, ask which permitted edge is least affected by cookhouse and heritage-area foot traffic. For convenience, accept more movement in exchange for a shorter amenities walk. Those are needs-based choices; neither is guaranteed by the public map.

Arrival: Oberon first, never Oakdale#

The consequential detail is the direction. From Oberon, take Edith Road, turn after about 8km onto Butter Factory Lane, continue as Shooters Hill Road, then turn onto Mount Werong Road—the Oberon–Colong Historic Stock Route. Stay on the main ridge track past Mount Werong and follow signs to Yerranderie.

NPWS says there is no access from Sydney via Oakdale, Picton or Burragorang Valley, and online maps may route incorrectly. Program Oberon as the first destination, then Yerranderie. All access roads require 4WD; the route is unsealed and weather can close the park. Check current alerts, refuel in Oberon and reach the remote section with daylight and a turn-back margin.

There is parking at the campground, but no evidence of a conventional always-staffed reception. Save your booking, map and caretaker number offline. On arrival, confirm the camping area before unloading, locate the amenities block, note the return route and secure food and rubbish against dingoes.

Comfort is better than “bush toilet,” but capacity is tiny#

The campground has drinking water, flush toilets and hot showers. The important qualifier is scale: the facilities block has one male toilet and shower and one female toilet and shower. A group should expect queues and should not plan around a private family bathroom. Carry a drinking-water reserve because the nearest resupply is back in Oberon.

There are no bins, so every food scrap and bag leaves with you. Fire rings are provided, but bring your own firewood and obey the live fire alert or ban. Bring a fuel-stove fallback. Pets are prohibited and recreational drones are not allowed. With no mobile reception, download Emergency Plus and maps before losing signal, but understand that a phone still needs reception to place a call.

Make the historic settlement the day, not a drive-through#

A worthwhile low-driving day is to explore Yerranderie Private Town’s historic buildings and mining landscape, then use signed walks toward the surrounding World Heritage country only as far as time, weather and the group’s navigation allow. Start in daylight, ask the caretaker about current access, carry water and turn around early enough to be back before dark. Old mine workings are a reason to remain on signed routes, not an invitation to explore openings.

What campers say#

Public opinion is useful but sparse. Three older Anycamp reports and a detailed 2025 Walk My World visit agree on the unusual ghost-town atmosphere and basic-but-useful hot shower. The recent trip report found other weekend campers without disruptive noise, but one visit cannot guarantee quiet.

The same report describes places that felt shady; the official map does not establish pitch-level shade, so inspect rather than choosing from that claim. The Anycamp comments are six to seven years old and mention old pricing and firewood availability—use them only for character, never current cost or supply.

Booking, alternatives and last checks#

Book through NPWS. The page allows online group bookings up to 40 people or 9 sites, while also stating a campground capacity of 35; that apparent mismatch is material. For a large group, confirm the accepted people count with the National Parks Contact Centre or Yerranderie caretaker before paying. Use the live quote for nightly price, booking fee and any park-entry charge rather than copying an old review.

Government Town is the closer alternative for campers who want the same Yerranderie history but less foot traffic around Private Town's buildings; it keeps the same difficult approach. Mount Werong is an earlier, simpler campground on the stock route, but it does not remove the need to verify 4WD access, water and alerts. Before leaving Oberon, recheck the alert, weather, fire status, fuel, water reserve and the correct stock-route direction. If the route or facilities trade-off feels wrong, change camp before entering the remote track—not after GPS has led the group to a locked catchment road.