13 of the best camping spots in Brisbane

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
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Tread beyond the urban jungle for unspoiled natural beauty at the best camping in Brisbane and just beyond.

You know its famed inner-city river, but did you know Brisbane is also home to extraordinary natural wonders? Camping in Brisbane and the wider region including North Stradbroke Island, Bribie Island, and the northern parts of the Scenic Rim, will open your eyes to incredible beach hopping, bushwalking, water sports, and stargazing. Grab your adventure kit and get moving with our guide to Brisbane’s greatest outdoor immersions.

1. Mt Barney Lodge, Scenic Rim

Distance from CBD: 1.5-hour drive.

Price: From $20 per night for an unpowered campsite to approximately $390 per night for a homestead.

Located within the Sunshine State’s glorious Scenic Rim, a cluster of sweeping valleys, mountains and top-notch wineries in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Mt Barney Lodge is for totally switching off.

Offering limited mobile coverage and restricting its guest capacity to no more than 30 tents and a handful of camper trailers, caravans, and homesteads, it’s firmly focused on showcasing its surroundings.

a family sitting around a bonfire at Mt Barney Lodge, Scenic Rim
Go on a camping holiday with your family at Mt Barney Lodge.

Guided activities take full advantage of nearby bushwalks and creek frontage, and they run a three-day Indigenous experience called Yarriba Dreaming to help you deepen your understanding of the land.

Amenities

If you’re roughing it at one of their campsites, there’s an amenities block with hot showers and toilets, open campfires, drinking water on tap and basic necessities like ice and milk to purchase. If you’re considering one of the self-contained camper trailers, you’ve also got a kitchenette. Meanwhile, each caravan, cabin, or homestead has a bathroom.

the Boolamoola Homestead at Mt Barney Lodge, Brisbane
Settle into the Boolamoola Homestead at Mt Barney Lodge.

2. Ketchup’s Bank Glamping, Scenic Rim

Distance from CBD: Just over a 1.5-hour drive.

Price: From approximately $269 per night to approximately $329 per night, depending on which tent you choose.

More of a glamper than a camper? Familiarise yourself with Ketchup’s Bank Glamping  in the Scenic Rim, a heavenly retreat perfect for couples.

a couple relaxing at a luxury eco tent in Ketchup’s Bank Glamping, Scenic Rim
Hit refresh at Ketchup’s Bank Glamping.

Fitted out with the type of comfort you’d typically find in a five-star hotel, this exceptional camping experience in Greater Brisbane is luxury at its wildest. Choose from a range of eco-tents or the newer Baya Tiny House as ultra-green hills and an abundance of wildlife send you a million miles away from home.

a luxury eco tent in Ketchup’s Bank Glamping, Scenic Rim
Stay in a luxe eco tent.

Amenities

Each tent features bathroom facilities, a private campfire, a fully equipped kitchen, wi-fi, and more. If you opt for the high-end Baya Tiny House Eco Retreat, you’ll also score an indoor fireplace, loft area and private bar areas.

3. Lake Moogerah Camping, Moogerah Peaks National Park, Scenic Rim

Distance from CBD: 1.5-hour drive

Price: From $40 per night for an unpowered site and from $49 per night for a powered site.

A lesser-known Scenic Rim gem, Lake Moogerah Camping  offers an escape to the most stunning of natural settings.

kayaking along Lake Moogerah
Kayak along the tranquil waters of Lake Moogerah. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The lake itself, within Moogerah Peaks National Park, is ideal for fishing, frolicking, boating, or whatever water sport you’re currently obsessed with. There are no cabins but the location is brimming with nature trails, climbable (undeveloped) volcanic peaks, and that magnificent body of water so you’ll soak up the outdoors in style.

a man sitting by a bonfire outside his tent at Lake Moogerah Camping, Moogerah Peaks National Park, Scenic Rim
Sit by a bonfire outside your tent. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Amenities

Toilets, showers, a camp kitchen with electric barbecues, boat ramps, a kids’ playground, a kiosk selling basic groceries, and a little mobile reception.

4. Clancys Camping Area, Benarkin State Forest

Distance from CBD: 2.5-hour drive.

Price: No entry fee however a Queensland National Parks camping fee costs $7.25 per person per night and you’ll need a permit. Book it all online  before you go.

Clancys camping area  is located within the lush Benarkin State Forest adjacent to Emu Creek and offers spacious grounds for all, including four-legged family members (if they’re kept on a leash). The grassy Brisbane camping spot caters for up to 60 people at a time so you’re promised your own space to really lean into disconnecting. Canoe, swim, fish, stroll (the nearby trails are great for mountain biking too) or sloth — it’s a beautiful spot for nature-focused fun.

Amenities

Barbecue facilities, toilets, open fire facilities (BYO wood), and tap water. Also note, there’s no mobile coverage out here.

5. Bongaree Caravan Park, Bribie Island

Distance from CBD: A one-hour and 10-minute drive.

Price: From $38.40 per night for a powered site to $185 per night for a cottage during peak season.

Get your outdoor fix while remaining close to beautiful Bribie Island’s central dining and retail strip, Welsby Parade, at Bongaree Caravan Park . The laidback accommodation offers powered campsites, cabins, and two top-tier cottages and you’re within walking distance of two boat ramps to help you kick your escape into top gear. You’re also across the road from the popular Pumicestone Passage, a 35-kilometre channel of crystal-clear water within Moreton Bay Marine Park. Delicious dips come on tap.

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Amenities

Barbecue facilities, a camp kitchen, an amenities block with toilets and showers, a coin-operated laundry, and a small kiosk.

riding a jet ski at Moreton Bay, Bribie Island
Whisk away to Moreton Bay on a jet ski. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

6. Ocean Beach Camping Area, Bribie Island

Distance from CBD: Just under a 2.5-hour drive.

Price: No entry fee however a Queensland National Parks camping fee costs $7.25 per person per night and you’ll need a permit. Book it all online  before you go.

A magnet for 4WD fans, the three-kilometre Ocean Beach Camping Area offers absolute beachfront bliss.

the Ocean Beach Camping Area 4
Stay in a beachfront campground set behind the dunes. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Larissa Dening)

You’re set behind the dunes and near the remnants of historical Fort Bribie, not that you’ll want to leave that shimmering water for very long. Pitch a tent right next to your wheels and experience some of the best beach camping Greater Brisbane has to offer.

beachfront camping at Ocean Beach, Bribie Island
Wake up next to pure bliss at Ocean Beach. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Larissa Dening)

Amenities

Barbecue facilities (BYO wood), micro-flush toilets, a toilet dump point, and cold showers.

7. Sandstone Point Holiday Resort, Bribie Island

Distance from CBD: A 1.5-hour drive.

Price: From approximately $45 per night for a small, powered site and all the way up to just under $700 per night (approximately) for an overwater three-bedroom villa.

a forest glamping retreat at Sandstone Point Holiday Resort
Settle into a forest glamping retreat at Sandstone Point Holiday Resort. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

A caravan park in Brisbane’s greater region guaranteed to win the hearts of mini adventure seekers is Sandstone Point Holiday Resort .

an aerial view of Bribie Island
Rent out a kayak and explore Bribie Island. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Featuring a mammoth, jaw-dropping range of family-friendly attractions and multi-sized villas (including a handful of posh overwater ones), glamping, two-story villas, camping and caravan sites, it’s a camping holiday with all the creature comforts.

al fresco dining at Sandstone Point Holiday Resort, Bribie Island
There’s a restaurant nearby if you need to refuel. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Plus, it’s located right on Pumicestone Passage so nature’s playground is a stone’s throw away.

Amenities

A swim-up bar (enough said), multiple pools, a jacuzzi, mini golf, a water park, a pump track for bikes and scooters, a jumping pillow, a fire pit, a tennis court, a kids’ playground, a bocce court, a gym, a bar, a restaurant, and even more. Seriously.

8. Lake Wivenhoe Camping, Somerset Area

Distance from CBD: A little under a 1.5-hour drive.

Price: Pitch a tent from $27 per night, grab a drive-on site from $33 and glamp from approximately $160 per night.

Seek out the largest lake in South East Queensland for a camping adventure centred entirely on all that brilliant blue.

the Wivenhoe Dam in Brisbane
Set camp on the serene Lake Wivenhoe. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Lake Wivenhoe Camping  manages two sites, the Captain Logan Campground and the Lumley Hill Campground, where guests can take advantage of the lake’s calm, boat-free conditions right on their front step. Basic unpowered and powered sites are available, as are several glamping tents fitted with queen beds, kitchen utensils, and plush linen.

the forest view from Lake Wivenhoe
Be surrounded by lush greenery near Lake Wivenhoe. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Amenities

Electric barbecues, picnic tables, hot showers, toilets, a dump point, purchasable essentials, and canoe hire.

9. Archer Camping Area, D’Aguilar National Park

Distance from CBD: Just under two hours by car.

Price: No entry fee however a Queensland National Parks camping fee costs $7.25 per person per night and you’ll need a permit. Book it all online  before you go.

the rough road towards Archer Camping Area, D’Aguilar National Park
Just a two-hour drive away by car, you’ll reach Archer Camping Area. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Rest your head deep within a subtropical rainforest at the beautiful Archer Camping Area . It’s as stripped back as camping comes but don’t let minimal facilities deter you. This site’s setting beside Neurum Creek is the stuff of holiday dreams and its stargazing vistas will keep you snap-happy even after the sun sinks. Swimming, bike riding, bushwalking, and kayaking are the order of the day, every day, so brace yourself for the restorative R&R you’ve been longing for.

tents set on the Archer Camping Area, D’Aguilar National Park
Pitch a tent within a subtropical rainforest. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

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Amenities

Septic toilets, shower cubicles (BYO hose though), and fireplaces.

10. Minjerribah Camping, North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah)

Distance from CBD: It’s a 45-minute drive to reach the SeaLink North Stradbroke Island ferry terminal (which transfers vehicles too) before jumping aboard for another 25 minutes if you’re without a car and 50 minutes if you’ve got one. Once you’re on the Island, you’re within walking distance from the grounds.

Price: From approximately $49 per night for an unpowered site to upwards of $300 per night for fancier options.

the North Gorge Walk on North Stradbroke Island
Traverse the scenic North Gorge Walk on North Stradbroke Island. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Holiday time on North Stradbroke Island is so wonderous it deserves direction of its own — which is why we’ve created an ultimate guide to camping on North Stradbroke Island for you to check before you go.

Minjerribah Camping  manages all camping throughout the island, offering six unique locations across Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout. Spanning basic campsites to cabins and glamping, the options are all treated to convenient beach access and idyllic swimming, and some of them also provide sensational 4WD adventures on the sand.

a couple relaxing outside their glamping tent at Minjerribah
The glamping tents at Minjerribah are equipped with modern comforts. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Amenities

It depends on the campground but you’ll typically have toilets, showers, a coin-operated laundry, undercover barbecue areas, boat ramps, and some phone coverage.

11. Brisbane Holiday Village, Brisbane

Distance from CBD: A 15-minute drive.

Price: From approximately $50 per night for an unpowered site, all the way up to a little under $400 per night (approximately) for a penthouse cabin.

One of the best caravan parks in central Brisbane, Brisbane Holiday Village  is home to a range of accommodation options.

a caravan site at Brisbane Holiday Village
Brisbane Holiday Village offers an unpowered site that costs $50 per night.

Situated in Eight Mile Plains, south of the city, it’s close to Brissie’s hottest tickets — not that you need to leave the grounds if you don’t feel like it. Families are spoiled with a range of kid-skewed activities and play areas and there are dining facilities if you’re feeling extra lazy.

a man preparing at the outdoor kitchen of Brisbane Holiday Village
You’ll find barbecue facilities at Brisbane Holiday Village.

Amenities

Barbecue facilities, a restaurant, a pool with a splash area, mini golf, a kids’ playground, a tennis court, coin-operated laundries, several amenity blocks, a bike track, a multi-purpose sports field, and more.

12. Bells Caravan Park, Clontarf

Distance from CBD: One hour’s drive.

Price: From $35.30 for a powered site.

Kick up your heels and just breathe at Bells Caravan Park  in Clontarf where caravanners and campers converge to soak up a beach life close to Brisbane city. It’s right near Hornibrook Pier, a chilled-out locals’ fishing spot, plus a bowls club if you feel the need to get social. Otherwise, it’s all about gazing out at Bells Beach and doing a whole lot of nothing, aka living the dream, at this Brisbane camping spot.

Amenities

A camp kitchen, two amenities blocks with showers and toilets, and a coin-operated laundry.

13. Scarborough Holiday Village, Scarborough

Distance from CBD: A one-hour and 20-minute drive.

Price: From $45 per night for a powered site, and from $150 per night for a double villa.

Head to Brisbane’s north to discover Scarborough Holiday Village and its all-year-round holiday vibes. Located on the Redcliffe Peninsula, Scarborough is famed for protected swimming and a charming village lifestyle, and this Brisbane camping spot puts you right in the heart of it. Choose from caravan sites plus one and two-bedroom villas complete with fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning, and a deck to help you breathe in the salt-kissed sea breeze.

the caravan site at Scarborough Holiday Village, Scarborough
Choose from caravan sites with fully equipped amenities at Scarborough Holiday Village.

Amenities

An amenities block, laundry, barbecue facilities, a kiosk, and a cafe.

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.