Camping near Sydney: 10 best spots within 3 hours drive

You don’t have to travel far to escape the hustle and bustle of Australia’s largest city. But to help you separate the extraordinary from the ordinary, we have put together this list of the 10 best places to go camping near Sydney!

All of these camping spots are within a 3-hour drive of the city centre, meaning you can pick up your campervan hire in Sydney on a Friday afternoon and be home by Sunday night. Plus, all these campsites feature a whole heap of family-friendly activities and facilities that we detail below!

If you’re considering taking some longer road trips from Sydney, these campgrounds are also a great place to spend your first night.

Let’s get started!

10 best places to go camping near Sydney

1. Green Patch Campsite - Booderee National Park

Address: Green Patch Rd, Booderee National Park, Village Rd, JBT 2540, Australia

Drive time from Sydney: 2hrs 40mins

Unpowered site price: From approx. $25 per night

Pet friendly: No

Overlooking Jervis Bay to the south of Sydney, the Green Patch Campsite in Booderee National Park is a picturesque coastal spot for families and small groups. This waterfront campground is only metres away from Iluka Beach and surrounded by bushland, meaning you can get as much shade or sun as you like.

The best part is that you’re only a 2-minute drive from Jervis Bay Village and within walking distance of famous sites like The Hole in the Wall rock formation and Governor Head Lookout.

Campsite facilities:

• Unpowered campsites

• Hot-water showers

• Public toilets

• Fresh water

• Sheltered barbecues

2. Bonnie Vale Campground - Royal National Park

Address: 2 Seabreeze Lane, Royal National Park, NSW, 2232

Drive time from Sydney: 1hr

Powered site price: From approx. $41 per night ($12 park entry fee)

Pet friendly: No

Sitting within the Royal National Park, Bonnie Vale campground offers both powered and unpowered waterside camping spots within an hour of Sydney. The campground sits beside a large sand spit that separates Port Hacking and Cabbage Tree Basin, making it a great spot for a swim in the gentle waters.

You might also be interested in lacing up your hiking shoes and tackling one of the many walking tracks in the National Park, such as the Forest Path.

Campsite facilities:

• Powered and unpowered campsites

• Showers

• Toilets

• Drinking water

• Barbecue facilities

• Picnic tables

3. Bents Basin Campground - Bents Basin State Conservation Area

Address: 525 Wolstenholme Avenue, Greendale, NSW, 2745

Drive time from Sydney: 1hr

Unpowered site price: From approx. $34.85 per night ($8 park entry fee)

Pet friendly: No

Located in Western Sydney, the Bents Basin campground sits on the edge of a small lake flowing from the Nepean River.

The large grassy camping area provides plenty of room for throwing a frisbee around or kicking a ball, whilst the lake is popular with swimmers, fishermen and kayakers. In your spare time, hike up the short and steep track to Caley's Lookout, where you can enjoy a scenic picnic.

Campsite facilities:

• Unpowered campsites

• Showers

• Toilets

• Barbecue facilities

• Drinking water

• Picnic tables

• Carpark

4. Lane Cove Caravan Park - Lane Cove National Park

Address: 13 Plassey Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113

Drive time from Sydney: 25min

Powered site price: From $48 per night for 2 people

Pet friendly: No

The Lane Cove Caravan Park is one of the best caravan parks near Sydney if you want to stay close to the major attractions in the city centre. Whilst central, it’s also nestled amongst 1,000-acres of bushland that provide a scenic and shady campsite. Take a walk through the surrounding Lane Cove National Park or jump on a train/bus and enjoy a short trip to the CBD.

Campsite facilities:

• Bathroom blocks

• Camp kitchen

• BBQ

• Laundry

• Swimming pool

• Playground

• Sports facilities

• Kiosk store

• Dump point

5 . Lake St Clair Campgrounds - St Clair

Address: 1719 Carrowbrook Rd, St Clair NSW 2330

Drive time from Sydney: 3hrs

Powered site price: From approx. $34 per night

Pet friendly: Yes

Take a scenic drive north of Sydney to the Lake St Clair Campgrounds, where you can set up your camp in the rolling green hills that surround the lake. There are plenty of trees for shade and lots of wildlife to keep an eye out for, including kangaroos, echidnas and eagles.

Fishermen from all around NSW come here to catch bass and perch, whilst water sports enthusiasts bring their ski boats and sailing rigs.

Campsite facilities:

• Powered and unpowered campsites

• Toilet and shower block

• Camp kitchen

• Electric and wood-fired BBQs

• Concrete boat ramp

6. Bendeela Recreation Area - Kangaroo Valley

Address: Bendeela Road, Kangaroo Valley NSW 2577

Drive time from Sydney: 2hr 15mins

Unpowered site price: From approx. $6 per night

Pet friendly: No

Nestled on the banks of the Kangaroo River in the Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney, the Bendeela Recreation Area is the perfect camping spot for nature lovers. Set up your campervan or caravan on the large grassy campsites and spend your time swimming in the river, trying your hand at fishing or looking for wombats.

From your campsite, take a scenic 30-minute drive to the eighty-metre tall Fitzroy Falls and enjoy the views from the elevated boardwalk.

Campsite facilities:

• Unpowered campsites

• Toilets

• Drinking water

• Canoe launching area

• Dump point

7. Daly’s Clearing Campground - Belanglo State Forest

Address: Dalys Road, Belanglo NSW 2577

Drive time from Sydney: 1hr 35mins

Unpowered site price: Free

Pet friendly: Yes

Situated amongst the tall pine trees of the Belanglo State Forest, the Daly's Clearing Campground is a convenient and secluded place to go camping near Sydney. Get away from the buzz of the city to a place where you can see all the stars clearly in the night sky. There's a heap of biking trails, it’s completely free to camp here and no bookings are required.

Campsite facilities:

• Unpowered campsites

• Drop toilets

• Firepits

8. Mill Creek Campground - Dharug National Park

Address: 174 Mill Creek Rd, Gunderman NSW 2775, Australia

Drive time from Sydney: 2hrs

Powered site price: From approx. $24.60 per night

Pet friendly: No

For bush camping near Sydney, the Mill Creek Campground is a quiet and convenient option. Set up your camper on one of the grassy sites beside the creek, surrounded by rugged sandstone cliffs, eucalyptus forest and the sound of bellbirds.

A ten-minute walk away is the Mill Creek picnic area, which itself is the starting point of several outstanding bushwalks, including a World-Heritage walkway along the convict-built Old Great Northern Road.

Campsite facilities:

• Toilets

• Barbecue facilities

• Carpark

9. Dunphys Campground - Blue Mountains National Park

Address: Bellbird Ridge Firetrail, Blue Mountains National Park, Megalong Valley NSW 2787, Australia

Drive time from Sydney: 2hrs 10mins

Unpowered site price: Free ($6 booking fee applies)

Pet friendly: No

Stay amidst the beauty and splendour of the Blue Mountains National Park at Dunphys Campground, an isolated yet well-maintained camping spot near Sydney. Situated at the end of Megalong Valley, there are 15 grassy camping sites with clear views of Mt Cloudmaker and the Wild Dog mountains.

There’s a range of short and long walking tracks from the campsite, leading you to sights like the Kangara Walls, Kangara Waterfall, Narrow Neck Cliffs and Bellbird Point. Alternatively, you can take a seat next to the nearby Cox’s River and throw in a line.

Campsite facilities:

• Toilets

• Barbecue facilities

• Picnic tables

• Carpark

10. Glenworth Valley Camping - Glenworth Valley

Address: 69 Cooks Rd, Glenworth Valley NSW 2250

Drive time from Sydney: 1hr

Powered site price: From approx. $30 per night

Pet friendly: No

For more stunning bush camping near Sydney’s outskirts, you can’t beat Glenworth Valley Camping. This 200-acre creekside campground gives you the freedom to find your own secluded patch amongst a sprawling landscape of grassy fields, rolling green hills and untouched bushland.

There’s no shortage of family-friendly activities either, with a watering hole, bush walking, farmyard animals, pony rides, horse riding tours, quad biking, abseiling, laser skirmish, kayaking and axe throwing. In the afternoon, watch the daily ‘Running of the Horses’ spectacle, as the property’s 200 horses charge through the valley into their grazing pasture.

Campsite facilities:

• Modern bathroom block

• Drinkable water

• Wood-fired BBQs

• Free WiFi

• Onsite shop and cafe

• Activities

Hire a campervan near Sydney

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