Camping in Outback NSW

Outback NSW is big, dry and remote, red plains, rock art, opal fields and the Darling River, with kangaroos, emus and dingoes along the way. Broken Hill grew from an 1883 silver and lead find that led to the founding of BHP, and in 2015 it became the first Australian city on the National Heritage List.

Where is the best place to camp in Outback NSW?

Plan around a few bases rather than a single campground. Broken Hill is the main town in the far west, with parks such as Broken Hill Tourist Park, and about 130 km north-east, Mutawintji National Park has Homestead Creek Campground with showers. Menindee, the first town on the Darling River, has the biggest spread of camps, from lakeside caravan parks to the bush camps of Kinchega National Park. Up north near Tibooburra, Sturt National Park has Dead Horse Gully among granite boulders, and in the north-east there are parks at Bourke and Lightning Ridge.

What is there to do in Outback NSW with kids?

In Broken Hill, White's Mineral Art and Living Museum and the Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum are in town, and at Silverton, the Mad Max 2 Museum and Silverton Gaol Museum are near the caravan park. In Sturt National Park, you can stand at Cameron Corner, where three states meet, and see the flat-topped Jump Ups. Lightning Ridge, a black opal town since the first shafts were dug in 1905, has hot artesian bathing pools, and Bourke was once the world's largest inland port for wool.

• Cooper's Cottage – Museums and history, Lightning Ridge. Closest campground: Crocodile Caravan & Camping Park, under 1 km
• Afghan Mosque – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Silverland Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Silverton Gaol Museum – Museums and history, Silverton. Closest campground: Penrose Park, under 1 km
• Silverton School Museum – Museums and history, Silverton. Closest campground: Penrose Park, under 1 km
• Mad Max 2 Museum – Museums and history, Silverton. Closest campground: Penrose Park, 1 km
• Nyngan Museum – Museums and history, Nyngan. Closest campground: Nyngan Leisure and Van Park, 1 km
• Great Cobar Heritage Centre – Museums and history, Cobar. Closest campground: Cobar Caravan Park, 2 km
• Synagogue Of The Outback Museum – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, 2 km
• Sulphide Street Station Railway Museum – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, 2 km
• Albert Kersten Mining And Minerals Museum – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, 3 km
• Tibooburra Outback Botanic Gardens – Gardens and outdoors, Tibooburra. Closest campground: Granites Motel Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Hospital Gallery - Heritage Cottage – Museums and history, Lightning Ridge. Closest campground: Crocodile Caravan & Camping Park, under 1 km
• Tibooburra Local Aboriginal Land Council Keeping Place – Museums and history, Tibooburra. Closest campground: Granites Motel Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Sturt's Steps Touring Route Tibooburra Museum – Museums and history, Tibooburra. Closest campground: Granites Motel Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Courthouse Museum – Museums and history, Tibooburra. Closest campground: Granites Motel Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Golden Gully Mining Site – Museums and history, Tibooburra. Closest campground: Dead Horse Gully Campground, under 1 km
• The Goondee – Museums and history, Lightning Ridge. Closest campground: Lightning Ridge Caravan Park, under 1 km
• White's Mineral Art And Living Museum – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, under 1 km
• Warren Museum & Art Gallery – Museums and history, Warren. Closest campground: Macquarie Caravan Park, under 1 km
• The Conservation Centre – Museums and history, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Silverland Caravan Park, 2 km
• Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum – Museums and history, Brewarrina. Closest campground: Four Mile Campground, 7 km
• Broken Hill Mini Golf – Play, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Silverland Caravan Park, 1 km
• Warren Swimming Pool – Swimming, Warren. Closest campground: Macquarie Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Broken Hill Regional Aquatic Centre – Swimming, Broken Hill. Closest campground: Silverland Caravan Park, 1 km
• Burren Junction Community Pool – Swimming, Burren Junction. Closest campground: Burren Junction Bore Camp Site, 3 km

What are the best nature spots in outback NSW?

At Mutawintji, the historic site has one of the best collections of Aboriginal rock art in Australia, and the park shelters the last yellow-footed rock wallabies in NSW. Gundabooka National Park, south of Bourke, has rust-coloured cliffs and Ngemba rock art, and in Sturt National Park, Lake Pinaroo is a Ramsar-listed wetland with more than 40 waterbird species.

• Lake View Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Lakeview Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Sunrise and Sunset Viewing Area – Lookout. Closest campground: Starview Primitive Campsite, under 1 km
• Caryapundy Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Caryapundy Lookout campground, under 1 km
• Jump-Up Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Olive Downs Campground, 2 km
• Block 10 Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, 2 km
• J P Keenan Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Broken Hill Tourist Park, 2 km

When is the best time to go camping in Outback NSW?

The cooler months. Summers here are extreme, with Menindee and Bourke sharing the NSW record of 49.7°C, and Tibooburra regularly passes 40°C. Outback roads, including those in Sturt National Park, can close after rain, so check conditions before you head out.

Are there powered sites in Outback NSW?

Yes. 3 campgrounds here have powered sites confirmed: Cobar Caravan Park, Glen Hope Station Campground and BIG4 Opal Holiday Park. For the rest we are still confirming, so check with the park or holiday park before you book a powered site.

How far is Broken Hill from Sydney?

Broken Hill is about 1,143 km west of Sydney and 511 km north-east of Adelaide. Bourke is about 800 km from Sydney, Lightning Ridge about 720 km, Menindee about 1,006 km and Tibooburra about 1,187 km.

Facts from Wikipedia, "Broken Hill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Menindee, New South Wales" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Mutawintji National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Sturt National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Bourke, New South Wales" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Lightning Ridge" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Gundabooka National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikipedia, "Tibooburra, New South Wales" (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Map of campgrounds in Outback NSW

63 campgrounds

• Homestead Creek Campground — Mutawintji, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Burren Junction Bore Camp Site — Burren Junction, NSW. caravan sites, dump point, pets allowed, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Cawndilla campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Dry Tank campground — Gunderbooka, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Emu Lake Campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Fort Grey Campground — Tibooburra, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Olive Downs Campground — Tibooburra, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Yanda campground — Gunderbooka, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Cobar Caravan Park — Cobar, NSW. camp kitchen, dump point, laundry, powered sites, tent sites
• Lake Eckerboon campground — Little Topar, NSW. bbq, caravan sites, picnic shelter, picnic tables, toilets
• Starview Primitive Campsite — Broken Hill, NSW. caravan sites, drinking water, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Darling River campground — Gumbalie, NSW. caravan sites, picnic tables, tent sites, toilets
• Four Mile Campground — Brewarrina, NSW. caravan sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Glen Hope Station Campground — White Cliffs, NSW. caravan sites, powered sites, tent sites, toilets
• Kidman's Camp — North Bourke, NSW. caravan sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Mitchell Caravan Park — Bourke, NSW. caravan sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Penrose Park — Silverton, NSW. caravan sites, dump point, showers, toilets
• Brindingabba Campground — Hungerford, NSW. bbq, picnic shelter, picnic tables
• Burke And Wills Campground — Menindee, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites, toilets
• Caryapundy Lookout campground — Tibooburra, NSW. bbq, picnic shelter, picnic tables
• Coach & Horses campground — Wilcannia, NSW. bbq, picnic shelter, picnic tables
• Darling River Campground — Menindee, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites, toilets
• Kinchega No.3 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic shelter, picnic tables
• Main Weir Campground — Menindee, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites, toilets
• Mount Wood Campground — Tibooburra, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites, toilets
• Tielta campground and picnic area — Broughams Gate, NSW. bbq, picnic shelter, picnic tables
• BIG4 Opal Holiday Park — Lightning Ridge, NSW. dump point, powered sites
• Dead Horse Gully Campground — Tibooburra, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites
• Historic Reserve Camping Ground — Tibooburra, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites
• Kinchega No.12 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.19 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.24 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.27 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.29 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.31 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.34 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Kinchega No.6 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Nyngan Leisure and Van Park — Nyngan, NSW. caravan sites, tent sites
• Whispering Oaks Camping — Kulwin, NSW. bbq, picnic tables
• Culgoa River campground — Weilmoringle, NSW. picnic tables
• Kinchega No.17 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.21 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.22 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.25 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.26 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.30 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.32 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.7 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Kinchega No.9 campground — Menindee, NSW. bbq
• Broken Hill Tourist Park — Broken Hill, NSW
• Copi Hollow Caravan Park — Menindee, NSW
• Crocodile Caravan & Camping Park — Lightning Ridge, NSW
• Granites Motel Caravan Park — Tibooburra, NSW
• Kinchega No.14 campground — Menindee, NSW
• Kinchega No.33 campground — Menindee, NSW
• Lakeview Caravan Park — Broken Hill, NSW
• Lightning Ridge Caravan Park — Lightning Ridge, NSW
• Lightning Ridge Outback Resort Caravan Park — Lightning Ridge, NSW
• Macquarie Caravan Park — Ravenswood, NSW
• Menindee Lake Caravan Park — Menindee, NSW
• Milparinka Evelyn Creek Caravan and Camping — Milparinka, NSW
• Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park — Nyngan, NSW
• Silverland Caravan Park — Broken Hill, NSW

Region boundary: ABS ASGS Edition 3 Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0.