It depends on the land manager: you can camp on a beach only in a campground or zone they have set aside, and that usually needs a booking or a permit first. At the places checked for this page, camping outside those areas is not allowed, and some beaches ban overnight camping outright.
The short answer by state
Every state and territory covered here allows beach camping in set places. The table shows what to expect, and the sections below give the detail. The rules for driving onto a beach are separate and are covered in the beach driving guide.
| State or territory | Can you camp at the beach? | What you need | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | Yes, in named beach zones such as K'gari and Teewah Beach, and at set camping areas on Cape York | A camping permit bought before you set up camp | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| New South Wales | Yes, at beachside national park campgrounds such as Diamond Head and at Ganyamalbaa on Stockton Bight | An online booking; Worimi also needs a beach vehicle permit | NSW National Parks, Worimi Conservation Lands |
| Victoria | Yes, at park campgrounds near the beach, some of them first come, first served | A booking at bookable campgrounds, or a site in a non-bookable one | Parks Victoria |
| South Australia | Yes, at national park campgrounds such as Coffin Bay. Some beaches ban overnight camping | Camping fees paid before you arrive | NPWS South Australia, Department for Environment and Water |
| Western Australia | Yes, in designated campgrounds such as the Ningaloo Coast | A booking through Park Stay WA | Explore Parks WA |
| Tasmania | Yes, in designated campgrounds such as the Bay of Fires | No booking or fee at the Bay of Fires campgrounds | Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania |
| Northern Territory | Yes, at designated campsites in parks, booked in advance | A booking made through the NT Parks Booking System; camp 50 metres from the water's edge | NT Parks Booking System, NT Government |
- Camp in the zone you booked
- Booked or permitted sites
- Checked 2026-10-21
Queensland: named beach zones, permit first
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service sets aside named beach camping zones on K'gari, and you need the zone's name when you book. Permits cannot be bought from rangers on the island. At Teewah Beach in Cooloola there are no marked sites: you camp behind the vegetated foredunes on the existing tracks, stay in the zone you booked, and carry a portable toilet.
On Cape York, camping at Captain Billy Landing needs a camping permit, booked online as an e-permit, with the tag displayed at your site. Access is 4WD and off-road camper trailers only, generators are not permitted, and the maximum stay is 21 consecutive nights. The camping area has closed at times for cultural activities, so check the park alerts before you go.
- Zone name needed to book
- Portable toilet at Teewah
- Check Cape York alerts
New South Wales and Victoria: campgrounds beside the beach
Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay National Park has 75 beachside sites booked through NSW National Parks, where park entry fees can be paid at booking and fires are allowed in off-the-ground braziers only. On Stockton Bight, camping in the Worimi Conservation Lands is allowed only at the Ganyamalbaa camping area, which is booked in advance. Camping anywhere else there, including sleeping in a vehicle on the beach, is not permitted, and the beach vehicle permit is a separate cost.
At Cape Conran Coastal Park in Victoria, Binn Beach, Gunnai Beach and Pearl Point are non-bookable and first come, first served, with fires only in designated fireplaces. Banksia Bluff, in the same park, is the bookable campground, but Parks Victoria says it is temporarily closed, with reopening expected before summer 2026/27.
- Diamond Head: book online
- Stockton Bight: Ganyamalbaa only
- Cape Conran: three non-bookable camps
South Australia and Western Australia
South Australian national parks charge camping fees that must be paid before you arrive. Coffin Bay National Park has designated campgrounds, most reachable only by 4WD, and Black Springs has eight sites within 50 metres of the beach. Some beaches ban camping altogether: on Yorke Peninsula, overnight camping and large camping vehicles are not permitted on Wauraltee Beach, and a $315 fine plus a $102 victims of crime levy may apply.
In Western Australia, Explore Parks WA says camping on the Nyinggulu (Ningaloo) Coastal Reserves is permitted in designated campgrounds only, and points to Park Stay WA for bookings. Tropical Cyclone Narelle damaged campgrounds along the Ningaloo coast in 2026, so check the DBCA alerts for closures before you book.
- Wauraltee Beach: no camping
- Ningaloo: designated sites only
- Check Park Stay WA closures
Tasmania and the Northern Territory
Camping in the Bay of Fires Conservation Area is permitted only in designated campgrounds such as Swimcart and Seatons Cove. Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania says these campgrounds are free, need no booking, and have a maximum stay of four weeks.
In the Northern Territory, the NT Parks Booking System says non-residents need a Visitor Pass to reserve a campsite, and residents must still book and pay for camping. Crocodiles shape where you pitch: the NT Government says to camp at least 50 metres from the water's edge and to swim only in signposted designated swimming areas, not at Top End beaches.
- Bay of Fires: free, no booking
- Four weeks at most
- NT: 50 metres from the water
What to do instead
If the beach you want bans camping, camp behind it. On Yorke Peninsula, the council's Wauraltee Bush Campground sits behind the beach, with unpowered sites from $20 a night and a permit bought on the council's website. In NSW, Ganyamalbaa is the camping option on Stockton Bight.
For a first-come night with no booking, Cape Conran in Victoria and the Bay of Fires in Tasmania are the sites checked here. Arrive in daylight and have a booked site as a second choice, because non-bookable campgrounds can fill.
- Camp behind the beach
- Have a booked backup
- Arrive in daylight
Check this rule at the place in AussieCamps
Each coastal campground has a place page in AussieCamps with the facilities, fees and rules the park agency publishes, so the agency's own notes on a beach site stay in your pocket. The app lists 1,838 campgrounds and 745 national parks; a collection keeps the beaches you are weighing and a trip lines them up along the coast. Stored details open with no coverage, but the map, routing, weather and photos need a connection. It is an iPhone app.
It does not replace the official rule. Confirm with the land manager whether a beach zone is open and what permit it needs, and check the park alerts before you travel.
- iPhone only
- Rules from the park agency
- Confirm with the land manager
Places along the way
Check before you go
Rules and conditions change. Recheck the official source and the page for your exact park or campground before departure.
- Queensland Parks: K'gari camping permits and requirements
- Queensland Parks: Teewah Beach camping area, Cooloola
- Queensland Parks: Captain Billy Landing camping area
- NSW National Parks: Diamond Head campground
- Worimi Conservation Lands: Ganyamalbaa Beach Camping Area
- Parks Victoria: camping in Cape Conran Coastal Park
- South Australia Department for Environment and Water: beach driving and Wauraltee Beach
- NPWS South Australia: Coffin Bay National Park
- Explore Parks WA: Nyinggulu (Ningaloo) Coastal Reserves
- Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania: Bay of Fires camping
- NT Government: Be Crocwise, crocodiles and me
- NT Parks Booking System: passes and camping
Common questions
Can I sleep on the beach in a swag or tent in Australia?+
Only at a campground or camping zone the land manager has set aside. On Stockton Bight in NSW, camping is allowed only at the booked Ganyamalbaa camping area, and on Wauraltee Beach in South Australia overnight camping, including swags and tents, is not permitted.
Can I camp on a beach in a national park without booking?+
Sometimes. The Bay of Fires campgrounds in Tasmania and Binn Beach, Gunnai Beach and Pearl Point at Cape Conran in Victoria take no bookings. In Queensland you need a camping permit bought before you set up camp, and Ningaloo Coast campsites in WA are booked through Park Stay WA.
Is beach camping free in Australia?+
Rarely. The Bay of Fires campgrounds in Tasmania are free and need no booking, but the Queensland, NSW and South Australian beach campgrounds above need a paid permit or booking. Check the camping fees guide for the state you are visiting.
Is it safe to camp on a beach in northern Australia?+
Not near the water's edge in crocodile country. The Northern Territory Government says to camp at least 50 metres from the water's edge, and to swim only in signposted designated swimming areas, not at Top End beaches.
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