Free Camping in Western Australia 2026: 24-Hour Rest Stops, Shire Camps and the Law

Why WA is stricter

Western Australia's caravan park and camping ground rules treat camping as something that happens in a licensed park or camping ground. Camping anywhere else without approval risks an offence, whether the land belongs to the state, a shire or a farmer. That rules out the easy forest camping of New South Wales and Victoria.

What is left is still plenty for a road trip: signed overnight rest stops, approved shire camps, private land with permission, and national park campgrounds at a low fee. The trick is knowing which kind of stop you are at before you set up.

Rest areas: the 24-hour rule

Main Roads WA allows no overnight stop at a rest area unless a sign says you can, and where one does, the stay must not exceed 24 consecutive hours. Main Roads also says its rest areas are not intended for camping, so keep to the vehicle, skip the awning and move on the next day.

On the long highways north, the North West Coastal and the Great Northern, overnight rest areas are the backbone of a budget trip, often with a shelter, a toilet and space for vans. Road trains use them too, so keep the heavy-vehicle bays clear and park well away from the trucks that start before dawn.

Shire camps and station stays

Some shires run their own free or low-cost camping areas for travellers, beside a river, a beach or the edge of town, each with its own stay limit and conditions. They change often, so ask the shire or the visitor centre, and pay attention to the sign at the gate.

Station stays are a distinctly WA option. Pastoral properties open camping areas to travellers for a fee, and on remote stretches they can be the only stop between towns. Confirm the price, payment and road access with the station before you arrive.

Private land and farm stays

On private land, the owner's permission covers a stay of up to 5 nights, and a longer stay also needs local government approval. Ask before you pull in, even on a quiet back road, and leave gates as you found them.

Farm stays and paddock camps often charge a small fee and come with a hot shower or a fire pit, which can be a better night than a highway rest stop. Agree the price and what is included before you set up.

When free runs out: cheap park camps

National park campgrounds cost $10 an adult at sites without facilities, $15 with basic facilities and $20 with more, and children aged 5 and under camp free. Many are booked through Park Stay WA up to 180 days ahead, while first come campgrounds take cash or a self-registration envelope.

Some parks charge vehicle entry on top, such as $17 a standard vehicle at Karijini and Cape Range, so an All Parks Pass at $130 a year pays for itself quickly on a run up the coast.

Distance, water and the seasons

The gaps are what make WA different. Plan each night within your fuel range, carry water for several extra days, and keep a second stop in mind in case a rest area is full or a campground is closed.

The north is best in the dry season, roughly May to October, and the cyclone season runs from November to April. In the south-west, many parks stop campfires from about 1 December to 31 March, and firewood collection is banned in national parks, so bring a gas stove.

Find overnight stops in AussieCamps

AussieCamps maps 260 Western Australian park campgrounds and 238 public dump points, with each place's facilities and fees as the agency publishes them. You can filter by cost and build a trip with ordered stops and the driving distance for each leg, which shows the long gaps before you leave.

Place details are saved on the phone for use without signal, which matters on WA's empty stretches. The map, routing and weather need a connection, and AussieCamps runs on iPhone.

Places along the way