12 Best Free and Low-Cost Camps in Tasmania (Tried & Tested)
Tasmania suits small-rig travellers willing to skip the powered sites and the overpriced Big4s. The state has $10-a-night recreation grounds, free Hydro lakeside camps and council-run sports clubs. By using them, you can spend a month on the island without your budget collapsing. Below are twelve sites we’ve personally stayed at, each one chosen for what it delivers in vibe, position and/or value.
We are really impressed by the off-grid camping opportunities in Tasmania. All other Australian states should learn from Tasmania.
This is not a ranked order. We have listed them by geographic location, starting in Sheffield and then moving west and clockwise.
After the list there is a map indicating the location of each camp.
1. Sheffield Campground ($10 per night)
After getting off the ferry in Devonport, a sensible option is the 27 km drive south to Sheffield. The recreation ground is in the shadow of Mount Roland and has about 15 unmarked sites for $10 per night. The fee is paid in cash to the caretaker who comes around in the early evening. It’s self-contained only with potable water and a dump point on site. It’s an easy stroll into town for the murals, a pub feed or a fresh-produce restock. Arrive before lunch in peak season, as it fills up fast.
Sheffield is the “Town of Murals” with over 200 outdoor artworks plastered across heritage buildings and laneways. The main street has cafes, galleries and a well-stocked IGA for restocking after the ferry. The 1,234 m summit hike up Mt Roland from Gowrie Park is a serious 4 – 6 hour return walk with 360-degree views from Bass Strait to Cradle Mountain. Day trips include Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot, and the King Solomon Cave system at Mole Creek.
For details of what there is to do in Sheffield, see our Sheffield Guide.
Campground review: Sheffield Campground
Included on: Launceston to Stanley Road Trip.
2. Little Pine Lagoon Campground (free)
Little Pine Lagoon is a free, no-facilities camp on the edge of a fly-fishing lagoon near Miena. It is at an elevation of over 1,000 m in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. There are about 15 sites of varying levelness, marked with rock lines, and you’ll need to be fully self-contained because there’s no toilet, water or power. The setting is exceptional in good weather but completely exposed to the elements, with snow possible even in summer, so check the forecast before you commit. March flies and mosquitoes are the only company you’re guaranteed.
The lagoon is the headline attraction: it’s one of Tasmania’s classic fly-fishing waters, and boating is permitted, so anglers can launch straight from camp. Miena and the broader Great Lake region is a short drive away with more trout fisheries and alpine plateau drives along the Highland Lakes Road. This is high-country territory for travellers who want stillness, big skies and solitude they can’t get on the coast.
Campground review: Little Pine Lagoon Campground
Included on: Central Highlands Tasmania.
3. Myalla Recreation Ground ($10 per night)
If you want a quiet $10 base for exploring Rocky Cape, Table Cape and Boat Harbour, Myalla delivers exactly that and not much more. It’s a small site on the perimeter of a disused cricket field with about five spaced sites on flat grass. There are no facilities and a clear self-contained-only rule (no grey water on the ground). We stayed two nights and shared the camp with one other van on one of them, which says it all about the vibe. Pay $10 in the supplied envelope and into the strongbox or at the Wonders of Wynyard visitor centre.
The location puts you within easy reach of three of the north-west’s best coastal headlands. Rocky Cape National Park has Aboriginal cave sites and short cliff-top walks with sweeping Bass Strait views; Table Cape is famous for its lighthouse and the seasonal tulip fields that flower in spring. Boat Harbour Beach has some of the whitest sand and clearest water on the Tasmanian coast. Wynyard is a 17 km drive east for fuel, supplies and the tulip-season action.
Campground review: Myalla Recreation Ground
Included on: Launceston to Stanley Road Trip.
4. Stanley Recreational Campground ($15 per night)
Camped 800 m from central Stanley with The Nut looming over the site, this is one of the best-positioned low-cost stops in the north-west. Around 50 unmarked sites are spread across a flat, mostly grassy area with water taps and a dump point but no toilets, so self-containment is non-negotiable. The fee is now $15 per night collected each evening by a caretaker. The ground is a touch bumpy so reverse in slowly. It’s the natural endpoint of a Launceston to Stanley road trip and a logical starting point for the Tarkine Drive.
The Nut is the obvious draw. It is a 152 m flat-topped volcanic plug that you can either tackle on foot via the steep walking track or take the chairlift up. At the top there is a circuit with views in every direction (for more details see Best Walks in Tasmania). Stanley is a well-preserved fishing village with seasonal little penguins, historical sites and Highfield Historic Site on the headland. The waters of Bass Strait offer swimming and fishing, and from here you’re within striking distance of the Tarkine rainforests to the south.
Campground review: Stanley Recreational Campground
Included on: Launceston to Stanley Road Trip and Tarkine Drive Itinerary.
5. Lake Gairdner Camping Area (free)
This free Hydro Tasmania-managed camp on a high-country lake near Moina is one of the best bases for Cradle Mountain. It is just 27 km from the national park information centre. The campground has about 17 informal grassy sites with no facilities, so an onboard toilet is mandatory. Platypus appear in the lake at dawn and dusk. The last 4 km in on Moina Road is unsealed but was in good condition during our two visits. It’s popular for good reason: arrive before lunch or expect to be turned around.
Cradle Mountain National Park is the headline act, with Dove Lake circuit walks, the famous Overland Track trailhead and serious alpine hikes all within 30 minutes’ drive. Closer to camp, the Champagne Falls and Bridal Veil Falls walk and the climb up Bell Mount give you Tasmanian wilderness without leaving the local area. Trout fishing and kayaking on the calm hydro waters are also on offer, and platypus-spotting at dusk is a good way to end the day.
For details of what to do at Cradle Mountain during your visit, see our Cradle Mountain Guide.
Campground review: Lake Gairdner Camping Area
Included on: West Coast Tasmania Road Trip.
6. Strahan Golf Club Campground ($15 per night)
Five minutes from the Gordon River Cruises and much cheaper than Strahan’s commercial parks, the golf club camp gives you 25-plus unmarked sites on grass. It has potable water, a clubhouse toilet and meal nights when the bar opens at 4pm. It’s $15 per night via the registration booth at the front of the clubhouse, with a 7-night maximum. The west coast gets serious rainfall so the ground can turn boggy, and some of the tree-lined sites have awkward vegetation to navigate around, but the trade-off is community-supported camping at a fraction of the commercial rate.
Strahan is the base for Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River, with cruise operators running daily trips into Tasmania’s south-west World Heritage wilderness and the historical convict ruins on Sarah Island. The town is a working fishing port with seafood straight off the trawlers, the West Coast Wilderness Railway connecting to Queenstown and Henty Dunes for a windswept dune walk just up the coast. Ocean Beach has Tasmania’s longest stretch of surf-pounded sand for sunset walks.
Campground review: Strahan Golf Club Campground
Included on: West Coast Tasmania Road Trip.
7. Mount Field National Park Campground ($16 – $20 per night)
At the park entrance, this national park site is great value. It has 71 sites of which 16 powered ones. It has full facilities including hot showers ($2 for three minutes via tokens), laundry and toilets. Unpowered are $16 for two adults, and powered $20, plus you’ll need a national park pass (the two-month Holiday Pass is the smart buy for most visitors). Pricing for extra people is included in our full review. It fills by midday in peak season; we got the second-to-last spot arriving at 10:30 am. The Three Falls Circuit starts right from camp, with Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barron Falls in a 6 km loop.
Mount Field is Tasmania’s oldest national park (along with Freycinet National Park), and covers a wide range of landscapes in a small area. From camp, you can walk among towering swamp gums (some of the tallest hardwoods on earth) and ancient fern forest, then drive up to Lake Dobson for alpine tarns, glacial cirques and (in winter) snowfields and a small ski tow. The Gordon River Road continues west for further day trips, including the steep but rewarding Needles Track for views over the south-west wilderness.
Campground review: Mount Field National Park Campground
Included on: West Coast Tasmania Road Trip.
8. Gillams Beach Campground (free)
Gillams Beach is a free site spread across two clearings in the Recherche Nature Recreation Area south of Dover. The site doesn’t require self-containment thanks to a clean, well-stocked drop toilet in the northern area. There are about 18 unmarked sites on uneven grass right across the road from the beach. The site has tank water (boil before drinking), and above-ground fires are permitted if you bring your own fire pit and firewood. The last 13 km are unsealed with potholes, so drive carefully. This is the southernmost camp in our network and a base for Cockle Creek, South West Bay and Fishery Point walks.
Gillams Beach is at the very tail end of the Australian road network here, with the Recherche Bay coastline just across the track for swimming, fishing and beachcombing. Walks to South West Bay and Fishery Point lead through coastal bushland to quiet beaches, and kayaking the local rivers and inlets is peaceful. Cockle Creek and the official end-point of Australia’s southernmost road are a short drive away, where the South Coast Track heads off into Southwest National Park for serious multi-day walkers.
Campground review: Gillams Beach Campground
Included on: Southern Tasmania & Bruny Island.
9. Nubeena Ex-Servicemen’s Club ($10 per night)
For $10 per night on the Tasman Peninsula, the Nubeena Ex-Servicemen’s Club gives you eight level grassy bays in three fenced groups. Toilets and a shower are supplied when the club is open from Wednesday to Sunday. It’s 1.2 km from the centre of Nubeena along a beautiful bay walk, and the club does meals and drinks if you time it right. Self-containment, including greywater, is strictly required (some campers have abused this and risked the facility being shut down). It’s a logical alternative to the busier parks closer to Port Arthur.
The Tasman Peninsula has plenty of day trips, with the Port Arthur Historic Site a 20-minute drive away for a half-day exploration of Australia’s most significant convict ruins. Closer to camp you’ve got Roaring Beach for surfing, White Beach for calm swimming and the Cape Raoul and Shipstern Bluff walks for serious hikers. The Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen and the Blowhole are all within easy reach as a coastal sightseeing loop.
Campground review: Nubeena Ex-Servicemen’s Club
Included on: Hobart to St Helens Road Trip.
10. Triabunna Self-Contained Camping ($10 per night)
If you’re heading to Maria Island, this is where you park the van. Located next to the Maria Island ferry in central Triabunna, it’s a relaxed $10-a-night fenced grassy camp with about 12 unmarked sites and no facilities (although grey water can be discharged on the ground). The pub is across the road, the shops are an easy walk, and fees go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service when paid at the takeaway shop on the corner of Charles and Vicary Streets. We left the van here while we spent a night on Maria Island, and it was perfectly secure.
Maria Island is the obvious reason to stay, with the ferry departing literally across the road. The island is a car-free national park packed with wombats, Forester kangaroos, Cape Barren geese and the spectacular Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs walks (rented bicycles or your own legs are the only way around). Back on the mainland, the Triabunna fishing port gives you fresh seafood off the boats, and the Spiky Bridge convict-built stone bridge is a short drive north towards Swansea.
Campground review: Triabunna Self-Contained Camping
Included on: Hobart to St Helens Road Trip.
11. Freycinet Golf Club ($20 per night)
Known locally as “Fairways”, this $20 per night community-run camp is 6 km north-west of Coles Bay. It has 15 level grassy sites, including five drive-throughs in the centre of the loop. Self-containment is required, but the clubhouse toilet was open during our stay (a 500 m walk from the camping area), and rubbish bins are provided. We left the van here for an overnight walk into Freycinet National Park and had no concerns about security. Despite its proximity to the Coles Bay Road, it’s quiet at night, and the fee has crept up from $15 recently, so check the registration hut at the front of the area on arrival.
You’re 10 minutes from the Freycinet National Park entrance and the trailhead for the Wineglass Bay Lookout, one of Australia’s most photographed coastal views. The park has the granite peaks of The Hazards, the Hazards Beach and Wineglass Bay circuit walk for a full-day hike, and the longer Peninsula Track for overnight walkers. Coles Bay has cafes, a bakery, fuel and a boat ramp for fishing or kayaking around Great Oyster Bay, with sea-eagle and dolphin sightings common.
Campground review: Freycinet Golf Club Campground
Included on: Hobart to St Helens Road Trip.
12. Dora Point Camping Area (free)
A free, fenced, 50-site camp in the Humbug Nature Reserve 13 km from St Helens. Dora Point is the natural finish for an east coast run and the obvious base for exploring the Bay of Fires. Sites range from small to large on flat black sand with reasonable shade for solar. Toilets are provided so self-containment isn’t required. You’ll need to carry all your own water and pack out all rubbish. Pets, tents and fires are permitted (outside fire ban periods). The maximum stay is 28 days, which is plenty of time to work through the Bay of Fires beaches.
The Bay of Fires stretches north from Binalong Bay for around 50 km, with white-sand beaches and the famous orange lichen-covered granite boulders that gave the area its reputation. Despite what many believe, the area name comes from early explorers seeing local Aboriginal people’s hunting fires along the coast, not the rocks. St Helens is the regional service hub with fuel, supplies and Tasmania’s east coast game-fishing fleet, and walks like the Skeleton Bay loop and Sloop Reef are scattered along the coast for short, scenic leg-stretchers.
Campground review: Dora Point Camping Area
Included on: Hobart to St Helens Road Trip.
Best Free and Low-Cost Camps in Tasmania Map
Below is a map showing the location of the camps. The number on the map correlates with the list numbers.
The Pattern
These twelve sites share a formula for cheap Tassie camping: rec grounds, golf clubs, ex-services clubs, Hydro lakes and nature reserves. None of them wants you for a fortnight (most cap stays at 4 – 7 nights), most demand self-containment and some of them fill before lunch in peak season. Carry water, an onboard toilet, a dump-point plan and arrive early. Do that, and a month in Tasmania at $10 – 20 a night is achievable.
On our last visit, we spent 66 nights in Tassie and $600 on accommodation. That is an average of $9.10 per night. The most we spent was $53 for a caravan park in Devonport (the only one we used), as we did a day sailing and arrived late.
For the routes that string these camps together, see our Tasmania Road Trip Guide.
