Camping information
- Camping in Whitsunday Islands National Park
- Dugong Beach, Whitsunday Island
- Nari's Beach, Whitsunday Island
- Joe's Beach, Whitsunday Island
- Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island
- Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island
- Peter Bay, Whitsunday Island
- Maureen's Cove, Hook Island
- Steens Beach, Hook Island
- Curlew Beach, Hook Island
- Crayfish Beach, Hook Island
- Northern Spit, Henning Island
Camping in Whitsunday Islands National Park
Whitsunday Islands National Park is a campers paradise. Photo: J Heitman.
Secluded beaches, fringing coral reefs and distinctive hoop pines complete the spectacular island picture. Camp among dry rainforest, grasses or above dense coral rubble that makes up the shore.
Camping permits are required and fees apply. A tag with your booking number must be displayed at your campsite.
Park-specific conditions
- Use gas or fuel stoves for cooking. Open fires and ash-producing stoves are not permitted on national park islands or intertidal lands adjacent to national park islands.
- Bring your own fresh water. Allow at least five litres a day per person.
Read more about staying safe and looking after the park.
Dugong Beach, Whitsunday Island
Camping at Dugong Beach. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: This site is suitable for larger groups, and has a good sandy beach backed by rainforest. A 1.5 km walking track through coastal rainforest connects to Sawmill Beach.
Location: Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island; approximately 17 km east-north-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only). There is protected anchorage, and access is best at mid to high tide.
Number of sites: 7 defined sites. Maximum of 36 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping; large groups.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilets, picnic tables, sheltered picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Nari's Beach, Whitsunday Island
Nari's Beach campground. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: Set under the rainforest canopy, tucked against a steep hill, this site has outstanding views of Cid Island.
Location: Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island; approximately 15 km east-north-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only). A reef line is close to shore with good access at mid-tide and plenty of anchorage.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 6 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Joe's Beach, Whitsunday Island
Joe's Beach campground. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: A secluded campsite and beach area with outstanding views of Cid and Molle islands. The fringing reef provides good snorkelling, and is exposed at low tide.
Location: Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island; approximately 17 km east-north-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only). There is protected anchorage, and access is best at mid to high tide.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island
View from Chance Bay campground. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: An elevated campground with excellent views extending across the sandy beach to Pentecost Island, the Lindeman Group and Cape Conway.
Location: South-east Whitsunday Island; approximately 27 km east-south-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) at mid to high tide. A good anchorage during northerly winds, access can be difficult during south-easterly winds.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island
Whitehaven Beach camp. Photo: J Heitman.
- Whitehaven Beach campground map. (PDF, 251K)*
Campground features: The dazzling white, pure silica sands of Whitehaven Beach are one of the best known Whitsunday drawcards. Campsites are nestled among lowland vine forest and eucalyptus woodland behind the beach.
Location: South-east Whitsunday Island; approximately 30 km east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) at all tides.
Number of sites: 7 defined sites including a large group camping area. Maximum of 36 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Hybrid toilets, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Peter Bay, Whitsunday Island
Campground features: Surrounded by mountains, this site has outstanding natural beauty with excellent views across the bay to Border and Dumbell islands. A large intertidal sand and rock flat is fed by a winding creek behind the beach.
Location: Eastern Whitsunday Island; approximately 23 km north-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) at high tide.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic table.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Maureen's Cove, Hook Island
Campground features: The bays of Hook Island offer some of the most beautiful fringing reefs with good diving and snorkelling opportunities. Maureen’s Cove is a coral rubble beach on the north of Hook Island. It provides uninterrupted views over the fringing reef out to the Coral Sea. A small creek meanders behind the campground to the bay, and beach vegetation such as pandanus and beach gardenias provide shelter.
Location: Northern Hook Island; approximately 35 km north-east of Airlie Beach.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) at mid to high tide.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 24 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Coral rubble.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Steens Beach, Hook Island
Steens Beach campground. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: Set in rainforest behind a sandy beach and overlooking Hayman Island, a small reef flat provides good snorkelling from this small camping area.
Location: Northern Hook Island; approximately 32 km north-east of Airlie Beach.
Access: The campground can be reached by shallow draft boat (only) at mid to high tide.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic table.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Curlew Beach, Hook Island
Curlew Beach campground. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: A sandy beach backed with rainforest and a small seasonal creek.
Location: Macona Inlet, Hook Island; approximately 17 km north-east of Airlie Beach.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) during mid to high tide by shallow craft only.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Available.
Crayfish Beach, Hook Island
Campground features: Crayfish Beach has outstanding physical beauty with an extensive fringing reef flat area. The campground is sheltered by a large rocky headland to the east, and mountains to the north and west. A seasonal creek feeds from the back of the campground to its sandy shore.
Location: Mackerel Bay, Hook Island; approximately 35 km north-north-east of Airlie Beach.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) during mid to high tide by shallow craft only.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 12 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilet.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Not available.
Northern Spit, Henning Island
Camping at Northern Spit. Photo: DERM.
Campground features: Pleasant sandy beach backed by closed forest canopy. The campground is set among native grasses and casuarinas overlooking Whitsunday and Hamilton islands.
Location: Northern side of Henning Island, approximately 15 km east-south-east of Shute Harbour.
Access: The campground can be reached by boat (only) at all tides.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Maximum of 18 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping.
Campsite surface: Sand and dirt.
Facilities: Composting toilets, picnic tables.
Open fires: Prohibited.
Generators: Not permitted.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent. Read more about things to know before you go.
Bookings: Book online, over-the-counter or by phone. Advance bookings recommended for holiday periods.
Mobile phone coverage: Available.
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 25 March 2011