05 June 2024
9 mins Read
From adorable Airbnbs to stylish glampsites, Mudgee lays out a spread of incredible accommodation for travellers and revellers alike. But when it comes to more modest escapes that hero nature over luxury, you’ll also find plenty of places to camp out.
Read on for our round-up of caravan parks to plug in your motorhome, cabins to keep kids contained and entertained, and secluded, 4WD-only spots in picturesque national parks. No matter how barebones or facility-friendly you’d like your stay to be, there’s a humble slab, clearing or cabin ready to welcome you.
Best for: CBD convenience
Just a relaxed amble from the town centre, yet within easy cooee from Mudgee’s beautiful wineries, Mudgee Valley Park ticks boxes for laidback group get-togethers, family getaways or just a low-key minibreak. You’re welcomed here with warm country hospitality and ample amenities to keep you entertained, such as a swimming pool, playground, and games room. There’s also a camp kitchen and barbecue facilities for cooking up all those locally produced goodies you picked up at the farmer’s market, and a convenient kiosk and laundry facilities on site. Tents can be pitched or bed down in a cosy cabin. It’s basic, yes, but great bang for your buck.
Address: 2–8 Bell Street, Mudgee
Best for: The big easy
BIG4 Holiday Parks are the saving grace for campers who enjoy a smoother experience. There are affordable cabin options in addition to the site accommodation and the comfortable oasis comes with all the basic features we’ve come to expect from holiday parks.
Find amenities blocks, barbecues, a camp kitchen, board games, laundries with washing machines and dryers, a pool table, convenience store and much more.
The town centre is just minutes away, although with so many free activities, playgrounds, a seasonal kids’ club pool and colourful jumping pillow on offer in the park, it might just lose its appeal for families looking for the easiest – and most relaxing – option.
Address: 71 Lions Drive, Mudgee
Best for: Tranquill waterside surrounds
Owners Ian and Lynn Mitchell welcome you to Mudgee’s most centrally located tourist park, Mudgee Riverside Park. A beautiful shady haven on the edge of the CBD, this cosy spot is the perfect jumping-off point for all of Mudgee’s best attractions.
Whatever your need – a tent down by the river, caravan site, self-contained cabin or villa – Riverside has you covered.
There are powered and unpowered sites, a playground, laundry, camp kitchen and more. Dogs are allowed with permission on tent and powered sites.
Address: 22 Short Street, Mudgee
Best for: Rural relaxation
Bunk into one of the spacious and sweet one- or two-bedroom cabins surrounded by idyllic rural scenery at this well-maintained park just a 10-minute stroll to the centre of Gulgong. Or roll up in your camper trailer, motorhome or caravan (with your four-legged companion) to settle in for a relaxed stay at one of the large powered sites or pitch your tent at an unpowered site.
There’s a golf course within five minutes’ walk, should you like to swing your clubs, otherwise, get out into nature at the nearby Yarrobil National Park. A camp kitchen and barbecue area are there to share, as well as a basic amenities block.
Address: 8 Goolma Road, Gulgong
Best for: Waterside fun
Unfurling down to the banks of Windamere Dam, Cudgegong Waters Park is perhaps one of the prettiest places to park in the region. Keen anglers will rush to cast out for the dam’s resident golden perch, catfish and Murray cod, while boaties will be chuffed to find the only boat ramp access to the dam right in the park. You can also swim, kayak, canoe and water ski here, leaving little reason to stray too far, especially given there’s a cafe onsite serving up classics from croissants to pies and schnitzels every day of the week.
Accommodation-wise, there are powered and unpowered sites and self-contained cabins with access to kitchenettes, barbecues, amenities block, laundry and dump sites. In the cooler months, there are fire drums to huddle around as you gaze toward the pristine night sky. Dogs are also welcome at the outdoor sites.
Address: 1858 Cudgegong Road, Cudgegong
Best for: Serenity now
Folded within the World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park, the Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp Campground is a bush-hemmed paradise that perches by the water’s edge.
Formed in the 1920s, the waterway is man-made and the result of a nearby weir, however, it’s so blended into the landscape you’d never guess its origin story. Here, amid the scribbly gums and rock pergolas, wallabies sniff the morning air and water hens stalk the swamp’s edge.
Stay still and you might even glimpse secretive platypus and reclusive long-necked turtles. Glide out on a kayak or SUP, cast a line out or take a bushwalk in pursuit of birdlife. There are sites for tents, caravans and campervans and facilities are rudimentary, so you’ll need to bring your own drinking water, cooking water and firewood. But what it lacks in amenities, it more than pays back in serenity.
Address: Wollemi National Park
Best for: Country calm
Updates to the Rylstone Caravan Park have been in the works for a while and were completed in May 2024. Expect to be met with a fresh amenities block and other brand-spanking upgrades.
If you’re road-tripping or looking to travel sans pretension, this pretty spot just a 13-minute walk to the town’s high street welcomes with both powered and unpowered sites, camp kitchen and laundry.
Address: 5 Carwell Street, Rylstone
Best for: No frills but loads of thrills
Old Bara is the real deal for those seeking an authentic bush break. The 1100-acre cattle property provides oodles of space to park your van or pitch a tent.
There are amenity blocks onsite and water on-tap (drinking and other), but no showers, so be prepared for bush bathing only. It’s a small price to pay for immersion in nature with a range of wildlife going about their business unbothered by the occasional camper.
There are several walking and cycling tracks to explore on foot or two wheels or go for a swim in the creek. Kayaks and small boats are also welcome.
While the property is picturesque in its own right, the Picnic Spot is one of the most advantageous places to enjoy it. Situated at the top of the hill, sit back and enjoy a glass of wine while feasting on panoramic views of the surrounding valley.
Address: 631 Bara Road, Mudgee
Best for: Off-grid adventurers
If you have a 4WD and a penchant for sunsets, steer yourself to this beautifully rustic camping spot on the 140-acre working Hillsdale Farm. You’ll find a clearing near the dam with views of the valley and Mount Frome diverting your attention as you get to setting up camp.
With only one booking permitted at a time for a maximum of five people, this stay is for adventurers who relish off-grid privacy, but if you have a well-behaved pet, they’re welcome to share the solitude with you. Contemplate the night sky as you stoke your campfire and should you feel the pull to Mudgee’s vine delights, town is only 10 minutes away.
Address: Mudgee
Best for: 4WD fun
Folded into the bush at Turon National Park, a little over an hour from Mudgee, the Diggins is an anchor point for explorations into the surrounding bush.
Bring your lures, because the adjacent waters harbour trout that make for a fabulous dinner cooked over coals. Or, bring your mountain bike to test out the trails and your canoe for some gentle gliding.
You will need a 4WD and knowledge of how to manoeuvre it to get to one of the 20 campsites, but that’s all part of the fun. Once you arrive, you’ll find barbecue facilities and toilets, but you’ll need to bring all food, water and firewood.
Address: Turon National Park
Best for: Year-round retreats
Another place to pitch your tent in one of the region’s many spectacular parks, this one in Capertee National Park is set to the soundtrack of the mellifluous Capertee River.
There’s birdwatching, hiking and cycling to do here, as well as swimming in summer and cosying up by a campfire in winter.
You’ll find picnic tables, barbecues and toilets, as well as plenty of moments to connect to yourself and nature. Bring with you all food, drinking and cooking water, firewood and a willingness to detach from daily life.
Address: Capertee National Park
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