On the way back from Brisbane we took the inland route and stayed at Bellbird Campground in Washpool National Park. After Hat Head Holiday Park on the way up, this was the opposite: no reception, no power, just a big site with forest all around. It’s a very nice stop.
What we like
- Very spacious, private sites
- Forest between the sites
- Only $12.30 a night
- Firewood supplied
- Picnic shelter with gas BBQs
- Close to the Gwydir Highway
What we don’t
- No phone reception
- Boil the tank water
- Very dark if you arrive at night
About Bellbird CampgroundAbout
Bellbird is a national park campground in the World Heritage-listed rainforest of Washpool National Park, off the Gwydir Highway between Grafton and Glen Innes. It has 17 marked, unpowered sites, some for tents only and others for tents, trailers, campervans and small caravans.
It’s more off-grid than most stops along a highway. There’s no phone reception, and you drive a few minutes down a windy gravel road, sloping into a valley, to get there from the main road. You pay $12.30 per night, and a site takes up to six people.
Quick facts
- AddressBellbird Campground, Coachwood Drive, Washpool National Park, NSW, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionNo reception
- FacilitiesToiletsFire PitsBBQsPicnic TablesPicnic ShelterFirewoodTank WaterCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessWalking TrailsNo PowerNo Rubbish BinsNo Pets
- Good to knowFew minutes of gravelBoil the tank water85 km from Grafton
- Fees$12.30 per night
- 9.2/10Overall rated
- Book via NSW National Parks
The campsites
We arrived late at night and it was very dark, so we only really saw the place the next morning. The campground itself is quite open and nice, with wide gravel areas and tall forest around them. There were a few other campers around, but you’d hardly know it: the spots are very spacious and private, with forest in between.
Each site is marked, with a picnic table and room to park on the site, and you can have up to two vehicles plus a trailer as long as they all fit. If they don’t, there’s parking in the day use area. If you’re coming from the coast like us, try to get here before dark, as it’s a lot easier to pick your site.
Fires and cooking
There are fireplaces at the campground, and firewood is supplied, which is a real bonus at this price. The woodshed had plenty of split wood when we were there, and we had a fire going in the morning. Check for fire bans before you go, and bring a gas stove as well, especially in summer.
There’s also a paved picnic shelter with tables and free gas barbecues, so you can cook out of the rain.
Toilets and water
The toilets are non-flush, set back in the trees along a short path. There’s tank water with a tap and sink nearby, but it’s untreated, so boil or treat it before you drink it, or bring your own. There are no bins either, so take your rubbish with you.
Getting there
The turn-off is on the Gwydir Highway, 75 km from Glen Innes or 85 km from Grafton. From the highway, follow Coachwood Drive into the park and the signs to the picnic area and campgrounds. The last few minutes are a windy gravel road that slopes down into a valley, fine for a 2WD in all weather. Watch the turn-off if you’re arriving at night, as it’s very dark out here.
There’s no reception, so download anything you need before you come.
Walks around Bellbird
We didn’t do any walks ourselves, as we had other plans for the morning, but there are good ones close by, from a quick stroll to a half-day loop. An $8 per vehicle day fee applies at attractions in this part of the park.
- Granite Lookout
400 m
return, a quick stopAn easy stroll to views across the Washpool wilderness and its forested hills, as far as Wollumbin on a clear day.
- Coombadjha nature stroll
1.4 km
loop, 30 to 60 minThe easy one, from Coachwood Picnic Area through World Heritage rainforest. The first 400 m is bitumen, down to a platform over Coombadjha Creek, with a fern-fringed pool below that’s good for a swim.
- Washpool walking track
8.5 km
loop, 3 to 4 hoursThe big one, from Coombadjha campground and for experienced walkers. Ancient Gondwana rainforest, a huge stand of coachwood, waterfalls and lookouts, with satin bowerbirds and lyrebirds to look out for.
Glen Innes and the Australian Standing StonesGlen Innes
Instead of walking, we used the morning to make the one-hour drive to Glen Innes and check out the historic town. Its main street is lined with grand old buildings, and it’s a good place to stock up after a night without shops or reception.
Just outside the centre are the Australian Standing Stones, a monument to Celtic heritage in the town’s Centennial Parklands. Tall granite stones stand in a big circle on the hill, inspired by the Ring of Brodgar in Scotland, and it’s well worth a stop on the inland route.
Summary: Is Bellbird Campground Worth It?Summary
Yes. Bellbird Campground is a great off-grid stop on the road between the coast and the tablelands, only a few minutes off the Gwydir Highway. The spots are very spacious and private with forest in between, firewood is supplied, and it’s $12.30 a night. You won’t get reception, you need to boil the tank water, and it’s very dark if you arrive late, but that’s part of what makes it such a nice place to stop. The next morning, Glen Innes and the Standing Stones are only an hour away.
A quiet, off-grid stop in the forest with very spacious, private sites.
You won’t have reception and it’s very dark when you arrive at night, but the campground itself is open and nice. At $12.30 a night with firewood supplied, it’s a great stop on the inland route.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Travellers
Definitely. For $12.30 a night you get a big, private site in the forest, a fireplace with firewood supplied and a picnic shelter with gas barbecues. It’s only a few minutes off the Gwydir Highway.
Recommended Gear for Bellbird Campground
Bellbird has no power or reception, so a good power bank keeps your phones and lights going. Bring camping lighting too, as it gets very dark here, a water filter saves boiling the tank water, and a camping stove means you can still cook when there’s a fire ban.
