The first night of a long trip sets the tone. Leave Sydney after work or after a slow morning of packing, and you want somewhere within a few hours where you can pull in, set up without fuss and have a hot shower before the real driving starts.
The good
- Just a few hours from Sydney, a good first stop on the way west
- Hot showers and flush toilets
- Enclosed camp kitchen with gas cooktops and free barbecues
- Walking tracks and gorge lookouts from the campground
- Plenty of kangaroos, and possums after dark
- Not busy: no one next to us
The not-so-good
- No campfires allowed
- $24 a night is steep for a national park campground
- Lots of flies in summer
Bungonia Campground was that place for us. We stayed over the last Christmas break, on our way across to Adelaide. It’s just a few hours outside Sydney, which makes it a good stop when you’re travelling west towards the NSW outback.
About Bungonia Campground
Bungonia Campground sits inside Bungonia National Park, about a 30 minute drive from Goulburn. It’s run by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and has 71 unpowered, unmarked sites that suit tents, camper trailers, caravans and vehicle-based camping like our rooftop tent.
For a national park campground, it’s very well equipped: flush toilets, hot showers, drinking water, free barbecues and a fully enclosed camp kitchen. What it doesn’t have is campfires. Wood fires are not allowed anywhere in the campground.
Quick facts
- AddressBungonia Campground, Lookdown Road, Bungonia National Park, Bungonia NSW 2580, Australia
- Phone reception:Patchy
- Facilities:Flush ToiletsHot ShowersDrinking WaterCamp KitchenGas BBQsPicnic TablesCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessWheelchair AccessWalking TrailsNo CampfiresNo Pets
- Good to know:71 unpowered sitesCheck-in 2 pm, check-out 10 amGoulburn 30 min away
- Fees:$24 per night$8 daily park entry
- 8.8/10Overall rated
- Book via NSW National Parks
Bungonia Campground and Surroundings
The campground is laid out along a loop road through open eucalypt bushland. The sign at the entrance shows three camping areas, called Greater Keyhole, Lesser Keyhole and the Pumphouse Section, with the camp kitchen and the main amenities block in the middle of the loop.
The sites themselves are flat gravel pads set back from the road, separated by bollards and patches of scrub. They aren’t numbered or marked out, so you pick a pad that suits your setup. We parked the Prado on one, rolled out the awning and had the table and chairs up within a few minutes.
It wasn’t busy at all when we were there. There were just a few cars and campers spread across quite a large area, so we had no one next to us, even in the Christmas break.
The park around the campground is known for its gorge, and the walks start right here. From the campground you have direct access to the 6.7 km Green Track loop, Adams Lookout and The Lookdown, which looks out over the massive Bungonia Creek gorge. More strenuous tracks like the Red Track descend deep into the gorge and are for experienced hikers.
We didn’t have time for any of them on this trip, with the long drive to Adelaide still ahead of us, so the walks are on the list for next time. If you can, stay a second night and give yourself a day for the lookouts.
There’s plenty of wildlife. Kangaroos are all around the campground, and after dark the possums turn up and roam between the sites. Two of them came sniffing around the back of our car, close enough to photograph. Keep your food packed away at night.
Getting There and Accessibility
Bungonia National Park is a few hours’ drive from Sydney and about 30 minutes from Goulburn. For anyone heading west or south-west out of Sydney, towards the NSW outback or on to Adelaide like we were, it’s only a short detour off the main route, which is what makes it such a handy first night.
The road is sealed all the way into the national park and through the campground loop, so you don’t need a 4WD to get here. Caravans and camper trailers are fine too.
From the village of Bungonia you follow Lookdown Road to the park entrance. Stop at the park office to register and check the notices, then drive past the office and take the first left. The campground is about 500 m along that road.
The campground is in a remote spot, so arrive well prepared. Do your shopping and fill up with fuel before you turn off the highway.
Practical Tips and Facilities
Booking and fees. You have to book your site ahead through NSW National Parks, online or by phone. We paid $24 per night. That’s steeper than other basic national park campgrounds, but you get a hot shower in return. Fees depend on the season: off-peak rates are typically $7 per adult and $3.50 per child per night, with higher rates in peak holiday periods like the Christmas break. On top of that there’s a park entry fee of $8 per vehicle per day, which you pay at the ticket machines in the park. Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out is by 10 am, and there’s a 3 week maximum stay.
Camp kitchen. In the middle of the campground is a fully enclosed camp kitchen with gas cooktops, free barbecues, hot and cold water, stainless steel benches, tables and chairs. It even has gas heating for the winter months. There are more barbecue shelters around the loop, some with a rainwater tank beside them.
Toilets and showers. The amenities block has flush toilets and hot showers, with a row of sinks under the roof outside. There’s designated accessible parking and a ramp up to the camp kitchen. Each shower cubicle has a bench and a dry area for your clothes, and after a day on the road the hot water is very welcome.
Water. The tap water in the campground is drinkable. Supplies can be limited, so bring some extra with you.
Rubbish. There’s a row of bins just on the way out of the campground, general waste and recycling, so it’s easy to get rid of your waste as you leave.
Phone reception. Reception is really patchy here. Download your maps and send your messages before you leave the highway.
Flies. When we were there in December, there were a lot of flies around. If you’re going in the summer months, make sure to bring a fly head net. It makes sitting outside and cooking a lot more pleasant.
No fires, no generators, no pets. Wood and solid fuel fires are not permitted, and you can’t collect firewood. Cook on the barbecues provided or on your own gas stove. Generators aren’t allowed, pets aren’t allowed in the national park, and it’s quiet time after 10 pm.
Summary: Is Bungonia Campground Worth It?
Yes. Bungonia Campground is an easy, comfortable place to spend a night or two: a sealed road in, flat gravel sites, hot showers and a proper camp kitchen, all in quiet bushland a few hours from Sydney. As a first stop on a long drive west, it worked really well for us, and with the gorge walks on the doorstep it deserves more than the one night we gave it. The trade-offs are that you can’t have a campfire, $24 a night is on the steep side, reception is patchy, and in summer the flies are out in force, so pack a head net.
An easy, well-equipped national park campground a few hours from Sydney, and a good first stop on the way west.
- 4WD tourers
- Rooftop tents
Yes. At $24 a night it’s steeper than other basic national park campgrounds, but you get a hot shower, a camp kitchen and drinking water in return. Remember the $8 park entry fee per vehicle on top.
Recommended Gear for Bungonia Campground
With no campfires allowed, your cooking setup matters more here than at most bush camps. The camp kitchen and barbecues cover a lot, but your own stove means you can cook at your site: see our best camping stoves and the rest of our camp kitchen reviews.
Without a fire to sit around, good camping lighting makes the evening, and a couple of comfortable camping chairs and a camp table turn a gravel pad into a camp. Generators aren’t permitted, so if you run a fridge, a battery setup from our off-grid power reviews will see you through.
