Finding Free Campsites

The cost of some campsites these days will dead-set bring a tear to your eye, which is not ideal if you’re trying to camp on a shoestring budget. The good news is there are still plenty of free camping options available; the hardest part is trying to find them. So where do you start?

Well, in my opinion, state forests are your new best friend. It’s very rare for a state forest to charge camping fees, so grab yourself a map and nab yourself cracking spot!

Crown land is another option, although it can be tricky to locate and even harder to access. Your best bet is to jump online and look up the Public Lands of Australia map.

Local knowledge is another big asset here. The general store, service station and local pub is bound to have a friendly character willing to give up the towns best kept secrets. Shout a local cocky a beer and you might even wind up on a working station with a free camp all to yourself!

If you’re not much of a chatter box, technology is a Godsend these days. Just search ‘free camps’ on Google and there are more sites listed than termites in an eight foot termite mound! If you’ve got a smart phone or tablet, there are a few applications that are worth their weight in gold. With thousands of listed campsites, apps like WikiCamps and Spaceships Travel (free) are absolute pearlers.

Mapping applications like Hema and Google Earth are also awesome for scoping the area out for clearings or possible campsites, then navigating directly to them!

And don’t discount places like showgrounds or reserves. Most towns have them, and many of them are free.