Every state runs its own parks, its own booking website and its own fee structure. A booking habit that works in Victoria can get you a fine in Queensland, and a NSW annual pass means nothing at a Tasmanian park gate. This guide sets out how each system works as at the date at the top of the page. Fees change every financial year, so treat the numbers as a guide and confirm in the booking system itself.
The pattern across Australia
Three things are worth knowing before the state detail:
- Camping fees and park entry fees are separate. Several states charge to bring a vehicle into some parks, and a separate fee to camp. An annual park pass almost never covers camping.
- Booking rules are set per campground. Even within one state, some campgrounds must be booked, some are first in, first served, and a few are free with no booking at all. The campground’s own page is the authority.
- Popular sites go fast. Coastal and school holiday dates in NSW, Victoria and Queensland often book out within hours of opening. If your dates are fixed, find out when bookings open and be ready.
New South Wales
Who runs it: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), through the bookings section of nationalparks.nsw.gov.au.
How booking works: you book a specific campground, and often a specific site, online or through the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757. Many campgrounds must be booked ahead; some smaller or remote ones are first in, first served with on-site payment or are free. Each campground page shows which applies.
Camping fees: set per campground. There is no flat statewide rate, and some campgrounds add a booking fee. NPWS has consulted on a tiered fee system, but as at our check date the official project page still described those changes as proposed, so use the price shown in the booking flow.
Vehicle entry: 45 of the more than 890 parks and reserves charge a vehicle entry fee. It is per vehicle, not per person, and walkers and cyclists enter free. Day passes are generally $4, $8 or $12, except Kosciuszko, where a pass runs for 24 hours and costs more, with a higher rate in the ski season.
Annual passes: four types, valid one or two years:
| Pass | 1 year | 2 years | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Parks | $190 | $335 | All 45 fee-collecting parks, including Kosciuszko |
| Multi Parks | $65 | $115 | All except Kosciuszko |
| Country Parks | $45 | $75 | 34 country parks; excludes Sydney parks and Kosciuszko |
| Single Park | $22 | $40 | One nominated country park |
Annual passes cover vehicle entry only, not camping fees. They do not apply at Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay, which is run jointly by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and Parks Australia, or at Worimi Conservation Lands, which needs a beach vehicle permit.
Browse NSW sites on our NSW campsites page.
Victoria
Who runs it: Parks Victoria, through its online booking system or Parks Victoria customer service on 13 1963.
How booking works: Parks Victoria has a set of bookable campgrounds, and online bookings are paid in full when you book, by credit card. Bookings open in large blocks rather than on a rolling basis: the window for 1 March 2027 to 30 June 2027 opened at 10am on 28 September 2026, staggered over three days. Watch for these release dates if you want summer or Easter at a popular coastal park.
Fees: half-price fees apply at 131 bookable campgrounds from 1 July 2025 for two years. One vehicle per vehicle-accessible site is included, with a nightly charge for extra vehicles. Concession and school rates exist; the schedule lists them by campground.
Changes and refunds: bookings cannot be transferred to another person. You can move a booking to another date or campground for free through the online portal up to 48 hours before arrival. If the new booking costs less, the difference is not refunded.
Free sites: many smaller campgrounds are free and not bookable. Examples include Red Bluff, Spoon Bay and Shoreline Drive in Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park, and the river flats of the Howqua Hills. Arrive early on long weekends.
Most Victorian parks have no vehicle entry fee, but alpine resorts are run separately and charge their own entry fees. Check the park page.
Browse Victorian sites on our VIC campsites page.
Queensland
Who runs it: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service (book.parks.qld.gov.au).
How booking works: this is the strictest system in the country. You must book and pay for a camping permit before you arrive, at every QPWS camping area, including state forests and recreation areas. You cannot simply turn up and pay later. Bookings open up to 12 months ahead, and QPWS suggests at least six weeks ahead for popular areas in holidays. You do not need an account before your first booking. Many areas allocate sites on arrival rather than letting you pick one.
Show your tag: your permit arrives by email with a camping tag. Print it and display it on your tent or vehicle as soon as you set up. If you cannot print, QPWS accepts the permit number, camping area, dates, number of people, surname and vehicle registration written on paper in a clear waterproof bag.
Fees from 1 July 2026:
- $7.75 per person per night
- $31.00 per family per night (one or two adults and their children under 18, up to eight people)
- $4.25 per person per night on approved educational excursions
- Children under five are free
So three adults and five children pay one family rate plus one adult: $38.75 a night.
Vehicle access permits: separate permits are needed to drive on Bribie Island, K’gari, Cooloola, Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) and Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) recreation areas.
Tasmania
Who runs it: Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania.
Park pass first: a valid parks pass is required to enter all Tasmanian national parks, whether or not you camp. Current prices include a daily vehicle pass at $47.70 (up to eight people), a holiday pass covering all parks for up to two months at $95.50 per vehicle, and an annual all-parks pass at $101.70. The daily pass excludes Cradle Mountain, which has its own shuttle-inclusive pass. Prices are indexed to CPI each year.
Camping: most Parks and Wildlife campgrounds are not bookable and work on a first come, first served basis, with fees paid at a machine, a self-registration box or a visitor centre. Fees are low or nil: Mount Field charges $7 for two people on an unpowered site, while Ben Lomond and Friendly Beaches (Isaacs Point) are free. Some sites cap stays, such as 14 nights at Isaacs Point. Multi-day walks such as the Overland Track have their own booking and fee system.
Tip: at first-in campgrounds with a 10am checkout, arriving mid-morning gives the best chance of a site.
South Australia
Who runs it: National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia, through parks.sa.gov.au.
How booking works: campsites must be booked and paid for online before you arrive, up to 12 months ahead. Where a park charges vehicle entry, it is generally included with a campsite booking, with Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island a notable exception. Book before you lose mobile coverage, since many SA parks have none.
Western Australia
Who runs it: Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), through Park Stay WA.
How booking works: bookable campgrounds can be reserved up to 180 days ahead on Park Stay WA, and park entry fees can be paid during the booking. Campgrounds that are not bookable take payment on site, often in cash, so carry some. WA has park entry fees at many parks, and annual and holiday passes are available.
Northern Territory and ACT
In the Northern Territory, parks are run by the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT, with Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta run jointly with Traditional Owners by Parks Australia. Both have their own booking and pass arrangements. In the ACT, camping in Namadgi and Tidbinbilla is booked through ACT Parks. Check the agency page for each before you go, since we have not listed fees we could not verify on the check date.
Booking tips that work everywhere
- Book the campground before the car hire or ferry. It is usually the scarcest thing.
- Read the site size and vehicle limits. A site booked for a tent may not take a camper trailer.
- Count people correctly. Queensland and many NSW campgrounds charge or cap by person, and rangers do check.
- Save permits offline. Download or print the confirmation before you leave coverage.
- Check alerts the day before. Fire, flood and storm closures can cancel a booking at short notice, and agencies generally refund or move bookings they cancel.
- Cancel if you cannot go. Someone else is usually waiting for the site.
Looking for somewhere to start? Our campsite directory lists national park, state forest and other campgrounds by state and region.
Sources
Checked 31 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the land manager before you go.
- NSW National Parks, Annual pass FAQs
- NSW National Parks, Fee collecting national parks
- NSW National Parks, Day passes
- Parks Victoria, Booking information
- Parks Victoria, Fees and charges schedule 2025-26 to 2026-27 (PDF)
- Parks Victoria, Camping in Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park
- Queensland Parks, Camping bookings and fees
- Queensland Parks, Camping fees from 1 July 2026 (PDF)
- Queensland National Parks Booking Service, customer user guide (PDF)
- Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania, Park passes and entry fees
- Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania, Mount Field camping
- National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia, Book and pay FAQs
- Explore Parks WA, Online campsite bookings FAQs