The 2025 Guide to Camping in Byron Bay

UPDATED: 9 January 2025

Pack the esky, charge your head torch, and don’t forget the sunscreen – we’re going camping!  

But where should you stay? 

There are loads of great places for camping in Byron Bay, so this decision comes down to what you’re looking for. 

Do you want to stay close to the centre of town and not worry about traffic or parking? Or would you rather get away from it all? Are you travelling with your kids or bringing the doggo? Do you want to wake up to the sound of the ocean or stay somewhere budget-friendly?

Whatever your priority is, we’ve got the answer. We’ve pulled together all the best campsites and holiday parks in Byron Bay and listed them in order of distance from the centre of town*. You’ll find an overview of each place, what they’re ideal for, and the facilities they offer, plus useful information like how far away the nearest beach is.

Happy camping!

First Sun Holiday Park

💜 Best for staying right in the heart of town 

If camping close to the centre of Byron is what you’re after, you can’t get any closer than First Sun Holiday Park. The park is just steps away from Byron Bay’s bars, restaurants, and shops and fronts directly onto the stunning Wreck beach, which has an amazing snorkelling spot about 30 metres offshore. 

First Sun has a selection of cabins and lodges and several powered and unpowered sites for tents, campervans, caravans, and motorhomes. Its 15 waterfront powered sites aren’t suitable for tents, camper-trailers, or roof-top tents, but there are 54 other powered sites within the park. Unpowered pitches are available on a walk-in basis and are limited to 12 spots.

The park has a good range of facilities, including two well-equipped camp kitchens, barbecues, free wifi, surfboard and bike hire, laundry, and private access to the beach. Price-wise, it’s one of the more expensive campsites in Byron Bay, but that’s to be expected considering its primo beachfront and central location.

At a glance

Glen Villa Resort

💵 Best for camping on a budget close to the town centre

Located a short walk from the town centre and bus terminal, Glen Villa Resort also happens to be one of the best options for cheap camping in Byron Bay. The resort covers 14 grassy acres with plenty of trees for shade and has a small swimming pool area close to the entrance. Facilities include a well-kept toilet and shower block, camp kitchen, barbecues, and laundry. 

Glen Villa offers various powered and unpowered pitches for tents, campervans, and caravans. And if you’re not arriving with your own accommodation, you can book cabins, cottages, and beach huts, but be aware that reviews are quite mixed as to their standard. 

The southern end of the resort backs onto the beautiful Cumbebin Wetland area, and the new Butler Street bypass now borders the northern end. The speed limit for the bypass, however, is 50kph, and by all accounts, road noise hasn’t become an issue. 

At a glance

Reflections Holiday Parks – Clarkes Beach Holiday Park

🏄 Best for surfers and sleeping next to the ocean

Clarkes Beach Holiday Park is slightly out of town but still within walking distance to plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants. Situated right in front of the popular Clarkes beach, the park offers a mix of powered and unpowered sites alongside self-contained cabins. You’ll find a well-maintained bathroom block, camp kitchen, barbecues, laundry, children’s facilities, and easy beach access. 

It’s also one of the best campsites in Byron Bay for surfers. If you’re lucky, you may get waves out front, and if not, it’s only a ten-minute walk down the beach to the world-famous righthand point break, The Pass. 

One of Byron’s best restaurants Beach Byron Bay is located next to the park entrance and serves takeaway coffee and light meals from its kiosk during the day. Or, for something more substantial, you can enjoy lunch or dinner in the restaurant with spectacular panoramic ocean views. 

At a glance

Discovery Parks – Byron Bay

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Best for families and keeping the kids entertained

With great facilities for the kids, including a bouncing pillow, waterpark, and swimming pool, Discovery Parks is one of the best Byron Bay holiday parks for families. Located just over 2km from the centre of town, the park offers a variety of accommodation options. 

Powered and unpowered sites are available in different sizes and are suitable for tents, caravans, camper trailers, and big rigs over 6 metres long. You can also book cabins and deluxe safari tents, but note that the cabins have mixed reviews.

The park has well-kept grounds and a range of facilities, including a camp kitchen, barbecues, laundry, and bathroom block. Popular cafe Folk sits just outside the main gate and is a great place for breakfast or brunch. Bear in mind that as the park is situated on the main road into Byron, some sites may suffer from road noise. 

At a glance

Ingenia Holidays Byron Bay

🐕 Best for bringing your furry friends

Finding dog-friendly accommodation in Byron Bay can be tricky, but Ingenia has your four-legged members of the family covered. Pets are welcome at this huge 28-acre park, located a little out of town on the main road between Suffolk Park and Byron Bay. 

The park backs onto bushland and advertises direct beach access, although it’s a fair walk away, and the path is prone to flooding. If direct beach access is your main reason for staying and you don’t have a pet, you may find other campsites in Byron Bay more suitable.

Ingenia offers plenty of choice of accommodation, with 155 camping sites, 52 cabins, and en-suite sites. Facilities include a swimming pool, camp kitchen, toilet and shower block, and a TV room. A little cafe, Get Trucked, is located at the entrance to the park and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on certain days of the week and is well-known for its pizza.

At a glance

Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park

🌿 Best for leaving the hustle and bustle behind

About a ten-minute drive south of Byron, you’ll find Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park. This quiet campsite fronts directly onto beautiful Tallow Beach and is a great spot to escape the summer crowds of Byron without sacrificing any of the town’s relaxed beach vibes.

The park’s tent, campervan, and caravan sites vary in size, and the majority have artificial grass, which is great for keeping mess to a minimum. You can also book safari tents, cabins, and one on-site holiday caravan. The campsite has a modern camp kitchen, barbecues, laundry, and free wifi.

About a five-minute walk from the campsite, there’s a small shopping precinct with a Spar mini-market, a pharmacy, and the popular Suffolk Park Bakery. And you’ll also find a few restaurants, a pub, and a bottle shop in the same area.

At a glance

Broken Head Holiday Park

🏄 Best for surfers and getting into nature

Broken Head Holiday Park is the most secluded on this list and is surrounded by national park, so it’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Byron and immerse yourself in nature. If you’re camping in Byron Bay as part of a surf trip, this place is another great option as there’s often surf out in front, and it’s easy driving distance to loads more surf spots. 

The campsite has everything you need, including a camp kitchen, barbecues, bathroom block, and laundry. While not absolute beachfront, the beach is only a stone’s throw away, and there are some great walks nearby that offer spectacular views up and down the coast. 

Broken Head sits at the opposite end of Tallow Beach from the lighthouse and is popular with locals for surfing and swimming. And if you’re lucky, you could also spot migrating whales passing by between late May and early November.  

If you need to pick up essentials, the shopping precinct at Suffolk Park is a five-minute drive away, and Byron is about a 13-minute drive. 

At a glance

Free camping in Byron Bay

Don’t get too excited on this one. Free camping in Byron Bay basically doesn’t exist – not legally anyway – and we don’t recommend it. Camping on the beach or in car parks is strictly prohibited, and authorities regularly patrol these areas and hand out fines to offenders. Similarly, while it’s not illegal to sleep in your car in New South Wales, it has to be in a permitted area.  

The best spot for free camping near Byron Bay is Yelgun Rest Area, about 20km north of Byron on the M1. Again, ‘camping’ is not permitted, but you could get away with saying you needed a rest stop if you were challenged. This spot has decent toilets but no showers.

Share the love for camping in Byron Bay

So there you have it – that’s our roundup of the best places for camping in Byron Bay. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, send us a message here or on social media. And if you think this article would be helpful to someone else, feel free to share it. 

*Distance from the town centre is measured from the roundabout at the intersection of Jonson Street and Lawson Street to the relevant holiday park or campsite.