The best private sites caravan camping near Sydney

Sydney Harbour needs no introduction, but few know it’s possible to camp practically beneath the Harbour Bridge or go glamping in the middle of a zoo with a harbour view. Go deeper in Sydney and you’ll find a wild heart, with camping areas and caravan parks just a short bus ride from the CBD. You can also jump on a train at Central Station and find yourself in the massive ridge of mountainous wilderness known as the Blue Mountains just two hours later, or head north or south to the beaches and national parks of the Central Coast and Illawarra. With so many great camping spots accessible by public transport, you don’t need a car to get away in Sydney—just a sense of adventure.

Australia’s first national park, The Royal, is just 32 kilometres south of Sydney and features riverside picnic areas, surf beaches, clifftop bushwalking trails, and rainforest cycle tracks, plus beachfront camping spots

On the northern edge of Sydney’s suburban sprawl, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is where the Hawkesbury River seeps into the sea in a maze of winding waterways. The park's Basin Campground has 400 campsites and facilities such as barbecues, flush toilets, and cold showers.

Glamp it up in the middle of Sydney Harbour on this World Heritage-listed island that was once a prison one of Australia's biggest shipyards. You’ll need a sleeping bag, but you can hire camping equipment on the island.