91% (1.6K)
Top-rated campgrounds
91% (1.6K)
Top-rated campgrounds
Stories from the community
Kathleen
2 weeks ago
9 m pop-up camper
With pets
Beautiful spot with plenty of space to find a private spot by the lake. Lots of bird life and wallabies to see.
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Steve
2 weeks ago
6 m Class B
Loved it here. Nice shady trees. Lots of room. Well maintained. Loved the dam with all the wild life everywhere. Would recommend it for sure 😊
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Anne
3 weeks ago
6 m travel trailer
We loved this place. Definitely our favourite campsite so far. Beautifully kept, totally tranquil and spotlessly clean.
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Derek
3 weeks ago
Tent
Quiet, plenty of shade and good breeze.
Hot water and fishing toilets.
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Paul
3 weeks ago
6 m travel trailer
the camp was perfect and quiet. The site care takers were easy to deal with and talk too.
I will be returning to Mount Surround.
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Dianne
October 2025
7 m travel trailer
After travelling up the coast from Brisbane it was great to stay at such a peaceful place as Mount Surround Campgrounds. Plenty of space, good facilities in a beautiful natural setting. A relaxing way to end our trip. We’ll be back!
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Raymond
October 2025
7 m Class A
Staff were amazing.
Answers for everything
Ensure site was new to us. Awesome.
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Gene
October 2025
5 m car
I booked an unpowered site for two nights away from the main group. It was extremely peaceful and quiet. At night there was the expected random noise from other guests but once that settled, I was left with the sound of the rain and the wildlife. Perfect stay. Thank you Cathy and Wayne.
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Alexandra
October 2025
Tent
Beautiful spot. Far enough away from the road noise. Big open spaces with nice shady trees. Clean and well maintained amenities. Great communication and easy clear directions. Will definitely be back.
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Molly
October 2025
5 m Class B
With pets
It was the perfect distance away from Townsville to enjoy a night away under the stars. The area was beautiful and there was lots of space to pick a camping spot. The backdrop of the hills was beautiful 🤩 we also took our dog who had a lovely time exploring a new area- you can walk around the little lake (approx 1 mile loop) . Toilets and showers were clean …. The kitchen faculties looked decent too , although we never used them . Will definitely be back 😊
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Sophie
October 2025
5 m Class B
Great location and good amenities. Staff were friendly and helpful.
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Keita
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Beautiful creek (although a little low currently), and nice wide open campground. Unfortunately some rubbish left from previous campers. Facilities fairly standard (2 female showers functional). You can hear some road noise throughout the night but easily tuned out. Outstanding sunsets.
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Kylie
October 2025
6 m travel trailer
With pets
Lovely and tranquil stay. Beautiful billabong and amazing bird life. Facilities were clean. Highly recommend.
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Sandra
October 2025
12 m travel trailer
Group trip
Great camping by the dam, clean amenities and able to have a fire at night
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matt
October 2025
5 m car
Good spot for a quick overnight stop. Easy to get to and late check in was easy to organise
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R
October 2025
4 m Class B
We had a magnificent time viewing the abundant wildlife and birds at Mount Surround. The caretaker was helpful and it was easy to book on-site with phone reception available. They have done a lot of work on upgrades, which continue to improve the site.
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Andrew
October 2025
6 m travel trailer
It’s a wonderful camp at Mount Surround
Lovely breeze by the lake heaps of birds and wildlife
Recommended ✔️✔️
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Barry
October 2025
9 m Class A
With pets
Nice quiet camp ground. Clean amenities. Very peaceful, highly recommended. Would stay again if ever this way in the future.
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Damian
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Absolutely stunning spot with hot showers toilets. Woke up to the birds singing wildlife all around and got to see some water running through the creek. Definitely will be back
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Jayden
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Had a okay stay, not horrible but not amazing either. Campsite is decently large, but at max capacity it’d be somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, there were few there.
The site is in relatively poor condition, and campers demonstrate a severe lack of standard camp etiquette. For example, a dozen campfire spots that are half arsed, not offical, and ruin the availability of where you can chuck a swag.
Many fire ‘pits’ had plastics, or other rubbish shoved in there during or post burn.
The BBQs are all basically unusable.
Bathrooms work but are in bad condition, lots of webs, no locks on the doors, but the water was hot and toilets flushed. Sink taps didn’t work well.
There was a high about of foot traffic during the day, which was a bit annoying given that we paid for access. Not sure if it’s local mob, which would make sense and be acceptable, but if it’s randoms just pulling in for a day, then that sucks. Those that were there left a lot of rubbish on the banks and in the water. Dogs were offlead multiple times during our stay and we observed three dogs get into a fight as two were offlead.
Another day tripper managed to get their POS explorer hung up on rocks, driving down and onto the river bank (that’s allowed?!). They wrecked part of the track trying to recover the vehicle which took two hours.
Overall, nice spot with a lot of great potential but poorly managed and maintained. I wouldn’t say the pictures were particularly accurate this time.
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The best luxury caravan camping in Magnetic Island guide
Where to go
Horseshoe Bay
Bungalow Bay Koala Village at Horseshoe Bay is the only camping ground on Magnetic Island. Home to a wildlife sanctuary where you can visit koalas, a python, or a small saltwater crocodile, the campground also offers ranger-guided bush walks to explore nearby habitats and learn the history of the area’s traditional owners, the Wulgurukaba people.
Nelly Bay–Arcadia Trail
One of the best and most popular of the island’s 36-km network of hiking trails is the Nelly Bay–Arcadia Trail, a one-way journey of 5 km (3 miles) that takes between two and three hours to complete. The World War II fortifications provide an interesting setting for part of the trail, a likely place to spot koalas in the wild. (The best koala spotting is on the track up to the Forts off Horseshoe Bay Road.) And at the top are terrific 360-degree views of the Coral Sea and Bowling Green Bay National Park.
Geoffrey Bay
Geoffrey Bay offers excellent snorkelling, straight off the beach. Local shops offer “swim cards” to strap to your wrist—these carry useful information about the coral and fish you can see. For strong swimmers, the wreck of the World War II plane Moltke is another good snorkelling spot.
When to go
Townsville can be hot and humid in summer (December to February)—and sometimes in the path of cyclones—but is spared the worst of the wet-season rains and claims 300 days of sunshine a year. Magnetic Island tends to be cooler with more breezes. The best months to visit are May to September, when the weather is cool and the seas are free of the toxic marine stingers that can prevent ocean swimming without special stinger suits.
Know before you go
- Magnetic Island is not on the Great Barrier Reef, but the surrounding waters are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The best reef snorkeling is at Florence Bay, Arthur Bay and Geoffrey Bay.
- Camping permits are required for all Queensland parks, forests, and reserves. Book your spot online and in advance.
- Despite its size and popularity, there is no information centre on Magnetic Island. Try the one at Townsville Bulletin Square instead if you need assistance.
- Magnetic Island Bus Services will get you anywhere on the island for just a few dollars, but many visitors prefer the freedom of hiring a mini-moke (an open-sided vehicle similar to a golf cart) to get around. You’ll see them all over the island.