The best camping near Royal National Park

If you were to design your ultimate outdoor playground, you’d likely come up with Royal. Flush with the southern suburbs of Sydney, Royal features more than 100 kilometres of walking trails that snake from exposed sandstone headlands and Aboriginal engravings to the low-tide Figure 8 Pools. The Coast Track, a spectacular two-day, 26-kilometre walking track, runs north-south through the park. Most visitors are day trippers doing only short bushwalks, so you can easily escape the crowds at either of the park's two hike-in camping areas. Don't miss the remarkable Wedding Cake Rock.

• Best for overnight hikers: North Era Campground features tent sites for 36 people behind a huge Aboriginal shell midden (mound) on North Era Beach.
• Best for cascade lovers: Uloola Falls Campground offers tent-only overnight stops for 18 hikers (and mountain bikers) beside a permanent waterfall.

1. Camping sites within the national park must be reserved and pre-paid (online or by phone) with a one-night maximum.
2. Book early to secure a site on weekends.

Royal is busiest over spring and summer, with wildflowers colouring the heathlands in October and November (look out for towering red gymea lilies) and swimmers and surfers flocking to the beaches and waves on hot summer days. Consider visiting in autumn (April or May), for cooler walking weather, and in winter (June through August) to see the ocean at its most powerful and watch humpback and southern right whales migrating up and down NSW's South Coast. Both camping areas remain open throughout the year, and because Sydneysiders see Royal as their backyard getaway, the picnic areas and northern walks can get busy any time.

• Royal is accessible by public transport, with metropolitan Sydney trains to Cronulla (where ferries head to Bundeena on the park’s northern boundary) and Otford, in the south. This is the best option for busy times when car parks are at a premium.
• Park entry fees apply for vehicles. You can get a ticket from pay-and-display machines in parking areas or seasonal booths.
• Park Connections provide a ticketed bus service between popular park destinations. Operating times vary through the year, and bookings are recommended.
• Drinking water is not guaranteed at either in-park campground, so remember to check with the visitor centre before setting off.
• The park can close when severe storms and extreme wildfire conditions are forecast.

Just an hour outside Sydney in the Royal National Park, Garie Beach is a semi-protected cove. Great for picnicking and exploring the sandy shores, this is one of the few patrolled beaches in the park.