Hat Head National Park

Notable Campgrounds

• Best for families: Hungry Gate Campground has plenty of shade, and kangaroos often graze in the camping area.
• Best for beach lovers: Smoky Cape Campground, beneath the Smoky Cape Lighthouse, is right beside the beach and popular with fishers.

Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation

1. All campsites in NSW national parks must be pre-booked online before you arrive.
2. All national park campgrounds get busy during summer and Easter school holidays, when you’ll need to book well ahead. But go mid-week in February and March, and it’s quite possible you’ll be the only ones there.
3. Hungry Gate Campground is a 20-minute walk from the beach, so it’s sometimes easier to secure a campsite here than at the beachside Smoky Cape Campground.

When to Go

Although it can get rainy, summer offers the best camping weather and is the most popular time to visit. Days might be hottest in January and February, but March and April are best for swimming, when the sea is warmest. Winter time, May to November, is best for seeing whales from the lookouts. 

Know Before You Go

• Hat Head National Park is 24 kilometres east of Kempsey, near South West Rocks.
• Neighbouring Arakoon National Park—at the Smoky Cape end of the park near South West Rocks—is also worth a visit. Highlights include the sandstone Trial Bay Gaol ruins on the headland.
• You can stock up with basics at the Hat Head General Store, which also stocks beer and wine and does a pretty good hamburger, too.