Dog-friendly camping in New South Wales.

State forests

The Forestry Corporation of NSW says your dog is welcome in all state forests. It asks you to keep the dog under your control at all times, pick up after it, pack enough food and water for it, and keep noise down so campers without dogs are not disturbed.1

It also warns that many state forests sit next to national parks, where dogs are prohibited, so stay inside the state forest.1 For more, call the Forestry Corporation information line on 1300 655 687.1 Our free camping in NSW guide covers the camping rules in the same forests, and the Victorian and Western Australian dog guides cover those states.

National parks and reserves

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) policy says pets are generally not allowed in parks. That applies to national parks and other land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.2 NPWS says dogs stress native animals, which may leave their homes and young, and that kangaroos and goannas can defend themselves and injure a dog.5

The policy lists some exceptions:

• Regional parks. Dogs may be walked on a leash in designated dog walking areas. The park’s plan of management decides.2 NPWS’s page names Delicate Beach in Goolawah Regional Park as its only listed off-lead area.5
• Historic villages. At places such as Hill End and Hartley, leashed pet dogs may be permitted, including in the campgrounds there, subject to conditions. Confirm with NPWS first.2
• Driving through. You can drive through on a public park road to a place outside the park, if the dog stays in the vehicle, you do not stop to visit the park and no sign says otherwise.2
• Assistance animals. They are allowed in open areas, including campgrounds, if the animal is working and you can give reasonable proof. NPWS suggests contacting the local office first.2

NPWS says unaccompanied pets are taken to the nearest council pound where possible.2 Plans of management and signs can add other conditions.

Council beaches and reserves

Section 13 of the Companion Animals Act 1998 says a dog in a public place must be under the effective control of a competent person, on a leash held by or secured to that person. A person with more than four dogs is not treated as having effective control.3

Councils can declare off-leash areas and dog exclusion areas, and can close an area temporarily, for example during shorebird breeding. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s policy is a useful example. It covers council land and leaves out land managed by NPWS and the Forestry Corporation.3 Every council publishes its own maps, so search the council’s name and “dogs in public places”, then follow the signs on the day.

Poison baits (1080)

NPWS says it controls foxes with poisoned baits, and that these can be fatal to dogs.5 The NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Pesticide Control (1080 Bait Products) Order 2020 says 1080 is particularly lethal to domestic dogs. It asks bait users to tell neighbours to restrain their pets and keep them out of the baiting location, and says that if a pet is accidentally poisoned you should get veterinary help immediately.4

For wild dog baiting, the Order requires notices at every authorised formed entry point to the baiting location, including designated walking tracks. The notices must stay up for at least four weeks after the last day of baiting and must warn that domestic animals may be affected.4 If you see a poison notice, keep your dog away. We did not find a current Local Land Services page for pet owners on 29 October 2026, so we do not quote one here.

Heat and your dog

The NSW Government’s advice for pets in hot weather is to keep them in a cool, shaded place with at least two bowls of water, and to avoid walking them in the hottest part of the day. It says to check the ground with the back of your hand, because hot pavement can burn paws, and never to leave a pet alone in a car, even with the windows open or in the shade. It also says not to leave a pet on a ute tray in extreme heat.6

Signs of heatstroke include rapid panting, lethargy, drooling, weakness, muscle tremors, collapse and confusion. The advice is to contact a vet immediately.6

Snakes

If a person is bitten, healthdirect says to keep them still and calm, call triple zero (000), and bandage the limb firmly from the fingers or toes upwards. It says not to wash the bite, cut it, use a tourniquet or try to catch the snake.7 We do not give first aid advice for dogs. Ask your vet before you go, and save the number of an emergency vet near where you are camping.

Caravan parks and private campgrounds

Holiday parks, caravan parks and farm stays set their own dog rules. Some allow dogs, some do not, and some add conditions. Rules vary by park, so ask the park before you book:

• Are dogs allowed on the site I am booking?
• Do they need to be on a lead the whole time?
• Is there a limit on the number, size or breed?
• Is there an extra fee?
• Where can I walk my dog?

On our Camping near pages, a place shows “Dogs allowed” only if its source record says so, and that record is an unverified suggestion until someone has checked it. Use the “Dogs OK” filter as a starting point, then confirm with the park.

How Trek Eleven helps

Trek Eleven is a free camping app for all of Australia. For New South Wales, here is what it does today:

• You can browse the map and lists with no account.
• Campsites and caravan parks from open data appear as suggestions, with a “Dogs OK” filter where the source record says so.
• Every fact shows where it came from and when. A place no one has checked says so plainly.
• Saved and recently viewed places open with no signal. Offline maps are coming soon.
• If something is wrong or closed, you can report it from the place page.

Browse the North Coast, the South Coast and Snowy Mountains, Sydney and the Blue Mountains, the Hunter and Central Coast, the Central West, New England and the North West, the Riverina and Murray or the Far West, or see dog-friendly camping around Byron Bay, or start with Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Batemans Bay or Jindabyne.

Find places near you

Our region and Camping near pages list the campsites, caravan parks and rest areas on record in New South Wales, from open data. Each place says whether Trek Eleven has checked it, and unchecked places are only suggestions. They do not say that camping is allowed, free or open, so read the sources above first.

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