Free camping in Tasmania.

What free camping means in Tasmania

There is no single legal category called free camping in Tasmania. When people search for it, they usually mean a park site with no camping charge, bush camping on forest land, or a council-run stop for self-contained vehicles. Each is run by a different agency, so the first job is to work out who manages the land.

• National parks and reserves are run by Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania.1
• Production forest is land managed by Sustainable Timber Tasmania.3
• Council reserves and recreation grounds follow each council’s own rules and permits.45

We do not say any single place is free to camp. Fees and rules are set by the land manager, and they change. Where our own data records no fee for a place, the place page says so and shows where that came from. Where a source does not say, we say that it does not.

The parks pass, and what it does not cover

Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania says a valid parks pass is required for entry to all of Tasmania’s national parks. A camping charge, where there is one, is separate: the page says additional fees may apply for campground stays.1 At the time we read the page, it listed these prices, and says entry fees are reviewed each year:1

• Daily pass (up to 24 hours, not Cradle Mountain): $49.15 per vehicle carrying up to 8 people, or $24.55 per person on foot, by bike or by bus.
• Holiday pass (up to 2 months): $98.35 per vehicle, or $49.20 per person.
• Annual parks pass: $104.75, or $83.85 with a concession.
• Children under 5 are free.

So a night in a national park with no camping charge still costs you the pass. Cradle Mountain has its own daily pass, so read the page before you go.

Park sites with no camping charge

Some Parks and Wildlife Service sites say there is no camping charge. Friendly Beaches (Isaacs Point) in Freycinet National Park is one example. The page says no bookings are required, sites are first in, first served, and the maximum stay is 14 nights. It has pit toilets but no fresh water. The parks pass is still required.2

The same page says Freycinet is a fuel stove only area, so no fires are allowed in the national park. That page was last changed in 2022, apart from its fire alert, which was reviewed on 27 October 2026, so check the current page before you go.2

Forest land

Sustainable Timber Tasmania says: “You are welcome to camp on the land we manage, except in areas where it is specifically prohibited.” Prohibited areas are signposted, and it recommends contacting the organisation to confirm where camping is allowed before you go. The page mentions no permit for camping or general visits.3

Council sites and RV rules

Each Tasmanian council decides what it allows on its own land. Two real examples show the range:

• Northern Midlands Council. Permits for its listed stops are free for up to 48 hours and are applied for online. Vehicles must be self-contained, and no grey or black water may be let out onto the ground, near trees or into the river. The listed stops include Bishopsbourne Recreation Ground, Blackburn Park Reserve at Campbell Town, Cressy Recreation Ground and two sites at Evandale. Evandale’s Falls Park is open Monday to Friday only, and Honeysuckle Banks is November to April only. You cannot book a space.4
• Central Coast Council. Its council-managed freedom camping sites are Forth Recreation Ground, Midway Beach at Sulphur Creek and Bannons Park at Gunns Plains. The fee is $15 per night, with a maximum of 3 consecutive nights per site. Vehicles must be self-contained, and tents and fires are not permitted. The council says the permit system is rolling out progressively and a permit is needed wherever permit signage is displayed.5

Other councils will differ again. Check the council’s own page for the town you are staying in, and the sign at the site.

Campfires, Total Fire Bans and fire permits

• Total Fire Ban. Tasmania Fire Service says a ban can cover a council area, a region or the whole state, usually for 24 hours. During a ban you are not allowed to light any fires outside.6
• Fire Permit Period. Declared in times of higher bushfire risk. Tasmania Fire Service says campfires are not allowed during one unless they are on your property or you have the owner’s permission, follow park rules and local by-laws, have 3 metres cleared around and above them, are registered with Tasmania Fire Service, are no bigger than 1 cubic metre, are supervised at all times and are fully put out with water.6
• Parks. Seasonal campfire bans started on reserved land in parts of Tasmania at 2 am on Monday 26 October 2026, including areas such as Clarence, Huon Valley, Kingborough and Glamorgan-Spring Bay. Fuel stove only areas ban open fires and campfires all year. On Total Fire Ban days, all outdoor fires are prohibited, with an exception for electric and LPG cookers and stoves.7
• Forests. Sustainable Timber Tasmania says campfires are prohibited on Total Fire Ban days and asks you to check fire weather warnings and restrictions first.3

Check the ban for your area each day on the Tasmania Fire Service website. The Information Line is 1800 000 699, and 000 is for emergencies.6

For the rules in every state and territory, see Total Fire Bans and fire danger ratings across Australia.

How Trek Eleven helps

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

• You can browse the map and lists with no account.
• Campsites and caravan parks from OpenStreetMap appear as unverified suggestions in their own layer. We have not checked them.
• Every fact shows where it came from and when. A place no one has checked says so plainly.
• You set your vehicle once, and access notes are flagged for it.
• Saved and recently viewed places open with no signal. Offline maps are coming soon.
• If something is wrong, closed or washed out, you can report it from the place page.

The app shows official warnings for most states, but they can be late, so use the official sources in the box below too. See the how it works and how we check pages. To browse places, start with our Tasmania camping page, or look near Hobart, Devonport, St Helens, Bicheno and Geeveston. Planning a mainland leg? Read our guides to free camping in Victoria, free camping in New South Wales, free camping in Queensland, free camping in South Australia and free camping in Western Australia, or see free camping across Australia for every state.

How to check a place before you stay

1. Work out who manages the land: a national park, forest land, a council or a private owner.
2. Read that manager’s page and the sign at the entrance. A “no camping” sign settles it.
3. Check the parks pass, any permit, the fire ban for the day and any closures.
4. If you still cannot tell, ask the council or park office, or choose a place you are sure about.

Find places near you

Our region and Camping near pages list the campsites, caravan parks and rest areas on record in Tasmania, 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.

Open the app in your browser

Towns in Tasmania

The towns in Tasmania that have a Camping near page. Each lists the campsites, caravan parks and rest areas on record around the town, from open data.

Tasmania