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Australia’s best campsites for 2026 have been revealed

Credit: Hipcamp

Jessica O'Donnell Jessica O'Donnell
From waterfall-framed fields to vineyard stays, the most memorable places for an outdoor overnight adventure have been announced.

Australia isn’t exactly short on picturesque places to pitch your tent. But if scrolling through thousands of campsites is stopping you from booking your next trip, the newly announced 2026 Hipcamp Awards will make narrowing your options a breeze.

This year’s winners span every kind of camping scenario you could dream up: family-friendly coastal campgrounds, working farms with animals roaming the campsite and hideaways accessible only by 4WD. If you’re a bit camping-averse but don’t want to be left out of the fun, there’s something for you too with cabins and glamping options available.

How were Australia’s best campsites chosen?

Mystic Adventures Greenbank
Mystic Adventures Greenbank is one of the campsites crowned as ‘best newcomer’. (Credit: Hipcamp)

Rather than relying on a judging panel, Hipcamp looked at the places its own community loved most over the past year. Hipcamp is an app that helps users find and book campsites, so the platform was able to analyse booking, rating and review data from its network of more than eight million users and over 60,000 Australian campsites to narrow down the thousands of options available to just Australia’s best.

The award lists are unranked, so there is no single campsite claiming the crown. When you look through the winners, it makes sense why it would have been impossible to narrow down the list to just one. Instead, the awards recognise standout stays across seven states and territories, as well as categories covering tent camping, caravan sites, glamping, cabins and farm stays.

There are also dedicated awards for newcomers and legacy Hipcamps that have built up an enduring following among campers.

“These awards are really about celebrating the hosts who make great camping possible," says Hipcamp CEO and founder Alyssa Ravasio.

Five award-winning Hipcamps to inspire your next adventure

Hidden pocket on the mary
Set up camp on a stunning working family farm in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland at Hidden Pocket On The Mary, one of the ‘legacy’ award winners. (Credit: Hipcamp)

In NSW, Willowbank offers private camping along the Karuah River on a multigenerational cattle property. It’s a classic country escape, pairing a working rural landscape with the chance to set up camp beside the water.

Queensland’s Hidden Pocket on the Mary also makes the most of its verdant riverside setting. Peaceful campsites line the property, while complimentary kayaks give guests an easy way to head out on the Mary River.

Travelling further south to Victoria, Galea Ranch sits beneath the Cathedral Ranges. The family-run property combines farm life with a spectacular mountain backdrop, proving you don’t need to travel far from civilisation to find scenery that feels properly wild.

Ladybug Camping represents Tasmania among the highlighted winners, with creekside campsites and cascading waterfalls providing the soundtrack. Across the country in Western Australia, Jarvis Estate Winery makes he most of what Margaret River is best known for, offering camping directly on their vineyard.

Together, the five properties show just how varied camping in Australia can be. A weekend under canvas can mean paddling from a riverbank, waking beneath a mountain range or ending the day among the vines of one of the country’s best-known wine regions.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

The full list of winners for 2026

nine mountains glamping
Not sure if camping is for you? You can dip your toe in my glamping at a site like Nine Mountains, with outdoor baths, an outdoor kitchen, and a spacious yurt. (Credit: Hipcamp)

The awards include separate lists for NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, with 12 winners named in each.

A further 15 properties have been recognised in each of the national categories: Best Tent Camping, Best Caravan Sites, Best Glamping and Cabins, Best Farm Stays, Best Hipcamp Newcomers and Best Legacy Hipcamps.

All winning properties can be found on the Hipcamp app and online, where campers can view availability and book directly.

With camping season getting underway as we get closer to summer, consider the 2026 list your cue to dust off your tent and make the most of what Australia does best: stunning outdoor adventures.

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Jessica O'Donnell
Jessica O’Donnell is Evergreen Editor at Australian Traveller. After nearly seven years in London, she returned to her hometown of Sydney with a fresh appreciation for the places and experiences on her doorstep. Previously Ecommerce Editor at Women’s Health UK, she’s also written for The Telegraph, The Times, Runner’s World and Cosmopolitan in the UK, as well as ELLE and Harper’s BAZAAR Australia. At Australian Traveller, she helps readers plan memorable Australian escapes, from coastal weekends to city stays. When she’s not writing or editing content, you’ll likely find her hunting down Sydney’s best dirty martini or adding to the ever-growing stack of books on her bedside table.
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Discovering East Arnhem: Australia’s most unique and rewarding corner

    Joanne Millares Joanne Millares
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    Hard to reach and harder to forget, East Arnhem offers something rare in modern travel: the chance to slow down and experience Country on its own terms.

    The sky feels bigger in East Arnhem. It stretches wide and uninterrupted above rouged earth, stringybark woodland and beaches so empty they seem to belong to another era. The coastline curves for kilometres without a footprint and the horizon runs on forever.

    For comedian Lou Wall, the scale of the place was the first thing that hit them.

    “The sheer openness,” they say. “The sky feels infinite and the land stretches out endlessly. It’s pretty breathtaking visually.”

    But the physical landscape is only part of the story. The real reward isn’t only the scenery but the shift in perspective the journey brings. Visitors stop trying to tick off the destination and a real engagement takes over.

    “It made me never want to travel again,” Wall jokes. “In that I never wanted to leave East Arnhem.”

    Getting there

    Aerial shot of East Arnhem’s coastline as cars trace the curve of the shore.
    Sail along the remote coastline on an expedition cruise.

    Reaching East Arnhem is part of the adventure. Travellers typically fly into Gove Airport near Nhulunbuy via Darwin or Cairns, or arrive by expedition cruise along the remote coastline. Others make the journey overland along rutted dirt roads that cut through East Arnhem’s small pockets of monsoon forest.

    However you arrive, there’s a distinct feeling of crossing into somewhere different. Permits are required to visit the region, reflecting the fact that this is Yolŋu land where communities and traditional owners maintain deep cultural connections to Country.

    The extra planning becomes part of the experience. By the time visitors arrive, they understand they’re entering a place not just of respect, but also patience and curiosity.

    At one with nature

    East Arnhem’s  landscapes leave a strong imprint. For Wall, one place in particular still lingers in their memory: Ngalarrkpuy, also known as Lonely Beach, near Bawaka Homeland.

    “I genuinely felt like I was living inside an Instagram filter,” they say. “One of the most stunning feats of nature I’ve ever seen. The water was so clear I swear I could see even the fish smiling.”

    Across the region, natural experiences unfold at a slower pace. Fishing, beachcombing and island hopping reveal the rhythm of the coastline. The tides shape daily life and the vastness of the landscape makes even simple moments feel downright cinematic.

    For visitors with limited time, Wall says the Bawaka Homeland experience is unmissable.

    “I just left and I’m already planning when I can get back there.”

    The sense of remoteness is part of the appeal. In a country where many beaches are crowded and well-trodden, East Arnhem’s coastline still feels wonderfully wild.

    Immersing in local culture

    A visitor spends a meaningful moment alongside Yolŋu guides, gaining insight into their deep cultural knowledge and connection to the land.
    Experience authentic moments with the locals.

    Culture is woven through every experience in East Arnhem. Visitors have the opportunity to spend time on Country with Yolŋu guides and knowledge holders who share stories and traditions that have been passed down for generations.

    For Wall, one of the most powerful moments came during a conversation with a Yolŋu elder.

    “I got to meet a traditional elder, Mayalil, in Nhulunbuy,” they say. “Listening to her talk about her home made the land feel alive in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”

    The region is also home to internationally recognised Aboriginal art centres where artists shape works deeply connected to land and family knowledge.

    Music carries the same cultural energy. East Arnhem has produced globally recognised artists such as King Stingray and Baker Boy, blending Yolŋu language, storytelling and contemporary sound.

    Wall experienced this musical spirit first-hand.

    “A jam session around the fire was it for me,” they say. “Letting the deep joy and history of their music wash over me…  and meeting a few of the King Stingray musicians was unreal.”

    These moments of human connection often become the most memorable part of a visit.

    Spotting local wildlife

    An aerial view of the beach shows tiny figures lined up across the white sand, moving as if in a rhythmic dance.
    Step into a world where nature reigns.

    The wildlife of East Arnhem adds another layer to the experience. The region is home to an extraordinary range of animals, from waterbirds and turtles to dugongs, dolphins and the formidable saltwater crocodile.

    Wall admits they didn’t actually spot a croc during their visit.

    “Devastatingly, I didn’t see one,” they laugh. “But with all the stories from the locals I definitely gained a healthy respect for caution.”

    Some of the most memorable wildlife encounters can be surprisingly small., At Banubanu Beach Retreat on Bremer Island, Wall remembers walking along the beach one morning and watching it come alive.

    “As you walk through the sand you see hundreds of crabs scurrying into their holes as you pass by,” they say. “Such a small thing, but it was completely magical.”

    Moments like this reveal the quieter rhythms of East Arnhem, where even the smallest creatures seem to play a part in the landscape.

    Visitors who make the journey soon learn the most important travel tip of all.

    “Go in open-minded with a sense of curiosity,” Wall says. “Be prepared to ditch your plans. The land and the locals will guide you on an adventure no spreadsheets could ever compete with.”

    And most importantly, they add, don’t rush.

    “The land and people deserve your time and attention. You’ll be all the better for slowing down.”

    For more information on visiting East Arnhem, head to eastarnhem.com.au.