Save on accommodation and pour more pennies into wine with ultra-comfortable Hunter Valley caravan parks and glamping.

Dreaming of blazing sunsets spent gazing over vines? Hunter Valley caravan parks, glamping experiences and camping grounds offer some of the most stunning accommodation in town. I especially love them for providing cosy confines without breaking the bank, better known as my wine splurge kitty. With many boasting super convenient locations, endless activity, truly luxe amenities and all the natural wonders, I appreciate how cheaper digs propel my wine-hopping itinerary across every one of my favourite cellar door picks. Let me introduce you to the all-stars.

In short

If you only choose one of the best Hunter Valley caravan parks or glamping sites, make it Wine Country Tourist Park for its incredible location amid all the wineries and one heck of a communal fireplace. Making new drinking buddies is guaranteed.

Hunter Valley caravan parks

1. Wine Country Tourist Park

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 5 to 10-minute drive

The best Hunter Valley caravan park in terms of proximity to the vines, Wine Country Tourist Park welcomes tents, caravans, motorhomes and campers to its tidy grounds. It also houses a range of cabins. All sites are powered and all cabins feature private bathrooms and kitchens – either a full-scale one in the two-bedroom configurations or a kitchenette in the studios. Amenities include a swimming pool, camp kitchen, barbecues, coin-operated laundry, communal campfire, woodfire pizza oven, and dump point, and pets are welcome in some stays if you run it past the team.

Address: 3 O’Connors Rd, Nulkaba

2. Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 10 to 15-minute drive

I, like many caravanners and budget-conscious travellers, have long relied on Ingenia’s wide-reaching stable of Aussie caravan parks, and its Hunter Valley location is filled with everything I’ve come to expect from the brand. The Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley caravan park, one of the best options in the region, offers powered camping sites in addition to simple but sufficiently stacked one-, two- and three-bedroom cabins. A large swimming pool, woodfire pizza oven, giant jumping cushion, children’s playground, laundry, barbecues, camp kitchen and EV charging ports are found onsite, plus pets are welcome if you’re caravanning, camper vanning or tenting. Fur parents should note, however, they’re mostly banned from cabin life outside of the entry-level one-bedroom stays.

Address: 137 Mount View Rd, Cessnock

3. Country Acres Caravan Park

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 30-minute drive

Flat and spacious terrain provides a sound spot to set your station up a little way out of central wine country. Country Acres Caravan Park offers powered concrete slabs and less-fancy grassy patches for motorhomes and caravans, plus one and two-bedroom cabins with or without private bathrooms. This Hunter Valley caravan park is a far cry from the finest option around, but handy amenities include a swimming pool, dump point, a camp kitchen with a TV and an amenities block, while there are barbecues and a laundry right nearby.

Address: 58 Maison Dieu Rd, McDougalls Hill, Singleton

4. Singleton Caracourt Caravan Park

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 25-minute drive

Clean lawns and a variety of camping sites ensure this Hunter Valley caravan park attracts a regular stream of visitors. The Singleton Caracourt Caravan Park features unpowered and powered sites, some with ensuite bathrooms, plus one and two-bedroom cabins fitted with cooking facilities, TVs and air conditioning. Extras are basic and include one outdoor barbecue, a dump site, an amenities block and a communal outdoor lounge, while laundry access and wi-fi incur additional costs. A good option if the bigger caravan parks are booked up.

Address: 20 Newton St, Singleton

5. Wangi Point Holiday Park

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: Just under 1 hour’s drive

A Hunter Valley caravan park with many of the bells and whistles my family often hunts for, Wangi Point Holiday Park is a slick operation. The only hitch is you’re about a 57-minute drive from the wineries. If you can cope with the extra travel, you’ll be rewarded with a range of villas, cabins, and sizeable powered and unpowered campsites for caravans, trailers, campers and tents. Additionally, you’re situated right on the shores of Lake Macquarie, so water views are visible from several angles. Amenities include a camp kitchen, a kids’ playground, multiple barbecues, a dump point, a nearby boat ramp and free wi-fi.

Address: 2a Watkins Rd, Wangi Wangi

Glamping in the Hunter Valley

6. The Beltree

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 5 to 10-minute drive

The most high-end Hunter Valley glamping experience to discover, The Beltree is in the thick of wine country and features five state-of-the-art, pet-friendly tents. Awarded the Best Wine Country Glamping Experience 2024 in the APAC Insider’s Australian Enterprise Awards, the hot spot is always busy so plan your stay well ahead of time. A dream getaway for couples, each tent features its own outdoor hot tub, ensuite bathrooms with bathtubs, air conditioning, a queen bed, walk-in robe, kitchenette and a private balcony with a fire pit. The 100-acre property they sit on is home to olive groves, cattle and horses so there’s plenty to gaze at if you can break away from your beloved.

Address: 266 Hermitage Rd, Belford

7. Cranky Rock Wollombi

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 40-minute drive

You might’ve bookmarked Cranky Rock Wollombi for its gorgeous cottage accommodation, but the charming working farm is also home to family-sized glamping tents and a campground. Sleeping up to four people per tent, the unpowered Hunter Valley glamping site provides two queen beds in each tent as well as linen, toilet paper, hand towels, a septic toilet and gas for shared barbecue facilities. You’ll also share a kitchen, showers and a fridge with fellow guests. There’s a creek on the property and walking tracks to explore.

Address: 2214 Wollombi Rd, Sweetmans Creek

8. Broke Estate

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 16-minute drive from Pokolbin proper but you’re smack bang in the wine country matrix given Broke Estate is a winery itself

A canvas bell tent and accompanying amenities pod light up Broke Estate as a solid Hunter Valley glamping option. Combining the simplicity of a tent stay with sumptuous creature comforts, the highly coveted canvas choice is filled with a queen bed, record player and cushy seats while the pod, built on wheels, is where you’ll find your private, fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, breakfast bar and daybed. There’s also a gorgeous timber deck with more chairs, an outdoor fireplace, a large umbrella and mountain vistas.

Address: 1260 Broke Rd, Broke

9. On Bell Glamping

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 5-minute drive

Two eco-friendly tents can be found at On Bell Glamping, a romantic Hunter Valley glamping experience set on a working 100-acre organic farm. Choose from the Speckled Warbler or the Grey-Crowned Babbler tents, named after the endangered birds that reside onsite, both fitted with a king bed, a separate bathroom packed with toiletries, a kitchenette, insect screens and a private deck with a barbecue. You can also order a breakfast package, cheese platters and meat packs sourced directly from the farm itself.

Address: 352 Bell Rd, Lower Belford

10. Donnybrook Eco Retreat

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 30-minute drive

Situated on the banks of the Hunter River, Billabong at Donnybrook Eco Retreat is a remote glamping tent on a 100-acre farm. The tent is fitted with a double bed, ensuite bathroom, fridge, basic utensils and cooking facilities including an electric hotplate, private verandah, outdoor fireplace, electric blankets and heaters in winter and power. Plus, you’re more than welcome to introduce yourself to the nearby alpacas, pigs, goats and chooks if you’re up for socialising.

Address: 702 Luskintyre Rd, Luskintyre

11. Jilliby Creek Glamping Tent and Redwood Glamping Tent

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: 1.5 hour’s drive

Two spacious off-grid glamping options, the Jilliby Creek Glamping Tent and the Redwood Glamping Tent offer serenity on a remote property in the Dooralong Valley. But you need to be comfortable sharing a bathroom and kitchen with your neighbours. In each tent, however, you’ll spy a queen bed, day bed, wood-fired stove, fan, wi-fi and a deck with a hammock and firepit. Towels, linen and toiletries are also provided in both options.

Address: 1577 Dooralong Rd, Lemon Tree

Camping options in the Hunter Valley

12. McNamara Park

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 13-minute drive

Free camping for up to three days is a bargain you’ll struggle to refuse if you’re dead keen on a DIY tent holiday. McNamara Park in Broke features a flat grassy area and some facilities including toilets, picnic tables and rubbish bins. A playground and barbecue are within walking distance, making the spot very kid-friendly, and there are plenty of shady spots if your Hunter Valley adventure beckons in the sunnier months.

Address: 1273 Milbrodale Rd, Broke

13. Wattle Valley Farm

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 35-minute drive

Don’t mind sharing your digs with the odd echidna, roo or wombat? Wattle Valley Farm is a 100-acre property surrounded by beautiful Wollombi Brook. The Hunter Valley camping spot takes tents and trailers but no caravans due to limited access roads. You’ll find shared toilets and showers onsite, plus there are three self-contained cabins elsewhere on the property with modern furnishings and air conditioning.

Address: 2579 Paynes Crossing Rd, Paynes Crossing

14. Gap Creek Campground

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: Just under 1 hour’s drive

A soothing waterfall and serene walking tracks are on tap at Gap Creek Campground, about a 57-minute drive from the heart of the Hunter Valley. Tents, camping beside your vehicle and camper trailers are welcome at this free camping site, however a $6 booking fee will secure your spot. Facilities include toilets, a car park, picnic tables and barbecues, but there’s no phone reception in the area so you’re really going off grid.

Address: North-eastern section of Watagans National Park, entry via the Bangalow Rd turnoff just past Bangalow camping area.

15. Cessnock Showground

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 15-minute drive

Did you know you could set up camp at the home of the annual Cessnock Show? If its central location floats your boat (because it should be noted, the grounds are nothing much to look at), the Cessnock Showground offers powered and unpowered sites for caravans and motorhomes. There are also toilets, barbecues and showers to be found and pets are allowed to help seal the deal.

Address: 111 Mount View Rd, Cessnock

16. Bulga Recreation Ground

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 25-minute drive

Well-maintained grounds and mountain scenery, plus good proximity to Hunter Valley’s hottest attractions, make Bulga Recreation Ground a great free option for caravans, tents and trailers. You’ll only find toilets onsite here, no showers, so it’s a spot for the truly brave at heart. Barbecue areas are on offer, so that’s a plus, and they allow pets.

Address: 19 The Inlet Rd, Bulga

17. Bangalow Campground

Distance from Pokolbin and wineries: A 1-hour drive

Four individual campsites can be found within Bangalow Campground, which invite tents beside your vehicle. The peaceful bushland features a car park, toilets, picnic tables and barbecues and it’s situated close to Monkey Face lookout which offers stunning views of the region. It’s free to camp but a Watagans National Park booking fee of $6 applies.

Address: North-eastern section of Watagans National Park, entry via Bangalow Rd