If you, like us, are travelling on a budget, finding free campsites is an essential part of ensuring that your trip lasts as long as you want it to. There are road stops and in Tasmania, you’re quite lucky to park in most places. However, these don’t always feel safe nor have facilities to use.

For $10, we highly recommend purchasing wiki camps. It allows you to filter through all sorts of campsites from paid to free and what facilities you seek. This app helped us plan our trip and to find convenient places to stay for the night.

After spending 6 weeks travelling around in our van, here are our top 5 free spots while camping in Tasmania!

cooking at south west national park while camping in Tasmania

sunset bay of fires free while camping in tasmania

Disclosure : Some links provided on this blog are Affiliate links. They are recommended to be useful and assist your travel experience.

1. Bay Of Fires

If you want a relaxing couple of days by one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, then this campsite hits the spot. Located along Binalong Bay on the East Coast of Tasmania, the water here is picturesque. Like something from a movie, the bright blue water against the fire-orange rocks creates scenery like no other. We were greeted by a pod of 20 dolphins one afternoon, found a little sting-ray while snorkelling and watched the morning sun rise over the ocean. You never know what you might see!

With multiple beaches and free campsites all along the coast, you will be spoilt for choice. SwimCart Beach is the most popular of the campsites being right on the beach. Who doesn’t want ocean views from their bed? Another great spot for camping was Sloof Reef. We spent one night here and the views were amazing. You camp on a small headland surrounded by the electric blue water and fiery rocks. If you can get in early then you have a better chance of getting a spot as the area is quite small and only fits about 5 vehicles. Cosy Corner North and South campsites are also popular as they are only a 15-minute drive from the nearest town of St. Helens.

You can also camp near Sloof Reef at Seaton Cove. This campsite is close to the “not so secret” Mermaid pool. If you’re up for the adventure to find the rock pool at the top of the headland you might be able to snap an aesthetic insta pic. Further down the road you can also camp at Policeman’s Point.

Out of all these campsites only SwimCart beach and Cosy Corner North have toilet facilities. Yes they are drop toilets but it’s better than nothing! We chose to stay at Cosy Corner North for 4 nights and it was absolutely unbelievable. We could easily walk to neighbouring beaches or chill out on the beach not even a 2 minute walk from our campsite. This spot made us fall in-love with camping in Tasmania. #Obsessed

sunset at bay of fires while camping in Tasmania

2. Liffey Falls

Where to start with this one… It is truly beautiful! If you want serene seclusion, this is the place as it is deep in the bush with no phone service. It runs alongside a crystal clear creek, perfect for a DIY shower. There are two options to see the waterfall here. You can walk along the creek to the falls which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the easy route like us and drive 20 minutes to the start of the trail but prepared for a steep and bumpy drive. You can check out more info on the waterfall trail here.

There was also an abundance of wildlife at the campsite and the surrounding area. We saw a cute chonky wombat a couple of minutes before arrival and a platypus searching for dinner around the early evening. Although there isn’t much in the way of facilities, there is a toilet and you don’t need much else in this breathtaking free campsite in Tasmania.

3. Cockle Creek

The southern tip of Tasmania is definitely one to add to your list. After a 20km drive on a road that can only be described as a bumpy nightmare, you are truly rewarded. Don’t let the drive put you off as we saw all types of cars make it to the bottom. Once there, this free campsite in Tasmania is a little piece of heaven.

The creek runs out into a bay with clear water, where once again wildlife is plentiful. This includes the biggest bull ray we’ve ever seen, soldier crabs (Michael’s first experience with these hilarious creatures), an echidna and pademelons that love to come and keep you company on your site.

There are drop toilets throughout the bay and an information centre with information on the nearby hikes. We completed the South Cape Bay hike, a simple 4-hour trail to the southernmost tip of Australia. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, there is a 5 – 8 day hike that is said to have some of the best views in the country. We spent 5 days here and would recommended this spot to anyone camping in Tasmania!

south cape bay hike from the cockle creek campsite

wildlife at the cockle creek while camping in tasmania

swimming at cockle creek while camping in tasmania

sunset at cockle creek campsite in tasmania

4. Lake Rosebery

Situated near the West Coast, you aren’t in short supply of stunning backdrops at this spot to call home for the night. Surrounded by mountains this free campsite in Tasmania has a lake right at your feet, perfect for an afternoon dip to freshen up.

There are no facilities there, but it’s a short 15-minute drive to the town of Rosebery to use public toilets and a water refill spot (make sure you have a tap key which is a great cheap purchase to make whilst travelling). Plus, it is an easy 30-minute drive to the beautiful and highly recommended Montezuma Falls. This destination made our “Best Waterfalls in Tasmania” list. You can view our list here.

Lake Rosebery swim while camping in tasmania

5. Cooee Point

It’s funny how life works out. This free campsite in Tasmania wasn’t planned, but after breaking down our tow-truck driver dropped us off here. We couldn’t be more grateful that he did!

Does it get much better than going to bed being serenaded by penguins? This spot is located between some of the major towns and cities (Wynyard, Burnie and Devonport). It is conveniently placed with a mesmerising view of the bass straight on the Northwest Coast. Plus having those little cuties by your metaphorical doorstep is an experience we’ll never forget. Ensure to use a red infrared light to see the penguins at night. Using a standard torch is not permitted due to the harm it causes the penguins.

Another bonus to this site is that it is a 30-minute drive to our favourite beach town – Boat Harbour Beach. Another great stop provided by our tow-truck driver!

There are public toilets a short 5-minute walk along the rocky beach alongside shops within walking distance.

sunset at cooee point campsite in tasmania

penguins at cooee point while camping in tasmania

cooking at cooee point campsite in tasmania

Special Mention

We’d also like to give a special mention to the Huon Campground in the Southwest National Park. If you are camping in Tasmania and are feeing adventurous this is one you don’t want to miss! It’s unlucky to not make the cut. It doesn’t get on the list of Top Spot for Camping in Tasmania because unless you have a 4×4, the drive is awful. The views along the way are absolutely breathtaking and we don’t want anyone to miss this if they are capable of getting there.

Giant peaks as far as the eye can see and massive lakes lead to an isolated spot in the mountains. There is a drop toilet, campfires with hot plates and a day area with a BBQ. There are multiple campsites along the road that lead out to the Huon Campground so take your pick! We chose the Huon as it was the last one and we wanted to see as much of this incredible National Park as we could. From here people also depart for the Western Arthur Range Traverse which is an 8 day hike set to bring some of the most insane views.

camping in tasmania in southwest national park

Please Remember

If you’re planning on camping in Tasmania, please be respectful to the environment and don’t leave any rubbish behind. Let’s leave these places beautiful and how we found them so others can enjoy them as well. These campsites are beyond incredible and we are so lucky to be able to access them free of charge. Camping in Tasmania is honestly a dream come true and we hope you get to experience some of these stunning destinations.

Most of the campsites in Tasmania are in National Parks, so remember to grab your Parks Pass online before you go! You can purchase anywhere from daily passes to yearly passes here.

If you want to discover any tours or experiences you might want to add to your Tasmania trip, be sure to check here and here for some cracking deals! Make sure to follow along as we post more travel tips and destinations around Australia. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or want advice. We can’t wait to explore more of this country with you!