Diamond Head camping, NSW: a beachside camp with no drinking water and fires only in braziers

Diamond Head camping, in the northern section of Crowdy Bay National Park on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, puts you on a beachside campground managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The park sits close to Port Macquarie, and the nearest town for food and supplies is Laurieton, about 10 kilometres away. This guide covers how the campground works, what the road is like, the rules that catch people out, and when to go, whether you arrive by car, camper trailer, caravan, motorbike, bicycle or on foot.

What is Diamond Head Campground?

Crowdy Bay National Park covers about 102 square kilometres of coast and was established in 1972. NPWS lists four campgrounds inside it: Diamond Head, Crowdy Gap, Indian Head and Kylies Beach. Diamond Head is the beachside one, and its listed address is 763 Diamond Head Road, Diamond Head, near Dunbogan Beach.

The campground has 75 sites. They are marked and unpowered, and NPWS describes them as suitable for tents, camper trailers, caravans and camping beside your vehicle, with some walk-in tent sites as well. From the beach you can see the dark pillars of Split Rock, and the onsite office hands out a wildflower brochure plus bird and fauna lists.

The park has a recent history worth knowing. The 2019-20 bushfire season burned about 12,000 hectares of it, including pockets of coastal rainforest, and destroyed Kylies Hut, the retreat of author Kylie Tennant. NPWS runs a fire-recovery timelapse camera near Indian Head Road, so regrowth is part of what you will see.

Can you camp at Diamond Head Campground?

Yes. It is an official NPWS campground with marked sites. Parking is allowed within your own campsite boundaries only, and day visitors use separate gravel and asphalt carparks. Walk-in campers have a designated parking area and carry their gear roughly 150 metres to their site.

The park is always open, but NPWS notes it can close at times because of poor weather or fire danger. The campground page also carries safety alerts, so read the current alerts before you leave home.

Do you need to book Diamond Head Campground?

NPWS says to book through its website, using the search availability button, or by phoning the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757, which answers from 7am to 7pm daily. Online bookings cover up to 20 people or 5 sites; larger groups must lodge a group booking enquiry.

When you arrive you must check in at the onsite office. Check-in is from 2pm and check-out is by 10am. The maximum length of stay is not stated on the pages consulted, so confirm it with NPWS if you plan a long visit. Park entry fees and camping fees apply and are paid at booking, so check the NPWS campground page for the current amounts. An annual pass is available if you visit national parks often.

How do you get to Diamond Head Campground?

The campground is reached along Diamond Head Road. NPWS describes the road as unsealed but suitable for 2WD vehicles and open in all weather. It also warns the surface can deteriorate quickly in rain and under heavy visitor numbers, so allow extra time after wet weather and take it slowly with a caravan or trailer.

Laurieton is the reference point NPWS uses: about 10 kilometres away, it is where the official page tells campers to buy food and supplies. Port Macquarie is the larger service centre; use a map for driving times.

If you have a 4WD, beach driving is available, but NPWS says you need a permit from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council before you go. Without that permit, stay off the sand.

What is the camping like at Diamond Head?

The layout is a beachside campground with a pathway to Dunbogan Beach and a roundabout with bench seating near the amenities. A step-free paved path runs past some picnic tables, the barbecue shelter and the amenities, although some of the beach access paths have steps.

Mobile phone service is available in the campground, but there is no public telephone. It suits people with tents, camper trailers and caravans who want a beach within walking distance and are comfortable with basic facilities.

Does Diamond Head have showers and toilets?

Yes. NPWS lists flush toilets, including accessible toilets at the main amenities block and near the Kojaks Beach track, and cold showers. The official page notes that the showers are not accessible for people with reduced mobility. There are also outside beach showers, which are handy for rinsing sand and salt.

Other facilities include free gas and electric barbecues, a barbecue shelter, picnic tables, and rubbish and recycling bins near the amenities. A Dump-Ezy is provided for chemical toilet waste. The onsite office sells firewood and ice.

Is there drinking water at Diamond Head?

No. NPWS states that no drinking water is available at the campground or anywhere in the park, and the what-to-bring list tells campers to carry both drinking and cooking water. Bring enough for the whole stay and top up in Laurieton or before you leave home. NPWS also tells campers to buy food before arrival.

Is Diamond Head Campground dog friendly?

No. NPWS says pets and domestic animals are not permitted, other than certified assistance animals. If a dog is coming along, choose a different campsite.

Rules: fires, generators, noise and rubbish

• Fires are allowed only in off-the-ground braziers, which you can hire from the onsite office. Collecting firewood in the park is not permitted, so buy it at the office.
• Generators are listed among the prohibited activities. NPWS gives no detail on the page, so assume you cannot run one and check before you bring it.
• Noise restrictions apply from 10pm, and amplified music is not permitted.
• Smoking is not permitted anywhere in NSW national parks.
• Spearfishing is allowed only in designated areas.
• Use the bins near the amenities.

When is the best time to camp at Diamond Head?

NPWS suggests spring for wildflowers, summer for swimming and fishing, and winter for whale watching. The park page gives the whale migration season as May to November. The wettest months are February and March and the driest is September, according to NPWS. Summer averages run from about 19 to 25 degrees, with a recorded high of 43.3 degrees, and winter averages run from 10 to 19 degrees, with a recorded low of minus 1.7 degrees. NPWS advises sun protection and extra water outside winter, since temperatures can pass 30 degrees.

Season	Months	What to expect
Summer	Dec to Feb	Warmest weather, beach and fishing time, hot days possible, wet from February
Autumn	Mar to May	Cooling nights, rain early in the season, whales begin from May
Winter	Jun to Aug	Coolest nights, whale watching, bring warm layers
Spring	Sep to Nov	Driest month is September, wildflower season, whales still passing until November

The climate chart on this page uses Port Macquarie Airport figures from Wikipedia, so treat it as a guide to the coast rather than a forecast for the campground.

What is there to do near Diamond Head?

• The Diamond Head loop walk is 4.8 kilometres and passes Indian Head, with panoramic views over coast, mountains and forest.
• The Mermaid Lookout track is a shorter walk.
• Dunbogan Beach is reached by a pathway from the campground, and the beach looks out to the blackened pillars of Split Rock.
• NPWS lists walking, birdwatching, picnics, sightseeing, fishing, surfing, swimming and paddling among the activities around the park.
• Other tracks in the park include Crowdy Gap, Forest and Metcalfes walking tracks.

Beaches are not patrolled. NPWS warns that strong rips and currents may be present and that children must be supervised at all times.

Wildlife and safety

Kangaroos have been seen close to campervans, and the park has white-bellied sea eagles, lace monitors, and a brown-striped frog according to Wikipedia. Koala habitat in the park is protected as an Asset of Intergenerational Significance. Keep your distance and do not feed wildlife.

Download the Emergency+ app before your visit, because it lets emergency services find you by GPS. In an emergency call Triple Zero (000) and give the address as Crowdy Bay National Park, Diamond Head Road, Laurieton NSW 2433.

What to bring to Diamond Head

• All drinking and cooking water.
• Food, bought in Laurieton or before you leave.
• Your own power, because sites are unpowered.
• A fire plan: either hire a brazier or cook on the free barbecues.
• Sun protection, a hat and extra water outside winter.
• Warm layers for winter and shoulder-season nights.
• A way to carry gear about 150 metres if you book a walk-in site.
• The free NSW National Parks app, which offers offline maps.

Supplies and services

Laurieton is the nearest town for food and supplies, and about 10 kilometres from the campground. Wikipedia describes it as the largest town in the Camden Haven district, with 2,012 residents at the 2021 census, lying between the base of North Brother Mountain and the Camden Haven River. Port Macquarie is the larger centre, where NPWS has its regional office. For general enquiries the Port Macquarie office on 02 6588 5555 takes calls on weekdays, 9am to 4:30pm.

A one-night plan

Book ahead, shop in Laurieton on the way, and fill your water containers before turning onto Diamond Head Road. Arrive after 2pm and check in at the office, set up, hire a brazier if you want a fire, and walk to the beach for sunset. Next morning, pack and check out by 10am, with the shorter Mermaid Lookout track if time allows.

A weekend plan

Arrive on Friday afternoon with water and groceries already loaded. On Saturday, do the 4.8 kilometre Diamond Head loop via Indian Head early before the heat, then swim or fish at the beach in the afternoon, remembering that the sea is unpatrolled. Use the barbecue shelter for dinner and keep noise down after 10pm. Sunday morning, pack up for the 10am check-out and detour to Laurieton before heading home. Between May and November, watch the sea for whales.

Who should choose somewhere else?

Choose a different camp if you need a pet-friendly site, powered sites, a generator, or drinking water on tap. Within the same park, Kylies Beach Campground is another NPWS option on the same unsealed road, with unmarked unpowered sites and non-flush toilets, but it also has no water and does not allow pets. Crowdy Gap and Indian Head are the park’s other two campgrounds; check their NPWS pages for current facilities.

Planning checklist

• Confirm the campground is open and read current alerts.
• Book through NPWS and note the 2pm check-in and 10am check-out.
• Pack water, food, and a plan for power.
• Check your 4WD beach permit with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council if you want to drive on the sand.
• Leave pets and generators at home.
• Download Emergency+ and the NPWS app.

Common mistakes

• Assuming there is a tap. There is no drinking water in the park.
• Arriving without a booking and expecting a site.
• Bringing a dog or a generator.
• Gathering firewood instead of buying it at the office.
• Swimming without checking rips; the beaches are unpatrolled.
• Driving a caravan on the unsealed road in the wet without allowing extra time.

More from the operator: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/Diamond-Head-campground.

Plan it in the app

Save the camp on your route in MotoRidez and the planner shows road closures along the way, and where your tank runs out once you have entered the range of your vehicle. Save the route for offline use before you lose signal: it saves the corridor around your route, not a whole region.

Details come from the operator’s own records and pages, read on 20 October 2026, and change. We do not show prices or availability. Confirm fees, bookings, closures and fire rules with the operator before you go.