Mount Field camping: powered and unpowered sites on the Tyenna River

Mount Field Campground is a serviced campground on the forested banks of the Tyenna River, just inside the main entrance of Mount Field National Park. The Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania (PWS) lists 14 powered sites plus unpowered sites for tents, caravans and campervans, with showers, a cooking shelter and free electric barbecues. It sits about 200 m from the Visitor Centre, and the park is just over an hour from Hobart. This guide covers the sites, facilities, access, fire rules and what to sort out before you go. It is written for any camper, whatever you arrive in.

What is Mount Field Campground, and where does it sit?

PWS describes the campground as having the forested banks of the Tyenna River as its setting, and as an excellent base for a stay in the park. The camping page places the campground inside the park’s main entrance, about 200 m from the Visitor Centre, and notes that it is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The Visitor Centre is at 66 Lake Dobson Rd, National Park TAS 7140. Because the campground is that close to the centre, the Visitor Centre, its picnic area and the privately run Waterfalls Café are all close to camp.

How do you get there, and what is the access like?

PWS says the park is just over an hour’s drive from Hobart via New Norfolk and Westerway, on the A10 or B62. The campground is a short distance inside the main entrance, and the PWS pages describe no separate approach road to it.

The road beyond the campground is different. The Lake Dobson carpark is 16 km past the park entrance on a winding gravel road. PWS says snow may require chains and the road may close, and that it is not suitable for campervans or buses. For current road conditions, call the Visitor Centre on 03 6288 1149.

As with most Tasmanian reserves, PWS asks drivers to avoid driving in reserves at night where possible because native wildlife is on the roads.

What are the sites like?

PWS lists 14 powered sites, plus unpowered sites, suitable for tents, caravans and campervans. The maximum is six people per site, and the maximum stay is 14 days. The page does not give a total site count, a site map or a description of the ground, so check the Parks and Wildlife Service page for the latest information.

Powered sites are the draw if you are travelling with a caravan or campervan and want electricity. Tent campers use the unpowered sites. Because the campground is in forest beside a river, expect shade and some tree cover. The PWS page does not describe tree hazards, so look up before you pitch and avoid anywhere under dead branches.

What facilities are there?

PWS lists a toilet and shower block with token-operated hot showers, washing machines and dryers (card payment only), a communal cooking shelter with a sink and hot water, free electric barbecues and a bike wash station. Tokens are sold at the campground laundry dispenser (card only) or at the Visitor Centre.

The Mount Field National Park page also notes accessible toilets near the campground, and a picnic area with sheltered tables and barbecues. At the Visitor Centre there is a picnic area with electric barbecues. The Waterfalls Café is privately run and near the Visitor Centre. The page does not give its opening hours, so check before you rely on it.

The Visitor Centre sells park passes, trail information and a Mount Field TasMap, and is open seven days. Hours listed are 9am to 5pm from 1 December to 30 April, 9am to 4pm from 1 May to 31 October and 9am to 4.15pm in November.

How does booking work?

PWS says bookings are made online through the parks booking system, and booking terms apply, including a Camping Terms and Conditions PDF linked from the page. The camping page also shows fees, but fees can change, so check the booking site rather than relying on any listing.

The PWS page does not state an open season for the campground. Check the Parks and Wildlife Service page for current dates, and confirm how sites are allocated and booked before you drive out, because booking arrangements can change. A valid parks pass is also required to enter Tasmania’s national parks. Passes are sold online and at the Visitor Centre.

Fire, stoves and the campfire ban

The campground is a Fuel Stove Only area, and fires are not permitted in the campground. Some designated fireplaces in the day-use area may be lit unless fire bans apply, and PWS asks you to ask staff first.

PWS also has a seasonal campfire ban alert. It says the bans began on reserved land on 26 October 2026 and cover several municipalities, including Central Highlands and Derwent Valley. The alert was last reviewed on 27 October 2026, and the page says to check the ban map for the rules at each campground. Bring a gas or fuel stove and plan to cook there or on the free electric barbecues or in the cooking shelter.

When is the best time to visit?

PWS does not state a season for the campground, so there is no listed open or closed period. What the pages do show is that the area has winter conditions: the Lake Dobson road may need chains or close due to snow, and ski tows run on weekends and holidays when conditions allow, operated by the Southern Tasmanian Ski Association on 03 6288 1166. Check the Parks and Wildlife Service page and the Visitor Centre if you are travelling in cold months.

What is there to do nearby?

The Visitor Centre is the starting point for the park’s walks and has trail information and a TasMap for sale. The Lake Dobson area is up the winding gravel road, so keep that in mind if you are in a campervan or towing. PWS describes the surrounding park as part of a World Heritage Area, and the page lists camping, caravan access and fuel stove only as features of the park.

For anything beyond the campground, the Visitor Centre staff are the right people to ask about walk conditions, weather and road closures.

Who this camp suits, and who should choose somewhere else

It suits campers who want showers, a cooking shelter, laundry and powered sites close to a visitor centre, with a forest and river setting an hour from Hobart. It works for caravans and campervans on the powered sites, and for tents on the unpowered sites.

If you want a free, bush-style camp, or a campfire, it is not the right place. The campground is fuel stove only, and sites are booked through the parks system.

A simple two-night plan

On arrival, check in as your booking requires, pitch, and walk to the Visitor Centre to pick up a TasMap and trail information. Cook in the communal shelter or on a free electric barbecue, and buy a token for the showers if you want a hot one.

On the second day, ask the Visitor Centre staff about walk and road conditions before heading up the gravel road beyond the campground, and leave campervans and buses at camp because PWS says the road is not suitable for them. Pack up on the last morning within your booked stay.

Wildlife and care of the place

PWS asks drivers to go slowly and watch for animals on the road. The page names no particular species. Store food securely and keep rubbish in the facilities provided. The camping page does not mention pets or dogs, so check PWS’s dogs in parks information first.

Safety and rules

Drones are not covered on the Mount Field pages, but the Tasmanian PWS site states elsewhere that they are not permitted in national parks or reserves, so leave yours at home. The six-person limit per site and the 14-day maximum stay apply, so plan group size and dates accordingly. Check the Camping Terms and Conditions on the booking site for anything else that applies, such as arrival and departure details, because the summary page does not cover them.

Common mistakes

• Taking a campervan or bus up the Lake Dobson road. PWS says it is not suitable.
• Planning a campfire at the campground. Fires are not permitted there.
• Assuming a site is free without checking how booking works.
• Forgetting the parks pass.
• Bringing cash for laundry or tokens. The laundry dispenser and washing machines take cards only.
• Leaving it late in the day to check road or snow conditions.

Planning checklist

• Check the Parks and Wildlife Service page for alerts and the campfire ban.
• Book through the parks booking system and read the Camping Terms and Conditions.
• Buy or check your Tasmanian parks pass.
• Bring a stove, a card for laundry and tokens, and cooking gear.
• Call 03 6288 1149 for road conditions if you plan to go beyond the campground.

Supplies and services

The Visitor Centre at 66 Lake Dobson Rd is open seven days and can be reached on 03 6288 1149 or MtField@parks.tas.gov.au. The Waterfalls Café is privately run near the Visitor Centre. The PWS pages do not list a shop or fuel at the park, so stock up before you arrive.

More from the operator: parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/mount-field-national-park/mount-field-camping.

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.