Putty Beach camping, Bouddi National Park: facilities, booking and rules

Putty Beach camping in Bouddi National Park puts a small, tent-only campground right behind a surf beach at Killcare on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The park sits near Gosford, roughly 90 minutes’ drive north of Sydney, and this is the largest of its three campgrounds. The National Parks and Wildlife Service runs it, lists it as open, and asks visitors to check the local alerts page before leaving home. It suits anyone who can carry a tent a short way from a car and wants a coastal base without a long drive from the city.

What is Putty Beach campground?

Putty Beach campground is one of three coastal campgrounds in Bouddi National Park, alongside Little Beach and Tallow Beach. The park protects beaches, steep sea cliffs, rainforest and heathland on the Bouddi Peninsula, and the operator also points to Aboriginal sites and a paddle steamer wreck within its boundaries. According to Wikipedia, the park covers about 1,532 hectares and was first set aside in 1967 as Bouddi Natural Park before becoming a national park in 1974. The name is an Aboriginal word that Wikipedia gives as meaning heart.

The campground has 20 marked, unpowered sites. Putty Beach itself lies at the northern end of Killcare Beach, and the campground is described as a short walk to the tent sites rather than a drive-up pitch beside your vehicle.

Can you camp at Putty Beach?

Yes. The operator lists the campground as open, with bookings made through the national parks website. Camping fees apply and are separate from the daily vehicle entry fee for the park, which you pay at card-enabled pay machines or through the Park’nPay app. Annual passes exist. The amounts change, so read them off the booking page rather than a blog.

Check-in is from 2pm and check-out is before 10am. Parties of up to 20 people or five sites can book online; larger groups must send a group enquiry. The National Parks Contact Centre takes bookings and questions on 1300 072 757 between 7am and 7pm daily.

Do you need to book Putty Beach campground?

Plan on booking ahead. Sites are reserved through the operator’s online availability search, and the campground uses marked sites with a fixed capacity, so turning up and expecting a spare spot is a gamble. Whether a given weekend is full is something only the booking system can tell you, so check it as soon as you pick your dates.

Each site holds up to six people. Most take either one large tent for four to six people or two small tents for two or three people. Sites 13 and 18 are smaller: one small tent, three people at most. Pick a site with that in mind before you bring a big family tent.

How do you get to Putty Beach campground?

From Empire Bay, follow Wards Hill Road, turn right into The Scenic Road at Killcare Heights, then turn left into Putty Beach Road and continue to the campground. The operator describes the roads as sealed and open in all weather, and says the route is suitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles. There is no long-vehicle access, so a caravan or large motorhome is not an option here. A camper trailer is a question to put to the park office before you book.

Small bitumen parking bays line Putty Beach Road through the campground, and a larger bitumen carpark sits at the end of the road. Sydney is about 93 km away according to Wikipedia, and Killcare is roughly 21 km south of Gosford and about 10 km south-east of Woy Woy. Public transport links on local bus routes connect Hardys Bay with Woy Woy and Gosford, though you should check current timetables before relying on them.

What are the sites and facilities like?

All sites are unpowered, marked and for tents only. Facilities listed by the operator are:

• Toilets, including one accessible flush toilet
• One outdoor cold-water shower
• Town water at the campsite, although the operator recommends bringing your own drinking water
• Picnic tables and barbecue shelters on concrete slabs
• Free gas and electric barbecues
• Rubbish and recycling bins

There is no wheelchair access. The ground is mostly flat and step-free but has no paths, so you cross kerb and grass to reach most areas. Of the two beach access points, one has nine steps and the other is step-free with a sandy surface.

Does Putty Beach have showers and toilets?

It has one outdoor cold-water shower and toilets, including one accessible flush toilet. With 20 sites sharing them, expect to queue at busy times and bring a towel and a plan for a rinse after surfing. There is no hot water listed, and no powered sites for charging.

Can you have a campfire at Putty Beach?

No. The operator states that wood fires are not permitted at the campground or on the beach. Gas and electric barbecues in the shelters are free to use, so cook on those or bring your own stove. Check the alerts page too, because the park can close in poor weather or high fire danger.

Is Putty Beach campground dog friendly?

No. Pets are not allowed, apart from certified assistance animals. Plan boarding or a dog-friendly stay elsewhere.

Other rules to know

• Generators are not permitted, and fines apply.
• Amplified music is not permitted, and fines apply.
• Quiet restrictions apply after 10pm.
• Smoking is not allowed, because NSW national parks are smoke-free.
• Overnight stays in vehicles are prohibited, including campervans and rooftop tents. This catches out many car campers, so bring a proper tent.
• Fishing needs a current NSW recreational fishing licence.

What is there to do near Putty Beach?

The beach is the main draw, with swimming, rock platforms and fishing. The Bouddi Coastal Walk starts at the eastern end of Putty Beach and leads to Gerrin Point lookout. Other tracks in the park include the Maitland Bay track, Mount Bouddi walking track, Box Head track, Bullimah Spur track, Flannel Flower walking track and Daleys Point walking track. Mount Bouddi has a picnic area.

The operator recommends snorkelling at Maitland Bay in summer and surfing the coast between MacMasters Beach and Box Head. Guided Aboriginal heritage tours are offered in the park. The Maitland Bay Information Centre at 174 The Scenic Road opens weekends and public holidays from 11am to 3pm, and its phone number is 02 4320 4200.

When is the best time to camp at Putty Beach?

The operator lists three highlights through the year. Spring brings wildflowers along the coastal walk, summer suits swimming and snorkelling, and winter is the time to look for migrating humpback whales, typically from May to July. January to March is the wettest period. Summer averages sit around 20 to 26 degrees with a record of 42.4 degrees, while winter averages are 9 to 17 degrees with a record low of 3.4 degrees.

Season	What to expect
Summer	Swimming and snorkelling; averages 20 to 26 degrees; wettest from January
Autumn	Not described by the operator; check the forecast and alerts
Winter	Whale watching from May to July; averages 9 to 17 degrees
Spring	Wildflowers along the Bouddi Coastal Walk

Is it safe to swim and how is the wildlife?

The beaches here are not patrolled and can have strong rip currents. The operator advises swimming between the red and yellow flags at a patrolled beach and suggests using Beachsafe to find one. Killcare Beach has a surf lifesaving club that patrols on weekends and holidays in summer, according to Wikipedia, but confirm patrol dates and the flagged area before you swim.

Mobile reception is limited, and you need reception to call Triple Zero (000). Download the Emergency Plus app before you go. Brush turkeys wander the campground, so keep food in a closed container or your vehicle. The park has more than 150 bird species recorded, plus lace monitors, water dragons and green tree snakes, and humpback whales and dolphins offshore.

What should you bring?

• A freestanding tent that fits within the site limits
• Drinking water, even though town water is available
• A gas stove or plan to use the free barbecues, since wood fires are banned
• Warm layers for winter nights and sun protection for summer
• Swimmers, a towel and sandals for the cold outdoor shower
• A torch and a power bank, as there are no powered sites
• Cash or a card for the entry pay machine, or the Park’nPay app
• A fishing licence if you plan to fish

What supplies and services are nearby?

Killcare village has a small centre around the Killcare Store, plus cafes and restaurants. Hardys Bay has a small group of local shops. Ettalong Beach and Erina Fair are the larger shopping centres named nearby, and Woy Woy and Gosford are the closest towns of size. No specific supermarket or fuel station on the peninsula could be confirmed, so stock up on the way in and check a map for fuel.

A one-night plan

Arrive after 2pm, park, set up, then walk to the beach. Cook on the barbecue shelter, swim only if conditions are calm and you are comfortable with unpatrolled water, and keep noise down from 10pm. Pack up and leave before 10am.

A weekend plan

On day one, set up and spend the afternoon on the beach and rock platforms. On day two, walk the Bouddi Coastal Walk from the eastern end of the beach to Gerrin Point lookout, with time for lunch in Killcare. If the Maitland Bay Information Centre is open, call in. Leave before 10am on the final day.

Who is Putty Beach for, and who should go elsewhere?

It suits tent campers, couples, families and groups who want a short walk-in and a beach. Look elsewhere if you have a caravan, motorhome, a dog, a generator or a campervan you want to sleep in. Little Beach is a walk-in campground, 750 metres along a gravel trail from the Grahame Drive carpark, with six tent sites and no drinking water. Tallow Beach is a harder 1.2 km walk on a steep gravel trail, with six unmarked tent sites and toilets only. Both are for campers carrying their own gear.

Planning checklist

• Book your dates and check the alerts page
• Confirm your tent fits the site limits
• Leave pets at home
• Bring a stove and water
• Use the rubbish and recycling bins provided
• Plan fuel and groceries before arrival
• Download Emergency Plus

Common mistakes

• Arriving with a campervan and expecting to sleep in it
• Planning a wood fire on the beach
• Bringing a dog
• Packing a generator
• Assuming the beach is patrolled
• Relying on mobile reception for emergencies
• Forgetting that check-out is before 10am

More from the operator: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/putty-beach-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.