Port Hedland Free RV Campground

Central to Port Hedland, a couple of blocks back from the beach and less than a kilometre from the shopping centre is a large sandy patch where you can set up and camp for free.

Note: Unless you’ve got a built-in toilet or a ensuite tent with both a toilet and shower, you’ll get kicked out of this place before you know it. We tried staying here with both a toilet and shower, but because we didn’t have the correct tent, they kicked us out – even with a toilet block 600 metres away. The fines are huge and you’ll be persuaded to go stay at the golf course for $20 per night, the ranger will tell you is a great place, but it’s definitely not a nice campsite and not recommended. Instead try the caravan park or one of the many hotels and hostels that are close by.

If you’ve got the right set-up, Port Hedland RV Free Campground isn’t a bad place to set up for the night. It’s spread out, plenty of space for dozens of parties and in a central location to the town, just a few minutes walk from the beach (although the beach doesn’t seem to be a place that you can swim due to the large amount of rocks a short distance off shore, depending on the tide). On the other hand, there’s only one row of trees that go along the road side fence, so on a hot sunny day (as it often is in Port Hedland), if you’re not in early, you’ll have to camp in spot that has full exposure to the sun.

It’s best to treat this place as a free stop over, keeping in mind that there are no facilities or comforts.

Even if you don’t have the equipment to be permitted to stay the night, there’s free potable drinking water at the entrance to the campground, so fill up your tank and keep moving.

There’s another free camp about 40 minutes to the east of Port Hedland called the Gravel Pit – it’s quite literally a few piles of gravel and an open space. You can set up here, then get an early start on a long drive to Barn Hill Side Station Stay on the way to Broome, or head south to Dales Campground at Karijini, otherwise the Tom Price Tourist Park.

None – see the note above. This place is literally large patch of sand. There’s free water and a large grass field next to campground, right beside skatepark within walking distance.