Upper Noosa River camping area 15
Soak up the solitude at the most remote camp site retreat on the upper Noosa River.
Accessible by
- Canoe or kayak
Camping area facilities
- Tent camping
- Short walk to tent
- Canoeing and kayaking
- Fishing
Always check
- Park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.
- Bureau of Meteorology weather forecasts.
- Current bushfire warnings and incidents and also fire bans and restrictions.
- Your camping permit is booked.
- Any park-specific camping information for
Cooloola Recreation Area.
- Visiting Cooloola Recreation Area safely for important safety information.
Paddle an adventurous 3km upstream from camp site 13in the Upper Noosa River waterway. Land your canoe on the inside bend of the river, near the junction with Teewah Creek. Follow the track inland to your shady private camp site among twisted swamp paperbarks, white cypress and pink bloodwoods.
Gaze up at the night sky, listen for the chorus of frogs and simply bask in the solitude. You can’t get much more remote than this—and motorised boats won’t disturb the silence! Your canoeing and kayaking adventure ends here as fallen trees and other natural debris block your way further upstream.
Getting there and getting around
Upper Noosa River camp site 15 is in Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park, on the Sunshine Coast between Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach (155–240km north of Brisbane).
- The camp site is in the southern section of Cooloola, in the Upper Noosa River waterway, 27.7km north of the Kinaba Visitor Information Centre.
- Canoeists and boaties (with electric motors) can access the camp site via Kinaba from Boreen Point and Elanda Point on Lake Cootharaba.
Via Kinaba
By canoe
- Launch your canoe at Elanda Point and paddle 4.5km (1hr) to the Kinaba Visitor Information Centre.
- Stay close to the shore line while paddling northwards. Plan to cross Lake Cootharaba early in the morning when conditions are likely to be calm and easy to travel.
- From Kinaba, paddle 1hr 20mins from Kinaba to Harrys camping area, then a further 3hrs 40 mins to camp site 15.
- Read water safety for important information about staying safe in and near water and caring for parks.
By boat
- You can take your motor boat on the Upper Noosa River waterway as far as camp site 3; to proceed to camp site 15 you need a boat with an electric motor.
- Launch your boat from the Boreen Point boat ramp and follow the lake navigation markers out into deeper water and then head on a north-east trajectory towards the visible Cooloola Sandpatch in the distant landscape.
- When you approach a red navigational marker in the middle of the lake (opposite Elanda Point), turn on a near northerly trajectory to the channel markers through very shallow shoals to the Kinaba Visitor Information Centre. The trip is 7km and 15mins travel time.
- From Kinaba allow 1.5hrs at 6 knots (and no wash) to travel to camp site 3. From here it is about another 2hrs 10mins travel time to camp site 15.
- Read boat and fish with care for tips on boating and fishing safety and caring for parks.
Getting to Boreen Point and Elanda Point
- From Brisbane drive 135km north on the Bruce Highway or the Sunshine Motorway to Tewantin; or from Gympie drive 58km south and east on the Bruce Highway to Tewantin.
- From Tewantin drive 19km west and north via McKinnon Drive and Louis Bazzo Drive to Boreen Point. Turn left onto Lake Flat Road and drive 2km to the Elanda Point access road.
Before you visit
Opening hours
Upper Noosa River camp site 15 is open 24 hours a day. Check-in to your camp after 2pm and check-out by 11am on the day of departure.
Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.
1 site - maximum of 4 people.
Upcoming camping area availability
Visiting safely
For more safety information see Visiting Cooloola Recreation Area safely and camp with care.
- Prescribed Burn - Noosa North Shore 15–21 April 2024
- Pest control program at Teewah Beach and Freshwater camping areas 13–16 May 2024
- King’s Bore Circuit temporary closure 12 May to 10 June 2024
- Annual Cooloola Hazard Reduction Burn Program 15 April to 31 August 2024
- Permanent fire prohibition on Teewah Beach 1 April 2021 to 11 October 2024
- Cooloola Wilderness Trail - No pedestrian access across Kin Kin Creek 31 January to 1 July 2024
- Portable toilets mandatory for Teewah Beach camping zones 15 March 2022 to 29 November 2024
- Unstable sand cliffs and dunes along Rainbow and Teewah beaches 4 August 2023 to 30 June 2024
- Marine turtles breeding season 1 November 2023 to 30 April 2024
Conditions report
Cooloola conditions report Updated 17 Apr 2024
Critical information for your safety is included in the conditions report—always check it before you visit.