Five reasons to take the family camping in a national park
Issued: 3 Sep 2018

Not quite convinced to pack the family tent and head off to one of Queensland's parks and forests? With so many great reasons to take the family camping, we’ve pulled together our top five to help you change your mind. You never know, you just might get hooked!

1. Affordable family getaway

Camping in our parks and forests is affordable family-fun! For around $28, little more than the cost of a family-sized pizza, the whole family can sleep in million-star-rated accommodation in a beautiful natural setting.

And, once you are there, that’s all you pay for. There are no takeaways, expensive rides or souvenir shops to tempt your wallet from your pocket.

Instead, the kids will be fully occupied with free 'nature play’ and the 'busy-ness' of camping—precious times that will be long remembered.  Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?

_{Carnarvon Gorge camping area, Carnarvon National Park | © Hannah Beaumont}

2. Something for everyone

With hundreds of camping areas across Queensland, we have something special to suit every family, and they are all listed on our website. Literally at your fingertips!

If sleeping under canvas (or polyester) sounds a little daunting, search for camping areas with sites suitable for camper trailers and caravans. If you’re new to camping, or just prefer a few creature-comforts (well, who doesn’t?), look for camping areas with facilities such as toilets, barbecues and picnic areas.

If you already have a few family camping trips under your belt and are ready for something more adventurous, search for camping areas with swimming, mountain biking, fishing or hiking opportunities thrown in. Perfect for families with active adventurous kids!

_{Broadwater, Abergowrie State Forest | © Fiona O’Grady}

3. Camping is freedom

Camping in our parks and forests, whether nestled in native bushland, beside a gurgling creek or near a sandy shore, sets you and your family free of the constraints of the ‘day-to-day’.

Throw away the schedule, wake with the sun (or at your leisure), go to bed with the stars and eat when hunger nudges. And, in between all that? Relax around your camp site, watching the kids play, brewing a cuppa now and then and dipping into that novel you’ve been intending to read for ages.

With no floors to sweep, lawns to mow or ‘taxi rosters' to keep, it’s just you, your family and nature. Mmmm…

_{Bald Rock Creek camping area, Girraween National Park | © Robert Ashdown}

4. Kids thrive in nature

Kids love getting down and dirty with nature…we just need to provide the setting! A family camping trip, whether a weekend or short break, is a great way to immerse your kids in the natural environment.

Let nature occupy young minds and challenge healthy, active bodies as they use their imagination to devise games around the camp site, and their creativity to solve weighty problems, such as how best to toast a marshmallow over the camp fire.

A camping trip to one of our parks or forests is the perfect opportunity for kids, and parents, to ‘go wild’ just for a while.

_{Granite Arch walk, Girraween National Park | Maxime Coquard © Queensland Government}

5. Reconnect the family

Imagine this—you and your family are perched on logs or camping chairs around a brightly-burning camp fire, or perhaps a sizzling barbecue. Dusk is falling, dinner (and the bucket washing-up) is done and now the fun starts—storytelling around the camp fire, board games by lantern-light, counting the stars, listening to night sounds and taking eerie walks to spotlight for wildlife in the forest.

The best thing about camping in our parks and forests is that it takes you away from everyday distractions and allows your family to reconnect in nature, strengthening bonds and creating happy memories that last a lifetime.

_{Booloumba Creek camping area, Conondale National Park  | Greg Cartwright © Queensland Government}

Convinced yet?

All camping areas—we have hundreds!—are listed on our website. To browse the opportunities on offer, find a park, and search by 'Park' or 'Camping area', and filter for park features (such as toilets, picnic tables, camp fires, etc) to suit your family. Then, presto, a list of possible family camping getaways is laid out at your fingertips.

Planning your family adventure, then booking and paying for your camp site, just a click away. And always check Park alerts before you go!