Bunya Mountains National Park Southern Queensland Country

Pitch your tent in the quiet, grassy area of Westcott camping area. Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government

Like to become a campground host?

The department is seeking volunteers to act as campground hosts at Bunya Mountains National Park over the Queensland school holidays. Photo credit: © Tourism and Events Queensland

Westcott camping area

Pitch your tent on the edge of a peaceful grassy 'bald' with pleasant views over distant plains to the west.

Accessible by

  • Conventional vehicle
  • Bicycle

Camping area facilities

  • Wood-fired barbecue (BYO wood)
  • Picnic tables
  • Toilets (flush)
  • Wheelchair access (may require assistance)
  • Tent camping
  • Short walk to tent
  • Walking

Always check

Escape the crowds and set up camp in this small, semi-shaded grassy camping area—a grassland 'balds' surrounded by forest—on the western side of the range.

Unpack your binoculars, find a discreet spot along the forest edge, and sit down to watch the spectacular variety of birdlife. You’ll see red-browed finches, double-barred finches, grey fantails, and all three of the mountain's fairy-wren species—the variegated, red-backed and superb blue fairy-wrens.

Grab your hiking boots and explore the park on one of three hikes from Westcott—Paradise to Westcott track, Koondaii circuit and the Westcott to Cherry Plain track.

Getting there and getting around

The Westcott camping area is in the Bunya Mountains National Park, 200km north-west of Brisbane and 125km north-west of Toowoomba in the South Burnett region.

  • The camping area is 4km along Bunya Mountains Road from the Dandabah area.

Several steep, narrow and winding routes, signposted as the Great Bunya Drive, lead to the park. The Bunya Mountains Road passes through the park from the south-east to the north.

For more details on how to get to Bunya Mountains National Park, please see getting there and getting around.

Before you visit

Opening hours

Westcott camping area 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.

Enormous grass trees are a memorable feature of the Bunyas' landscape.

Lookouts near the Westcott camping area give great views west across the Darling Downs.

Photo credit: Queensland Government

Campground features: A small, semi-shaded grassy area suitable for tents only.

Location: About 4.2km north-west of the QPWS information centre.

Access: The camping area can be reached by conventional vehicle. It is not accessible for trailers, caravans, motorhomes or buses. Although the campground is accessible by car, it is not possible to drive onto the camp sites—parking is available only a short distance from each camp site.

Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites for up to 30 people.

Camp sites are suitable for: walk-in camping only.

Camp site surface: Grass.

Facilities: Picnic tables, water (treat before drinking), toilets (hybrid system) and fireplaces. Please note: this camping area does not have showers.

Open fires: In fireplaces only, except when fire bans or prohibitions apply. Please bring your own clean milled timber, free from pests or disease to use as firewood. Timber cannot be collected from anywhere within the national park. Make sure your fire is out before you leave it—extinguish with water, not sand or dirt. Fuel or gas stoves are recommended.

Generators: Not permitted.

Essentials to bring: Rubbish bags (no bins are provided) and insect repellent. Fuel or gas stoves are recommended. Read more about before you visit.

Bookings: Book online or learn about our camping booking options.

Mobile phone coverage: Poor.

Accessibility

There is step-free access from the bitumen carpark to both bitumen and paved pathways suitable for wheelchairs and wheeled mobility devices; surfaces may be rough and uneven. There is no designated parking area for people with a disability.

Picnic tables and barbecues are located on paved surfaces, accessed via flat or gently sloping grassy terrain. There is one picnic table in the adjacent day-use area with a paved pathway leading to it. Picnic tables have fixed seating on two sides.

Access to the toilet facilities is via a ramp or a flight of 6 steps with bilateral handrails. A wheelchair-accessible toilet is available, with an outwards-opening self-closing door with a clear opening of 800mm, grabrails, and a raised toilet seat height. Male and female toilet cubicles are accessed via inwards-opening doors with raised seat height and no grabrails present.

There are no shower facilities at Westcott camping area.

Upcoming camping area availability

Visiting safely

For more safety information see Visiting Bunya Mountains safely and camp with care.