How to book Conto campground near Margaret River: choosing an area and site number, same-day bookings, availability tips and how to catch a cancellation.
About Conto
Conto is a very large campground in Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, south of Margaret River in WA's South West. It's tucked into shady peppermint woodland about 4 kilometres from Conto Beach, close to Boranup Forest, and right on the Cape to Cape Track, which makes it a popular overnight stop for walkers as well as families and surfers.
Conto Beach sits below the Conto Cliffs and is good for fishing and surfing. From the beach car park it's a 300-metre walk along a sandy track. Margaret River is the nearest town. We acknowledge the Wardandi people as the Traditional Owners of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.
The campsites
Conto is split into eight separate camping areas, and they're quite different, so read the details before you book. All campsites are unpowered.
- Chuditch (19 sites) and Quenda (18 sites): compacted crushed rock pads for rooftop tents, campervans, camper trailers and caravans, each with a fire ring. Some Quenda sites only have room for a small tent or swags beside the vehicle.
- Davies (12), Hamelin (22), Isaacs (13) and Whalers (13): tents and swags only, not suitable for awnings, rooftop tents, campervans, camper trailers or caravans. Davies and Isaacs have thick vegetation and good privacy.
- Whistlers (14): mixed surfaces and layouts, some tent and swag only.
- Wanil: a shared, shady camping area with no marked sites and seven parking spaces. You book for your vehicle and a spot in the shared area. Tents and swags only.
Since June 2026, campers choose a specific campsite number when they book.
Facilities:
- No-flush pit toilets in every area, the only hygiene facility (no showers)
- Food preparation shelters in Chuditch and Quenda with gas barbecues and sinks with unheated rainwater (not guaranteed year-round), plus gas barbecue shelters in Hamelin, Quenda and Wanil. Anyone can use any shelter
- Picnic tables and fire rings at most sites (Isaacs has tables only)
- No drinking water. Seasonal rainwater must be treated
- No generators
- No dogs or other domestic animals
Campfires are never allowed in Isaacs. Elsewhere they're banned through the hotter months, typically mid-November to mid-April; when allowed, use the fire rings only and bring your own firewood.
How booking works
Conto is booked online through Park Stay WA, one campsite per booking, and you must camp on it yourself. Friends travelling together who won't fit on one site need their own bookings. There's no booking fee, and the per person camping fee is paid by Mastercard or Visa. Leeuwin-Naturaliste has no vehicle entry fee.
You can book up to 180 days (about six months) ahead, and up to and including the day of arrival if a site is free. Mobile coverage in the forest can be patchy, but the campground has wifi for bookings and park information. Maximum stay is 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights.
When it sells out
Conto is close to Perth by South West standards, so it gets very busy. Expect WA school holidays, long weekends and summer weekends to book out first, often soon after those dates hit the 180-day window. The caravan-friendly areas (Chuditch and Quenda) have fewer sites than the tent-only areas, so big rigs can find it harder.
How to get a cancellation
Under DBCA's terms, campers can cancel or change up to 11:59pm AWST the day before arrival, and nights go straight back on Park Stay. Because Conto also takes same-day bookings, a freed site can be snapped up quickly.
When to look:
- The 48-hour grace period. Bookings made 3 or more days ahead can be cancelled free within 48 hours.
- Free-cancellation cut-offs. Removing dates is free more than 14 days ahead for peak dates and more than 5 days ahead otherwise, then a fee of one concession camper fee per night per site applies.
- Right up to arrival. Sites can reappear the night before.
You can watch Conto on Aussie Camp Alerts and get an email as soon as a night you want frees up. With site numbers now bookable, it's worth knowing which area suits your setup before the alert lands.
Getting there
The campground is reached via Conto Road off Caves Road, south of Margaret River. DBCA's map shows the road network inside the campground and the coastal access to the beach. Gas appliances are fine unless a Total Fire Ban is declared for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River. Check Emergency WA in summer.
DBCA also runs a small bookable campground at Point Road, in peppermint woodland on the edge of Boranup Forest, not far from Conto.
Nearby alternatives
Other campgrounds we watch along WA's coast:
- Sandy Cape: a Shire-run beach campground north of Jurien Bay, dog-friendly on a lead
- Lucky Bay: the south coast's famous white-sand camp near Esperance
- Four Mile: a quiet 15-site camp in Fitzgerald River National Park