How to book Four Mile campground in Fitzgerald River NP near Hopetoun: 15 sites, the 180-day window, availability tips and how to pick up a cancellation.
About Four Mile
Four Mile is the bookable campground in the eastern end of Fitzgerald River National Park, a short drive from Hopetoun on WA's south coast. It's a medium-sized camp close to Four Mile Beach, which runs from Culham Inlet to Barrens Beach. A formed path leads about 200 metres from camp to a picnic area overlooking the beach.
Fitzgerald River is one of WA's quieter parks, but it's a cracker. DBCA says 75 of its plant species are found nowhere else, around 200 bird species live here, and the headlands are good for whale watching in winter. Four Mile makes a handy base for East Mount Barren, Barrens Beach, Mylies Beach and West Beach, and the Hakea Trail runs through this end of the park. We acknowledge the Goreng, Menang and Wudjari people as the Traditional Owners of Fitzgerald River National Park.
The campsites
Explore Parks WA lists 15 campsites, matching the 15 on Park Stay WA, in two types:
- 10 reverse-in compacted gravel sites (the campground map shows these as 10m x 6m) for caravans and other rigs
- 5 loose-gravel sites for tents and swags only, with parking a short walk away
All sites are unpowered. When booking you choose a site type, then pick any vacant site of that type on arrival, so check the campsite details and map carefully.
Facilities:
- No-flush pit toilets
- A hot water shower
- A food preparation shelter with gas stoves, dishwashing sinks and prep benches
- Sheltered and unsheltered gas barbecues, and sheltered picnic tables
- No drinking water. Untreated water may be available but isn't guaranteed and must be treated
- No bins, so carry all rubbish out
- No campfires or solid fuel barbecues, cookers or heaters at any time
- Gas appliances are fine unless a Total Fire Ban is declared for the Shire of Ravensthorpe
- No dogs (1080 baiting is ongoing)
- Generators allowed 10am to 8pm
How booking works
Four Mile is booked through Park Stay WA, DBCA's booking system. Bookings are essential and made before arrival, one campsite per booking. There's no booking fee, and the camping fee is paid by Mastercard or Visa when you book.
Expect two charges: a per person, per night camping fee and a per vehicle park entry fee. Entry can be paid when booking, on arrival, or covered with a park pass. Trailers and caravans are exempt.
The window is a rolling 180 days, about six months ahead. Maximum stay is 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights.
When it sells out
Fifteen sites don't last long when demand spikes. Expect WA school holidays, long weekends and the Christmas break to fill first. Spring is the other busy patch, when the park's wildflowers are out. The caravan sites usually go before the walk-in tent sites, so if you're tenting you may have more luck.
December to April can be very hot with high bushfire risk, and nights from June to September can be cold.
How to get a cancellation
When Four Mile shows as full, it's worth checking again. DBCA lets campers cancel or change bookings up to 11:59pm AWST the day before arrival, and those nights go straight back on Park Stay.
Common times for sites to free up:
- Within 48 hours of booking. Bookings made 3 or more days ahead can be cancelled free in that grace period.
- Before the free-cancellation cut-offs. Removing dates is free more than 14 days ahead for peak dates, or more than 5 days ahead otherwise. After that the fee is one concession camper fee per night per site.
- The last few days. Nights can open up right until the evening before arrival.
You can watch Four Mile on Aussie Camp Alerts and get an email when your dates open up, instead of checking Park Stay over and over.
Getting there
Four Mile is on Hamersley Drive, and DBCA's campground map shows Hopetoun about 10 kilometres away by sealed road, with Barrens Beach 1.7 kilometres further along. Hopetoun is your closest stop for supplies. DBCA asks visitors to avoid driving or walking in wet, muddy conditions, observe road closures, and clean footwear at the start and end of walks to help stop the spread of dieback.
If Four Mile is full, DBCA also runs St Mary Inlet Campground in the park, which isn't bookable, and the Shire of Ravensthorpe runs a separate campground at Hamersley Inlet.
Nearby alternatives
Further east along the coast in Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance:
- Lucky Bay: 56 sites on one of WA's best-known beaches
- Le Grand Beach: 14 sites behind the dunes beneath Mount Le Grand