North Mandu in Cape Range NP has just five sites. How Park Stay releases them, when availability vanishes, the seasonal closure and how to book a cancellation.
About North Mandu
North Mandu is one of the smallest campgrounds in Cape Range National Park, tucked in behind the sand dunes on the Ningaloo coast. The dunes give it some shelter from the strong winds this stretch of coast is known for, which counts for a lot when the afternoon breeze kicks in. It sits right next to the Mandu Sanctuary Zone of Ningaloo Marine Park, so the reef is on your doorstep for a swim, snorkel or paddle.
The park is part of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area and is jointly managed with the Baiyungu, Thalanyji and Yinigurdira Traditional Owners. Exmouth is the nearest town and the place to stock up before you head in. The Milyering Discovery Centre inside the park is the local Parks and Wildlife Service contact point.
Because there are so few sites, North Mandu feels quiet and personal compared with the bigger Cape Range campgrounds. The flip side is that it's one of the hardest places in the park to get a booking.
The campsites
According to DBCA's Explore Parks page, North Mandu has five compacted gravel sites of different sizes, all unpowered. Park Stay lists the same five. Check the campsite details and the campground map when you book, because the sites aren't all the same size.
Facilities are basic:
- A no-flush pit toilet is the only facility. There's no drinking water, so bring all you need.
- No campfires at any time.
- Generators are not allowed.
- No dogs or other pets. Cape Range National Park is a 1080 baiting area, which is deadly to dogs and cats.
- Don't empty portable toilet waste into the pit toilet. Carry it out to an authorised dump point.
- Bins are provided for general (non-toilet) waste, or you can carry it out.
Fees are charged two ways: a per person, per night camping fee (with concession and child rates), and a per vehicle park entry fee for Cape Range. The camping fee is paid by Mastercard or VISA when you book. The entry fee can be paid at booking, on arrival or covered by a park pass, and trailers and caravans don't need one. Check the current amounts on Explore Parks before you go.
Seasonal closure: DBCA's August 2026 Ningaloo camping FAQ says North Mandu closes for the low-demand season from Sunday 1 November 2026, reopening Monday 15 March 2027. Bungarra and Tulki Beach close over the same period.
How booking works
All bookings go through Park Stay WA, DBCA's booking system. Bookings are essential and must be made before you arrive, one campsite per booking. There's no booking fee.
North Mandu is a Ningaloo Coast campground, so it doesn't use the usual rolling 180-day window. Instead, DBCA releases Ningaloo campsites in monthly blocks on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00am AWST. As of October 2026, stays up to 30 April 2027 are on sale, and the block covering 30 April to 1 June 2027 opens at 10am AWST on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Later blocks open on 1 December 2026 and 5 January 2027. Expect a virtual waiting room on release mornings.
The maximum stay is 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights.
When it sells out
With only five sites, North Mandu can be booked out within minutes of a block opening, especially for the cooler months and the WA school holidays. The reopening in mid-March 2027 lands just ahead of the April school holidays, when DBCA expects very high demand right along the Ningaloo coast. If you're not online and through the waiting room at 10am on release day, you'll most likely be relying on cancellations.
How to get a cancellation
This is where small campgrounds can surprise you. Under DBCA's terms you can cancel or change a booking up to 11:59pm AWST on the day before arrival, and those nights go straight back into the pool.
A few patterns are worth knowing:
- The 48-hour grace period. Bookings made three or more days ahead can be cancelled free within 48 hours. After a big release morning, people who grabbed "just in case" dates often drop them within those two days.
- Free-cancellation cut-offs. Removing dates is free more than 14 days out for peak-period dates, or more than 5 days out otherwise. Expect a spike of cancellations just before those points.
- Last-minute drops. Plans fall over, and sites can reappear right up to the day before arrival.
Refreshing Park Stay by hand for five sites gets old fast. You can watch North Mandu on Aussie Camp Alerts and get an email when a night you want comes free. The free plan covers one watch; the Summer pass adds instant alerts if you're chasing a busy date.
Getting there
North Mandu is inside Cape Range National Park on the Ningaloo coast, reached by road from Exmouth. Pay or show your park entry pass for your vehicle, and download the North Mandu mud map from Explore Parks before you lose phone signal. The park is very remote: carry enough water, food, fuel and first aid for your whole stay. December to April can be extremely hot, and November to April is cyclone season.
Nearby alternatives
If North Mandu is full or closed, there are other Cape Range campgrounds to try on Park Stay:
- Osprey Bay, a much larger campground with more chances of a spare site.
- Mesa, a beachside option that can take large motorhomes.
- Neds, another small campground.
- Yardie Creek, handy if exploring the gorge is on your list.