Peoples Park Coral Bay: how the three yearly booking releases work, when sites sell out, the 28-day cancellation policy and how to catch site availability.
About Peoples Park Coral Bay
Peoples Park is the caravan park right across the road from the beach in Coral Bay, the tiny town on the edge of Ningaloo Marine Park. The reef sits just off the sand, so you can walk out of camp and snorkel straight off the beach. The park is privately run by Coral Bay Peoples Park, and the town's shopping village, bakery and cafes are at its front gate.
Coral Bay is famous for its resident manta rays, whale shark tours from March to June and humpback whale tours from July to October. That means demand is strong for much of the year: the operator lists high season as 19 March to 31 October, plus the Christmas and New Year period.
The campsites
There are two camping areas:
- Ocean Front sites: lawn sites with plenty of shade for most of the year, only metres from the beach.
- Pioneer sites: large, spacious powered sites for caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers and tents.
The park says it has both powered and unpowered sites. It also has cabins, hilltop villas and a penthouse if you'd rather not camp.
Things to know before you book a site:
- Maximum caravan or camper trailer length is 24 feet (7.3 metres), unless you arrange otherwise with the park. If your rig doesn't fit, you can be asked to leave with no refund, so measure including the drawbar.
- Up to six people per site, with a maximum of four adults, and one vehicle per site.
- Specific sites aren't guaranteed. Requests are considered but not promised.
- The water at the caravan sites is artesian bore water: fine for showers and dishes, not for drinking. There are three fresh water taps for bottles, but you can't fill van tanks, so fill up in Exmouth or Carnarvon before you arrive.
- The park's FAQ says pets are not accepted, and its T&Cs rule out pets during WA school holidays. Ask before you bring one.
- No open fires, no fish cleaning in the park, and quiet time from 10pm.
Facilities include an air-conditioned camp kitchen, several barbecue areas, two amenity blocks with toilets, showers and laundries, a playground and limited Wi-Fi hotspots. Only Telstra and Optus have coverage in town.
How booking works
Peoples Park doesn't use a rolling window. Bookings are released in three batches a year, phone first. On each release date you call from 8am and leave a detailed message, which the team works through in order; they aim to respond within 48 hours. Online bookings, through the park's NewBook booking page, open at 5pm two days after the phone release.
The next release is on 4 November 2026, for stays from 1 November 2027 to 28 February 2028. Check the park's booking information page for later release dates.
A deposit equal to your first night is taken when you book, and the balance is due at least 28 days before arrival. During WA school holidays there's a five-night minimum stay. Group bookings (two or more sites) have to be made by contacting the park, not online.
When it sells out
Because a whole season opens on a single morning, the best dates go on release day, and returning regulars know the drill. School holidays and the whale shark and manta months are the toughest. If you miss out on the phone line, you're relying on cancellations.
How to get a cancellation
The park's own policy is strict and explains when sites come back:
- Cancel 29 or more days before arrival and you get everything back except a cancellation fee equal to your first night (kept from the deposit).
- Cancel 28 days or less before arrival, including no-shows, and you lose everything you've paid.
- Any change you ask for within 28 days counts as a cancellation, and leaving early earns no refund.
- Cancellations must be emailed to the park, and it's up to you to confirm they arrived.
The 28-day mark is the line that matters. People who aren't sure they can make it tend to cancel just before it, and that's also when the balance falls due, so freed-up sites cluster around four weeks out. The park can re-sell cancelled sites, so they go back on sale. Watch Peoples Park on Aussie Camp Alerts and we'll alert you when a site for your dates appears online.
Getting there
Coral Bay is roughly 12 hours' drive north of Perth along the coast, according to the park. If you'd rather fly, Qantas flies to Learmonth Airport near Exmouth, and the park quotes 75 to 90 minutes for the drive from there to Coral Bay. Check-in for campsites is from 11am until 6pm, and the park is behind a boom gate, so you'll need to check in to get access.
Nearby alternatives
If Coral Bay is full, the Warroora Coast just south has remote beach camping through Park Stay WA at Sandy Point and Lagoon. Further north, Ningaloo Caravan & Holiday Resort in Exmouth is a large commercial park, and Osprey Bay in Cape Range National Park puts you right on the reef.