Point Plomer Campground near Crescent Head: how to book, when it sells out over summer, and how to catch a cancellation in Limeburners Creek National Park.
About
Point Plomer Campground is in the middle of Limeburners Creek National Park, north of Crescent Head on the NSW Mid North Coast. It's beach camping: golden beaches, rainforest close by, and good surfing, swimming and fishing. There's a kid-friendly beach nearby, and in winter and spring you might see whales and dolphins offshore, along with ospreys and pied oystercatchers on the shore.
NPWS describes the campground as remote, and it is. Come prepared to be self-sufficient.
The sites
There are 84 marked, unpowered campsites, suited to tents, camper trailers, caravans and camping beside your vehicle.
Facilities:
- An accessible amenities block with flush toilets and cold showers
- Picnic tables
- A boat ramp
- Rubbish bins
- Parking at the campground
There's no drinking water, so bring all your drinking and cooking water, plus a fuel stove. Fires are only allowed in off-ground braziers, which you can hire from the onsite office, and you can buy firewood from the campground manager.
A few more rules:
- Check-in is after 2pm and check-out is before 10am. Check in at the onsite office when you arrive.
- No generators.
- No pets, apart from certified assistance animals.
- Noise restrictions apply after 10pm.
- Don't lay tarps on the grass, because it kills it.
- Park entry fees apply, and you can pay them when you book.
The beaches aren't patrolled and can have strong rips, so be careful in the water.
The campground page doesn't list a minimum stay, but peak periods can have one, so check the booking screen for your dates.
How booking works
Bookings are made online through the NSW National Parks website. You can book up to 20 people or 5 sites online. Larger groups use the group booking enquiry form. Availability is shown by site type for each night.
Cancellation terms for camping, per the NPWS booking conditions:
- Cancel 31 or more days before arrival: 75% refund.
- Cancel 30 days or less before arrival: 50% refund.
- The booking fee is non-refundable.
You can transfer a camping booking to other dates at the same campground and site type if the booking window allows, but only as a whole booking.
The National Parks Contact Centre is on 1300 072 757, 7am to 7pm daily. The campground is run by the NPWS Kempsey office, on 02 6561 6700 on weekdays.
When it sells out
Point Plomer is a big campground, but summer still fills it. When we checked in October 2026, the Christmas to Australia Day period was booked out, as it was at every NSW coastal campground we sampled. Easter, school holidays and long weekends are the other busy times. Outside those, especially midweek, you've got a much better chance of walking straight into a booking.
How to get a cancellation
A big campground means more bookings, and more bookings mean more cancellations. The trick is seeing them before someone else does.
The timing follows the refund rules. The refund drops from 75% to 50% once arrival is less than 31 days away, so people who aren't sure tend to cancel just before then. For late December and January stays, roughly 20 November to 26 December is when sites are most likely to come back. A few more come up in the last days before arrival, especially if the weather turns.
Watch Point Plomer on Aussie Camp Alerts and we'll keep an eye on availability for you, then send an alert as soon as a booked-out night opens. The free plan gives you one live watch with email alerts, sent 15 minutes after paid alerts. The Summer pass covers up to 10 watches with instant alerts, plus Telegram and web push.
Getting there
From Kempsey, drive towards Crescent Head. At the Crescent Head village entrance, turn right onto Point Plomer Road (also called Bakers Road). It's about 12km of sealed road to the Big Hill entrance, then about 5km of gravel to the campground.
The road can get potholed after rain, so check conditions before you leave. NPWS also says the southern approach on Plomer Road is 4WD only and not suitable for towing caravans, while the northern approach is 2WD accessible. If you're towing, check the visitor info page for which way to come in before you set off.
Mobile reception is limited. It's most reliable on the beachfront near the campground.
Nearby alternatives
If Point Plomer is full:
- Trial Bay Gaol, north near South West Rocks, with powered sites, showers and a cafe.
- Diamond Head, down the coast in Crowdy Bay National Park.
- Sandon River, much further north in Yuraygir National Park.