South Lefroy Bay in Nyinggulara NP is closed after Cyclone Narelle. What its 87 sites offer, how Park Stay booking works and how to hear the moment it reopens.
About South Lefroy Bay
South Lefroy Bay is a big coastal campground in Nyinggulara National Park (listed by DBCA as "ex-Ningaloo"), north of Coral Bay. It sits next to a recreation zone of Ningaloo Marine Park, and in normal times you can launch small boats and kayaks from the beach by 4WD. Sites range from firm ground to soft sand and from small to roomy.
The Baiyungu, Thalanyji and Yinigurdira people are the Traditional Owners of Nyinggulara National Park. Coral Bay is the nearest town, with Exmouth the larger service centre further north.
Status as of October 2026: South Lefroy Bay is closed. Every campground in Nyinggulara National Park (Janes Bay, North Lefroy, Point Billie, South Lefroy and Winderabandi) was badly damaged by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle and needs a complete rebuild. DBCA also reports that damage to the park's radio tower has knocked out emergency communications. All campsites are closed until further notice, bookings can't be made until a reopening is confirmed, and DBCA has given no estimated reopening date. Check the DBCA park alerts site for updates.
The campsites
Explore Parks lists eighty-seven campsites varying in size, surface and distance from the beach, all unpowered. Park Stay shows the same 87. DBCA notes that some sites are on very soft sand, and narrow access makes some unsuitable for large caravans, so check site details and the campground map when bookings return. The layout may also change in the rebuild.
Based on DBCA's current campground page:
- A chemical toilet dump point is the only facility. No toilets, no drinking water, no bins.
- Bring a portable, self-contained toilet approved for use in Australia that can be emptied at a dump point.
- Carry all rubbish out.
- Generators are permitted.
- Dogs are allowed on a leash at all times. The park is a 1080 baiting area, so keep them under control.
- Campfires only when conditions allow, in your own portable, self-contained fire ring, and with your own firewood. Check Emergency WA for fire restrictions.
- No unlicensed ATVs, quad bikes or other off-road vehicles.
There's no park entry fee for Nyinggulara. The camping fee is per person, per night at the no-facilities rate, with concession and child rates, paid by Mastercard or VISA when booking.
How booking works
When South Lefroy reopens, it will be booked through Park Stay WA. Bookings are essential before arrival, one campsite per booking, with no booking fee.
Ningaloo Coast campgrounds, including Nyinggulara, are released in monthly blocks on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00am AWST instead of on a rolling 180-day window. As of October 2026, other Ningaloo campgrounds are bookable to 30 April 2027, with the next block (30 April to 1 June 2027) opening at 10am AWST on Tuesday 3 November 2026. DBCA hasn't said how reopened Nyinggulara sites will be released, so watch for an announcement.
The maximum stay is 14 nights if any night is in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights.
When it sells out
In a normal season, a large beachside campground like this draws a crowd, especially in the cooler months and WA school holidays. With the whole of Nyinggulara closed and a long rebuild ahead, expect plenty of pent-up demand when it reopens. The first bookable nights could go quickly.
How to get a cancellation
Right now there's nothing to cancel, because nothing can be booked. If you held a booking when the park closed, DBCA's terms say they'll offer an alternative or a refund with no cancellation fee.
Once bookings return, the usual DBCA rules apply. Campers can cancel or change up to 11:59pm AWST on the day before arrival, and those nights go back into the pool. Cancellations tend to come in the 48-hour free grace period after release mornings, just before the free cut-offs (14 days out for peak dates, 5 days out otherwise), and right up to arrival.
For now, the useful move is a reopening watch. Watch South Lefroy Bay on Aussie Camp Alerts and we'll email you when nights go from closed to bookable on Park Stay, so you can be first in when it reopens.
Getting there
DBCA puts South Lefroy Bay about 99km north of Coral Bay. Access is for high-clearance 4WD vehicles with low-range gears only, via a soft sand track. Lower your tyre pressures and bring a compressor, as there's no way to reinflate on the way out. Don't attempt to visit while the park is closed, and check the Main Roads WA travel map and DBCA alerts before any trip.
Nearby alternatives
While Nyinggulara is closed, these Ningaloo campgrounds are worth a look on Park Stay:
- North Lefroy, the neighbouring campground, also closed and worth watching for the reopening.
- Osprey Bay in Cape Range National Park.
- Sandy Point on the Warroora Coast, south of Coral Bay.
- Lagoon, also on the Warroora Coast.