5 Best Free Campsites In The Bay Of Fires

Imagine waking up and stepping out of bed to the sun cresting the horizon, throwing shades of pale pink and red across the sky, and watching as the Bay of Fires’ famous beaches begin to glow in the rising light. Imagine watching this from your bed at the best campsites in the Bay of Fires! For free I might add. 

Tasmania has the best – and the most – free campsites out of all the states in Australia, with some on seriously prime real estate! The Bay of Fires, in Tasmania’s northeast, is one of these epic locations with not one but ten free campsites along the coast. The hardest choice you will have when visiting the Bay of Fires is which free campsite to choose!

It’s hard to decide which are the best free campsites in the Bay of Fires because they are all so incredibly beautiful and each offers something unique. But if we had to break it down, these would be our top five.

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The 5 Best Free Campsites In The Bay Of Fires

1. Cosy Corner North

Cosy Corner North was the first campsite we stayed in at the Bay of Fires and we loved it that much, we extended our stay for an extra two days. Relaxing at our tranquil beachside campsite was far too enticing, and exploring the surrounding coastline littered with orange lichen boulders was far too hard to leave.

Tucked into the trees, this is the perfect campsite to hang a hammock and shelter from the wind whipping off the ocean. For this reason, Cosy Corner North is our go-to during winter when the air is bitingly fresh.

This free campsite is quite spacious and offers some private sites to the right as you drive in. These get snatched up extremely quickly, especially on weekends and holidays during the warmer months. It’s best to grab a spot as early as possible to avoid missing out.

Cosy Corner North is the best free campsite in the Bay of Fires if you plan to snorkel and explore the neighbouring beaches via the rock pools on the points. It will also be your best choice if the weather is predicted to produce high winds or a drizzle. 

2. Sloop Reef

We may have begun with the notion that Cosy Corner North was the best, but now that we’ve visited Sloop Reef we are confident that this is the best campsite in the Bay of Fires! You can literally camp at the edge of the rocky point with uninterrupted views of the vast Tasman Sea. 

The night we camped here, it was a new moon and we spent hours laying on our backs staring at the inky black sky tacked up with an infinite amount of glowing stars. The eye of the milky way rose above us and with no light pollution nearby, the centre seemed to take on a blue/purple haze. 

If you’re a keen photographer, this is the campsite for you! The higher elevation provides expansive views beyond Taylors Beach towards Sloop Lagoon in the north, an ideal composition for sunset. And to the south, the rocky orange-hued point creates the perfect foreground for a sunrise shot.

Sloop Reef is also the closest campsite to the not so secret Mermaid Pool, the best swimming hole in the Bay of Fires, and a secluded cove with sensational snorkelling and diving when the water is gentle. 

The only downside to the Sloop Reef campsite is the fact it is very small and has no toilets. You could only comfortably fit 3 to 6 camp setups on the point and a few tents tucked into the trees on the west side of the camp. You should only choose this campsite if you are self-sufficient or willing to travel to a toilet (the closest is Cosy Corner North).

3. Seaton Cove

Seaton Cove campsite is located on the opposite side of the point to Sloop Reef and provides a much more secluded and sheltered camping option. The snorkelling in the protected cove is some of the best on the entire Bay of Fires coastline as the water is almost always a translucent turquoise that reveals the seabed beneath. 

The orientation of Seaton Cove creates another beautiful sunrise location and the best part is, you won’t need to move far from your campsite to see it! 

The campsite is larger than Sloop Reef but still smaller than Cosy Corner and Swimcart Beach. There are two main sections to it, the north offers a couple of small sites – some only accessible for tents – and the south provides a wide-open space that is perfect for a group to occupy. 

There are no toilets at this campsite, with the closest ones located at Cosy Corner North. Only choose this campsite if you’re either fully self-contained or willing to travel to the nearest toilet. 

4. Policemans Point

Located just south of Ansons Bay, Policemans Point campground is the furthest north on this list and for that reason, the least popular. But don’t take that as a negative, it is in fact one of the reasons it made it on this list!

Over the summer months, the campsites closest to Binalong Bay are almost constantly full day in and day out. In these times, we try to avoid the southern end of the Bay of Fires and spend our time north near Ansons Bay.

Policemans Point campground sits right beside an estuary looking out to pristine fine-white beaches that stretch on for miles. It’s the perfect location if you love to fish or to get away from the crowds. The beach is also known to produce quite a decent wave when the conditions are cooperative! 

An unsealed road is required to reach Policemans Point, but it is generally in good condition for all vehicles. 

5. Swimcart Beach

Swimcart Beach is the most popular free campsite in the Bay of Fires and for good reason. Almost every site has a beachfront view and its own access to the water’s edge. You needn’t even leave your bed to watch the sunrise over the bay. 

But with such stellar views comes the crowds. This campsite is the busiest on the entire coastline and almost always full – even in winter! I think the fact that you can stay at these campsites for up to a month plays a part in the popularity.

The kilometre-long stretch of squeaky fine sand is known to be one of the best beaches in Tasmania for surf fishing, and the occasional wave for surfers as well! It is also the closest campsite on this list to Binalong Bay, where you can visit the Meresta Eatery for a coffee or an afternoon beverage.

Along with the 5 best campsites in the Bay of Fires listed here, there are an additional 5 free campsites on the coastline! It’s a wonder such prime real estate is still free, but to keep it this way we all need to do our part. Please make sure you’re following the 7 Leave No Trace Principles at all times and take all your rubbish with you. Unfortunately, it only takes a couple of campers doing the wrong thing for the entire free camping culture to be shut down. 

Which campsite is your favourite along the Bay of Fires coastline? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!