Mimosa Rocks campground closures 2026: where to camp on the far south coast instead

If you've been planning a camping trip to Mimosa Rocks National Park on the NSW Far South Coast for later this year, there's something important you need to know before you book.

Three of the park's four campgrounds — Gillards, Middle Beach, and Aragunnu — are closing from late April 2026. All three are expected to stay closed until the end of 2026. The one remaining campground, Picnic Point, has just 17 sites.

It's a significant reduction for one of the most loved camping destinations on the south coast, and it's going to send thousands of campers scrambling for alternatives across the Sapphire Coast.

Here's exactly what's affected, what's still open, and where to go instead.

What's closing and when#

The closures are the result of a $6.5 million joint NSW and Australian Government investment in flood-resilience infrastructure — one of the most significant upgrades to Mimosa Rocks in recent years. The works came after the 2021–22 floods that closed approximately 76% of the park's campsites, some for more than a year.

Campground	Closure starts	Expected reopen
Gillards	Late April 2026	End of 2026
Middle Beach	Late April 2026	End of 2026
Aragunnu	Late April 2026	End of 2026
Picnic Point	Stays open	—

A separate earlier closure also applies to the Nelsons Beach Road car park, Moon Bay access, and Wajurda Point Lookout — that phase began in February 2026 and runs through mid-2026.

The campground closures begin in late April, which means they take effect right after Anzac Day weekend (25–27 April). Anyone with bookings from late April onwards at the three affected campgrounds needs to act now.

The works include upgraded drainage systems, redesigned campsites and access tracks, increased parking capacity, and new flood-resilient amenities. When everything reopens, the campgrounds will be significantly better than before — but for 2026, they're off the table.

I have an existing booking — what do I do?#

Call NPWS as soon as possible. The national contact centre number is 13000 PARKS (1300 072 757), open 7am–7pm daily. For the Narooma regional office, call 02 4476 0800, or email parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au.

NPWS should contact campers with affected bookings directly, but experience says not to wait for that call. Alternative sites on the far south coast — particularly Picnic Point and Hobart Beach — will fill up fast once word of the closures spreads. The earlier you rebook, the better your options.

What's still open at Mimosa Rocks#

Picnic Point campground is the only NPWS campground remaining open within the park during the works. It has 17 campsites — toilets, BBQ facilities, picnic tables, and car park. No water on site, so you'll need to bring your own drinking and cooking water, plus firewood.

The access road is unsealed and not suitable for large vehicles — tents, camper trailers, and small vans only.

With three campgrounds closing simultaneously, 17 sites will be under enormous pressure. Picnic Point was already a quiet, under-the-radar option; it's unlikely to stay that way.

Day use at Mimosa Rocks continues throughout the works. Walking tracks, beaches, headlands, and most of the park remain accessible to day visitors.

Best alternatives on the NSW far south coast#

Hobart Beach campground, Bournda National Park#

The Hobart Beach campground is NPWS's first-choice alternative for displaced Mimosa Rocks campers. It's about 10 km south of Tathra in Bournda National Park, just north of Merimbula.

With 66 campsites — toilet blocks, hot showers, and facilities for tents, camper trailers, caravans, and motorhomes — Hobart Beach has the capacity to absorb the overflow in a way Picnic Point simply cannot. The beach itself is long, wide, and unpatrolled (strong rips, so swim cautiously), and the Bournda Lagoon system behind the park is worth exploring.

One note: there's no drinking water on site and limited mobile coverage at the campground. Bring everything you need.

Hobart Beach is already popular and will be more so once the Mimosa Rocks closures take effect. If you see availability, don't hesitate.

Bittangabee campground, Beowa National Park#

Bittangabee is further south — near Green Cape and Eden, about 90 km from Tathra — but it's one of the best campgrounds on the entire south coast and worth the extra drive.

31 sites, toilets, BBQs, rainwater tanks (bring your own drinking water). Tents, camper trailers, and caravans accepted. Access is via unsealed road — 2WD in dry conditions, but can be boggy after rain.

This is a campground with genuine character. It sits in a protected bay at the start of the Light to Light walk, with snorkelling, fishing, and lyrebirds on the doorstep. If Mimosa Rocks is your usual spot because you like being away from it all, Bittangabee fits the same mould.

Saltwater Creek campground, Beowa National Park#

Further down the coast near Eden, Saltwater Creek is a small, secluded campground with remote beach access. Swimming, fishing, and surfing straight from camp. It fills up quickly in any long weekend or holiday period.

If you're willing to go north#

Murramarang National Park has several campgrounds — Depot Beach, Pebbly Beach, and North Head — that are genuinely excellent south coast camping. About 2 hours north of Mimosa Rocks, so a different trip geographically, but a natural fallback for campers used to the south coast style of camping. Depot Beach in particular has the same ethos as Gillards: bush behind you, beach in front, wallabies at dusk.

Catching a spot when everything's booked#

Picnic Point and Hobart Beach are both going to fill up quickly as displaced campers shift their plans. Both campgrounds are bookable through NSW Parks, which means cancellations appear regularly — and silently.

When someone cancels, NSW Parks doesn't notify anyone. The site just becomes available again, and whoever happens to be checking the booking page at that moment can grab it.

CampWatch automates that check. Pick your campground and dates, enter your phone number, and CampWatch monitors NSW Parks every 10 minutes. The moment a matching site opens up, you get a text with a direct link to book. It works across all bookable NSW national park campgrounds — including Picnic Point, Hobart Beach, and Bittangabee.

If you're targeting multiple campgrounds while your first choice is booked out, set alerts for all of them. A cancellation at one is often your best shot.

What the works will deliver#

When Gillards, Middle Beach, and Aragunnu reopen — expected by the end of 2026 — they'll be meaningfully better than they were.

Each precinct is getting upgraded drainage designed to redirect water flow away from campsites and infrastructure. The 2021–22 floods exposed how vulnerable the current campground layouts are to extreme rainfall events. The redesigned campsites, access tracks, and amenities are built to handle similar events without closing for extended periods.

Parking capacity at Nelsons Beach is also increasing — a long-overdue improvement for one of the most visited spots in the park.

It's painful in the short term. But Mimosa Rocks will be a better campground for it. In the meantime, the far south coast has enough alternatives that a great camping trip is still very much on the cards — it just takes a bit more planning than usual.

Check availability at Picnic Point, Hobart Beach, and Bittangabee. Set a CampWatch alert if they're full. The spots are there — they just move fast.