Overnight parking
Overnight parking is not permitted on roadsides and other public land in Cairns. Illegal overnight parkers face a $261 on-the-spot fine.
Self-drive travellers will find affordable overnight accommodation at the region's many commercially-operated caravan and tourist parks.
- View details of Council's public camping grounds and caravan parks in the Cairns region.
For full details of RV-friendly parking and dump points visit the Campervans and RVs page.
Cairns Regional Council welcomes travellers to our region. We provide a number of camping grounds and caravan parks (see below) for their use.
You are not permitted to camp on Council controlled land including roadsides, the Esplanade, cemeteries, public parks, car parks, sporting grounds, drainage reserves and beaches.
Camping includes persons staying overnight in vehicles, campervans, RVs, tents, hammocks and swags. People found camping illegally can receive a $243 on-the-spot fine.
Babinda (RV Friendly)
Babinda, located 60km (45 minutes) south of Cairns city, has been officially recognised as RV Friendly by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia.
Council provides two free RV-friendly campgrounds at Babinda. No bookings are required for these campgrounds. Maximum length of stay is strictly 72 hours after which a person must not return to the camping area to camp within 14 days of departure, and we regularly patrol the campgrounds to ensure compliance.
- The Boulders – unpowered, basic amenities.
- Babinda Rotary Park – unpowered, dump point, coin-operated hot showers.
Bramston Beach Campground
96 Evans Road
- Powered and unpowered sites
- Ablutions block
- Laundry
- Barbecue facilities
- Check In - not before midday
- Check Out - 10:30am
- TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND CLOSURE - Please note that this campground will be closed between Tuesday 28 January 2020 and Sunday 9 February 2020 (inclusive) for park maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any enquiries about this closure, please contact Council on 4044 3389. This will become an annual two week closure (after Australia Day) to allow Council to carry out heavy duty maintenance which cannot be done, due to safety reasons, with patrons in the campground.
Bookings and further information
Contact the caretaker (07) 4067 4121, email bramstonbeachcampground@gmail.com, or follow them on Facebook.
NRMA Cairns Holiday Park
12-30 Little Street
Just 3km from the Cairns city centre the award-winning NRMA Cairns Holiday Park is a Council-owned facility leased and operated by Australian Tourist Park Management group.
NRMA Cairns Holiday Park offers:
- Budget backpacker accommodation
- Caravan and camping sites
- Ensuite studios
- In-ground pool
- Laundry
- Camp kitchen
- Free wi-fi
- and a fully fledged Tour desk for information and bookings
Bookings, fees and further information
- 1800 259 977
- Email info@cairnsholidaypark.com.au
- Website at www.nrmaparksandresorts.com.au/cairns
Fitzroy Island
Fitzroy Island, 30km east of Cairns, access via fast cat
Fitzroy Island is surrounded by a reef system that forms part of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, making it an ideal base for snorkelling, diving and exploring the reef. Idyllic white sandy beaches and sheltered waters are great for swimming and water sports, as well as yachting and boating.
The camping ground is owned by Cairns Regional Council and operated by Fitzroy Island Resort. It has:
- unpowered tent sites (at least 6 x 6m large, generously spaced)
- showers and toilets
- barbecues
- covered pergola eating area
- access to dining, diving and entertainment through Fitzroy Island Resort
Bookings and further information
Via Fitzroy Island Resort
- (07) 4044 6700
- Email stay@fitzroyisland.com
- Website fitzroyisland.com
- Online booking site
NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park
149 Williams Esplanade
About 30 minutes north of Cairns city, the NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park is a Council-owned facility leased and operated by Australian Tourist Park Management group. It is a short walk to the beach, jetty, boat ramp and the renowned Palm Cove restaurant and shopping strip.
NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park offers:
- Powered and unpowered camping and caravan sites
- Ablutions
- Camp kitchen
Bookings, fees and further information
- 1800 736 741 or (07) 4055 3824
- Email info@palmcovehp.com.au
- Website at www.nrmaparksandresorts.com.au/palm-cove
Greenpatch Campground
This is a free, short stay campground located at the township of Gordonvale approximately 30 minutes south of Cairns.
No bookings are required. The maximum length of stay is strictly 72 hours, after which a person must not return to the camping area to camp within 14 days of departure, Council regularly patrols the campground to ensure compliance. Facilities include:
- a dump point
- coin-operated hot showers
- unpowered sites.
This campground is subject to flooding with water levels known to rise, up to 17.5 metres, to above the picnic shelter and toilet block roof in severe flood events and may be subject to closure at short notice. Council recommends all visitors to the campground subscribe to Council’s Disaster Dashboard http://disaster.cairns.qld.gov.au/ to receive up to date emergency information.
Information for camping ground and caravan park operators and those seeking to operate facilities is available in the business section of this website.
RV dump points
RV travellers can deposit their wastewater (sewage) from caravans and RVs at either of Council's dumping sites:
- Manunda: 8-38 Macnamara Street. This site is available 7am to 4pm seven days a week, excluding public holidays.
- Babinda: Rotary Park, Howard Kennedy Drive.
RV parking
To make our shopping precincts and tourist attractions more accessible to visitors travelling by caravan, campervan or motorhome (RV), Council offers designated short-term, day-parking bays in Gordonvale and the Cairns city centre. Both parking sites are easily accessed from major arterial roads.
In Gordonvale, self-drive travellers can park their rigs in the designated RV bays on Mill Street free of charge. This site is adjacent to Norman Park which has easy access to public toilets and recreational facilities, conveniently located in the heart of the historic town.
In Cairns, caravans and RVs can use designated RV bays in the off-street car park on the corner of Kenny and Sheridan streets. An easy walking distance from the city centre, Post Office, waterfront parklands and Reef Fleet Terminal, this site provides convenient access to the city’s shopping, dining and entertainment areas. It offers 7 oversized RV parking spaces – including a 15m x 4m bay to accommodate ‘big rigs’ – for a low daily fee. Simply purchase a ticket from the ticket machine and display it face up on your vehicle’s dashboard. In the event that all designated RV parking bays are occupied, smaller rigs are able to occupy the standard car parks located at the southern end of the site (for the cost of a single ticket per caravan/RV per day).
The Cairns and Gordonvale parking areas are easily identified by RV Parking signs.
Overnight parking is not permitted on roadsides and other public land in Cairns, and Cairns Regional Council enforces illegal camping. Affordable overnight accommodation for self-drive travellers is available at the region’s many commercially-operated caravan and tourist parks. Cairns Regional Council also provides two free overnight camping facilities at Babinda (Babinda Boulders and Babinda Creek Park Reserve).
