Stumpys Bay Campground Mount William National Park Tasmania Australia Stumpys Campsites

One of the places to camp (or actually four of the places to camp) in Mount William National Park is Stumpys Bay Campground. The camping along Stumpys Bay is split into four campsites spread out along the coast. Each of the numbered campsites is like a distinct campground made up of multiple individual sites. This campground is first-come first serve, but rest assured, your party will have far more than just four sites to choose from. The campground is reached from Forester Kangaroo Drive, so the beachfront camping is complimented by wildlife viewing.

Mount William National Park is located in the northeast corner of Tasmania and the campsites at Stumpys Bay provide access to a long beach with vast ocean views. The campsites are located just behind a sand beach beneath a canopy of trees that provides shade and a buffer from the wind.

Stumpys Bay Mount William National Park
Beach access at Stumpys Bay

Stumpys Bay Campground is split in four numbered sections called Stumpys Campsites 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each campsite has pit toilets, picnic tables and beach access. Campervans and RVs are allowed at Stumpys Campsites 1, 3, and 4, but not 2. Coinciding with this, generators are permitted at campsites 1,3, and 4 between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Generators are prohibited at campsite 2, which is for tent camping only.

At campsites 1, 3, and 4, fires are only allowed in the fire rings provided or in fuel stoves. There are no fire rings at campsite 2, where fires are only permitted in fuel stoves and personal fire pots (no ground fires). Firewood is not provided and wood cutting and gathering are prohibited. Heavy winds can make campfires unsafe and a total fire ban may be in place, so check in advance if you plan to have a fire. The park encourages visitors to use portable cooking stoves. A day use area at campsite 4 has a gas barbecue grill.

Stumpys Bay Mount William National Park
The road through Stumpys Campsite 2

Campsite 3 has s a boat launch. Campsites 1 and 3 have bore water suitable for dishwashing. Bring your own drinking water. Stumpys Bay Campground does not have garbage collection. You can dispose of rubbish at the recycling center in Gladstone. There’s a good chance you will see wallabies around the campground. Pleas don’t feed them, as a park sign explains:

Wallabies fed processed food will become sick. They will also become more aggressive in trying to get human food and then become a nuisance animal. The wallabies you and others feed today may have to be removed.

The road to Stumpys Bay from Forester Kangaroo Drive first reaches campsite one, which is be on the left. The road then passes through campsite two to reach campsites three and four.

Stumpys Bay Mount William National Park
A site and beach access point at Stumpys Campsite 1

The prices to camp at Stumpys Bay Campground are as follows:

  • $13 per night ($50 per week) for one or two people
  • $5 per night ($20 per week) for an extra adult
  • $2.50 per night ($10 per week) for an extra child age 5-17 (younger children are free)
  • $16 per night ($70 per week) for a family of two adults and three children

You may pay at the visitor center or a self-registration kiosk at the campground. In addition to the campground fee, there is an entrance fee for Mount William National Park. A single day pass will cost $40 or you may purchase an 8-week pass good for all of Tasmania’s National Parks for $80 (all prices in Australian Dollars as of 2021).

Stumpys Bay Campground is first-come first-serve and appears to be open year round. Coastal camping combined with wildlife viewing on Forester Kangaroo Drive makes Mount William National Park a fun place to visit. You can also a hike to the summit of Mount William for a great overview of the park, starting from a road off Forester Kangaroo Drive for a short walk or from Stumpys Bay Campground for a longer trek.

Directions to the campground: Take Tasman Highway (A3), 42 kilometers east of Scottsdale and 56 kilometers northwest of St. Helens to Gladstone Road (B82) and turn north following signs for Mount William National Park.

Drive 25 kilometers to the small town of Gladstone and turn right on Carr Street/Cape Portland Road again following signs for the park (if you miss the intersection, you will quickly come to the end of the road). Drive two kilometers as the road becomes dirt and continue on to Browns Ridge Road/Musselroe Bay Road.

Drive another 15.25 kilometers, going through a few twists and turn before entering the national park where you will come to the first end of Forester Kangaroo Drive. Turn right and take this scenic dirt road for 7.75 kilometers to a turnoff for Stumpys Bay Campground. You could also drive another 4 kilometers up Mussleroe Bay Road and turn right up the other end of Kangaroo Drive, taking this scenic dirt road for 3.5 kilometers to the turnoff for Stumpys Bay Campground. It is one kilometer up Stumpys Bay Road to Stumpys Campsite One.

Campground address: Stumpys Bay Road, Mount William National Park, TAS 7264, Australia
Campground coordinates: -40.871371, 148.221282 (40° 52′ 16.93″S 148° 13′ 16.61″E)

Use the map below to view the campground and get directions:

Photos

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These photos were taken in April of 2014. Click to enlarge.
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One Comment on Stumpys Bay Campground in Mount William National Park

  1. William Newman wrote:

    Are you allowed fire pots at stumpy Bay camp grounds as of 26-11-21