Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area Sunshine Coast

Dorrigo South camping area. Photo credit: Queensland Government

Soak up a tranquil sunset over Inskip Peninsula. Photo credit: © Ben Blanche

Dorrigo South camping area

There’s something for every camper at this popular beachside spot on the eastern side of the peninsula.

Accessible by

  • High clearance 4WD

Camping area facilities

  • Campfires allowed (conditions apply)
  • Generators allowed (conditions apply)
  • Tent camping
  • Camper trailer camping
  • Campervan camping
  • Tent camping beside car
  • Walking
  • Fishing
  • Dogs permitted (on leash)

Always check

Set up camp with ocean views of Double Island Point, or seek out a more sheltered patch among the red ash and sheoaks. From here you can fish, walk and drive in the surrounding recreation area and marine park.

Why Dorrigo?

The names of six camping areas on the Inskip Peninsula recall past shipping history. On Good Friday 2 April 1926 the steamer S.S. Dorrigo, bound for Thursday Island from Brisbane, sank in heavy seas several kilometres off Double Island Point. The captain and his son were rescued, the body of the bo’sun was found on K'gari (formerly Fraser Island), but all 21 other crew members disappeared without a trace.

Camping area features

Open camping area behind the foredunes and close to the bitumen road. No formally defined sites. Please note:

  • Coastal trees and shrubs provide dappled shade in some areas.
  • It is only a short walk to the surf beach or to the more sheltered Pelican Bay.
  • Some camp sites provide views across the ocean towards Double Island Point.
  • Other camp sites, located closer to the bitumen road, are more sheltered from prevailing ocean winds.

Download the Inskip Recreation Area map (PDF, 1.9MB) and Dorrigo South camping area map (PDF, 1.3MB)

Access: 4WD only on sand tracks, access from Inskip Point Road, vehicle access permits are not required. Limited access for off road high clearance camper trailers and campervans. Please note:

  • Very restricted access for off road camper trailers and campervans. Not suitable for caravans.
  • No vehicle access to or from the beach from within this camping area.
  • A beach access track is located just north of the camping area exit.

Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites. Please note:

  • Occupation of a camp site is on a ‘first in, best placed’ basis.
  • Reserving or roping off areas is not permitted.
  • All structures under a single camping permit must be in one place and no more than 3m apart.
  • Don't spread your camp too far, so others can fit in too; rangers will ask you to move structures that have taken up an unreasonable amount of space.
  • Camping more than 29 nights is prohibited.

Camp sites are suitable for: tent camping beside a 4WD vehicle, off road campervans and camper trailers. Please note: Small camping structures are recommended here.

Camp site surface: Grass and/or sand.
Please note:

  • No showers.
  • No water taps.
    • The Gympie Regional Council service facility on Clarkson Drive, Rainbow Beach, also has drinking water—take your own water storage containers.
  • Rubbish bins are located near the camping area exit.
  • No toilet facilities.

Portable toilets

Portable toilets are mandatory (on-the-spot fines apply) to camp at Dorrigo South and Pelican Bay camping area. Even if you are only staying for one night you must bring a portable toilet. QPWS have implemented a waste management plan to protect the natural environment, your coastal camping experience and visitor health.

  • Portable toilets must have a sealed waste holding tank and must be transportable and suitable for emptying into a portable toilet waste facility.
  • Bag and bucket style toilets are not permitted.
  • Minimum requirement of one portable toilet per camping permit holder.
  • It is illegal to bury a noxious substance, such as portable toilet waste. Do not empty your portable toilet waste into any toilets in the recreation area as it creates a risk to human health. On-the-spot fines apply.
  • Empty your waste into the purpose-built toilet waste disposal facility. For your convenience, the Gympie Regional Council portable toilet waste disposal facility is located at Clarkson Drive, Rainbow Beach.
  • Do not dispose sanitary items, disposable nappies and toilet wipes into the toilet waste disposal facility – these items will block the system. Bag these items and take them home for disposal.
  • After use wash down the toilet waste disposal facility with the hose provided.

Read also Frequently asked questions – toilets and rubbish and before you visit.

Open fires: Permitted in pre-existing fire sites, except when QPWS-imposed fire prohibitions or QFES fire bans are in place. Fuel stoves are recommended. View the short video about campfire prohibitions and fuel stoves.

Generators: Only low decibel generators up to 2.0Kva are permitted. Turn generators off after 9pm.

Essentials to bring: Drinking water, portable toilet, rubbish bags, insect repellent, fuel or gas stove first-aid kit, sunscreen, sand pegs.

  • For campfires bring clean, untreated firewood such as milled timber off-cuts.
  • Bring kindling and fire lighters. Collecting and burning wood, including leaves and twigs, from the protected area is illegal and penalties apply. Read also Campfires and cooking.

Bookings: Camping permits are required before setting up camp. Book online or learn about our camping booking options. Advance bookings are required, especially for holiday periods including long weekends and public holidays. Read also: Camping during peak periods

Mobile phone coverage: Intermittent.

Upcoming camping area availability

Visiting safely

For more safety information see Visiting Inskip safely and camp with care.

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