A guide to caravanning & camping in Orange 

Call in to a caravan park   

Orange has two caravan parks. The pet-friendly, council-owned Colour City Caravan Park is in the showground recreational area – a park that looks spectacular in autumn thanks to the changing hues of its mature trees – and is the home of the colourful Orange Farmers Market from June to September. As well as powered and unpowered sites, you’ll find cabins and a three-bedroom cottage should you decide you want to upgrade for the night.  

Credit: Colour City Caravan Park

If you drive an RV, you can also stay in a section of the showground free of charge, for one night only (you can arrange this through the Orange Visitor Information Centre). But there are no facilities – you need to be self-sufficient. ​​​Canobolas Caravan Park also welcomes pets. Just a couple of kilometres outside the city, it has powered sites to suit all sorts of vehicles, as well as cabins, and a large unpowered area for campers that usually has plenty of spots. 

Powered sites and camp spots are also available at Canowindra Caravan Park, in the nearby town of Canowindra. The leafy grounds enjoy a scenic spot on the banks of the Belubula River. Pet friendly Blayney Tourist Park is well kitted out with laundry and barbecue facilities, play equipment, and powered and unpowered sites.   

Canowindra Caravan Park - Credit: Federation Fotos Canowindra

Pitch a tent…  

Head to Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area (just 20 minutes out of town) and pitch a tent at the Federal Falls Campground. There are only 10 spots here, accessed by a short walk from the car park. Once you’re settled, you’ll enjoy beautiful starry nights (weather permitting), and mornings heralded by birdsong. The campsite gives you access to the Federal Falls Walk, a loop track that takes you through snow gum forests, past vast rock faces, and on a steep walk down to the base of the falls.  

Federal Falls Walk - Credit: Debby McGerty | Department of Planning and Environment

The scene of Australia’s first gold rush, Ophir Reserve is today a campsite offering access to a plethora of activities, from fishing and fossicking to exploring old diggings. There’s plenty of shade for alfresco meals and walking trails when it comes time to explore.  

Ophir Reserve - Credit: Orange360

In the Orange region, Bakers Shaft Reserve is smack bang on Blaney’s Belubula River. It’s a serene setting for free camping, with plenty of shady spots to cast out a line. Also in Blaney, Junction Reefs Reserve is a former mining dam turned secluded campground, also on the banks of the Belubula River. Enjoy walks to a hidden waterfall, then pitch your tent – camping is free.  

Around 70km from Orange you’ll find Terarra Creek camping and picnic area, set in a natural amphitheatre on the valley floor. It’s the perfect base for bushwalkers, sightseers and mountain bikers, not to mention bird watchers – bring your binoculars. 

Bakers Shaft Reserve - Credit: Blayney Shire Council

Then pitch a hip tent 

Hipcamp is a careful curation of scenic camping spots on private property. There are diverse options available, ranging from Bissys Permaculture Eco Retreat in Cargo, where you can pitch your tent on a working farm will rolling hills and forested groves – enquire about taking a tour of the property. Nearby in Canobolas, The Apple Orchard is, as its name suggests, set on a glorious fruit orchard. Enjoy a tasting of the fruit, then find a spot to relax by the dam and firepit. Olive groves and open paddocks are your backdrop at Camp Yarrindi, just a 20-minute drive from Orange proper. The views of Mount Canobolas are spectacular. 

The Apple Orchard - Credit: Youcamp Pty Ltd

Glamp it up among the vines

Sometimes, a cellar-door experience is so enjoyable you wish you could just settle in and stay the night. At Nashdale Lane, you can. After tasting a selection of reds and whites crafted on this sustainably managed 24-hectare vineyard, just 10 minutes outside Orange, you can head to one of two glamping cabins, known as Rustig and Kalmte. Both offer stunning luxury escapes in tents that include hardwood flooring, four-poster queen beds, sunken outdoor lounges, stylish kitchens and bathrooms, and wood fires in front of which you can curl up with a bottle of something nice. 

Nashdale Lane Wines, Nashdale