Camping booking seasons
| Island | Camping period | Camping permit release |
|---|---|---|
| North West | Open Easter – 31 May 2027 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 2 June 2026 |
| 1 June – 31 August 2027 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 1 September 2026 | |
| Lady Musgrave | 1 September – 30 November 2027 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 1 December 2026 |
| 1 December 2027 – Australia Day 2028 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 2 March 2027 | |
| Mast Head | Open Easter – 31 May 2026 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 2 June 2026 |
| 1 June – 31 August 2027 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 1 September 2026 | |
| 1 September –14 October 2027 | AEST 10am on Tuesday 1 December 2026 |
Capricorn Cay National Park has camping areas on North West, Lady Musgrave and Mast Head Islands that are open for seasonal camping. All Capricorn Cay National Park camping areas are extremely popular especially during peak periods and school holidays.
QPWS moved to a ‘Booking Season’ model to book camping permits in 2026 to improve the visitor experience for making camping bookings in the new booking system. Camping permits for all Capricorn Cay islands will be released to the public on set days and times advised in advance giving customers ample time and equal opportunity to obtain permits. Standard annual seasonal closure periods for all Capricorn Cay Island camping areas will remain the same.
You must be prepared to book your camping permit for the Capricornia Cays
Remember, when camping permits are released you will be competing with other people to secure bookings. QPWS does not guarantee that customers will get camping permits for their preferred dates. Be prepared to have back-up date options if you are unsuccessful in securing your preferred dates.
Be prepared for the release of camping permits
- Contact the charter vessel service company you intend to use before the camping permit release date to check availability of services to the islands.
- Know and plan for the date and time for the release of the camping permits for the camping block you are interested in booking.
- Ensure you know how to make a camping booking in the new booking system.
- Check your personal payment details are up to date and correct if you have an existing account or have your card details ready to type in the payment page.
- Pre-fill the number in your camping party and then refresh the page at exactly 9am AEST to see the availability of permits and begin booking.
- Your booking is not secured until you have completed the payment page and clicked ‘finalise’.
For more information email SGBR@des.qld.gov.au
Frequently asked questions
The Capricornia Cays National Park camping areas, including North West, Lady Musgrave and Mast Head Islands, moved to a ‘booking season’ model to book camping permits in 2026. Camping bookings can now be made 9 months in advance. Camping permits will need to be obtained for blocks of dates released at predetermined date and time:
North West and lady Musgrave Islands camping:
- 26 March – 31 May 2027. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 2 June 2026.
- 1 June – 31 August 2027. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 1 September 2026.
- 1 September – 30 November 2027. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 1 December 2026.
- 1 December 2027 – 26 January 2028. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 2 March 2027.
Mast Head Island camping:
- 26 March – 31 May 2027. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 2 June 2026.
- 1 June – 31 August 2027. AEST 10am Tuesday 1 September 2026.
- 1 September – 14 October 2027. Permits released AEST 10am Tuesday 1 December 2026.
To improve the experience for people booking Capricornia Cays camping permits, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has moved to a ‘booking seasons’ model, where camping permits for blocks of time will be released at once at a set date and time advised in advance similar to models used widely for popular hiking and camping locations in other states.
Camping permits for booking seasons will be released to the public on set dates and during business hours advised in advance allowing ample time and equal opportunity for customers to obtain permits.
Camping booking seasons and camping permit release information is provided on the Capricornia Cays National Park camping and will be updated annually.
The first camping permits for all Capricornia Cays camping areas will become available for booking at AEST 10am on Tuesday 2 June 2026. Camping permits will not be able to be booked before this release date.
Yes. Camping permits can be booked up to the end of a specific booking season block.
Bookings will remain open from the release date until the end of the booking season block. Check the booking system on a regular basis after camping permits are released, as camping permits may become available. There are penalties for ‘ghost bookings’, if people are found to not be camping but did not cancel their permit.
QPWS does not provide a waitlist service for any camping bookings. The camping booking service is live in real time, meaning if a camping permit is cancelled it immediately becomes available for another customer to book. QPWS encourages you to continue checking the website for available camping permits closer to your preferred camping dates.
Camping permits for all Capricornia Cays camping areas will be closed until each permit release date. Customers can visit Capricornia Cays National Park camping to see release dates and times for future seasons.
- There are currently no park alerts for this park.