Although the Snowy Mountains are in New South Wales, it’s about as far as you can get from anywhere else in the state – 460km from Sydney, to be precise.
Here are some tips and recommendations to best enjoy your camping holiday in the Snowy Mountains.
What to Do
With the country’s largest national park, Kosciuszko National Park, and the country’s highest peak, the Snowy Mountains can keep active travelers busy for weeks.
You’ll have plenty of options as far as keeping yourself busy, such as:
- Mountain Biking: bike hire is available, or bring your own.
- Wine and Spirits Tasting: the region is home to a craft distillery and wineries.
- Caving: the Yarrangobilly Caves are considered one of the top must-dos of the region.
- Take a Hike.
Whether you choose to go on one of the Segway Eco Tours, the “Discovery Tours” that highlight attractions throughout the park, or plan your own half-day, full-day, or multiple days walk, there are miles of trails to explore in the area.
The Snowy Mountains are also home to two spa treatment centers, and most villages host several local art galleries. Both are good ways to further connect with this rural destination's local culture.
Getting Around
You’ll most likely want a car while camping in the Snowy Mountains because the distances between attractions are quite far. While there is public transport, it isn’t necessarily the most integrated.
There are flights into Canberra, one of the closest airports with regular service, and then you can hire a car there to drive the final stretch.
Bus service operates into Cooma and Tumut, where you can catch onward connections on local operators and tour guides or pick up a hire car.
A few official “routes” take you past some of the region’s best offerings, such as the Kosciuszko Alpine Way or the Snowy Mountains Drive – maps of these routes are available at most visitor information booths or national parks offices throughout the area.
Please note there is a daily fee for park usage: $16/vehicle in summer, $27/vehicle in winter, and some roads may be impassable for cars without chained tires in winter months.
Where to Setup Camp
You have a handful of choices on where you want to set up your base camp.
Two trendy choices:
Kosciuszko Mountain Retreat near Jindabyne offers one of the best setups, including self-contained alpine cabins, as well as tent sites. It is situated for walking access to both the town for amenities and several walks in the area. It gets top recommendations from travelers.
If you have pets, you’ll like the Alpine Tourist Park in Adaminaby, which has cabins and tent sites as well. It’s a very tranquil place, in a wonderful location that affords you easy access to the town shops, skiing, kayaking, and boating on the lake, as well as numerous hikes.
For more tips and advice, visit the official Snowy Mountains tourism website, which features seasonal travel advice and downloadable directories of businesses and camping providers.
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