Atkinson Dam Holiday Park

Atkinson Dam Holiday Park is a working country caravan and camping park at 381 Atkinsons Dam Road, about an hour west of Brisbane, with the dam itself at the back fence. Dogs are welcome across the camping and caravan sites on application, which makes it a straightforward weekend base for travellers with their own rig or a tent.

Dogs at the Atkinson Dam Holiday Park

Dogs stay on sites only: cabins are off limits, and so is the pool area. The rules on site are the standard country-park set, applied firmly. Dogs must be on a lead at all times, cleaned up after immediately, and up to date with vaccinations. Pet bedding cannot go through the guest laundry, so pack a towel or wash it at home. There is no published size limit, and the park does not list a fixed pet fee online, so confirm the charge when you book. Call the park on (07) 5426 4211 before you set out.

Max: the lead rule is not negotiable here because it is a working park with livestock and campers moving gear around, so clip on before you get out of the car.

Worth knowing

Powered and unpowered sites take caravans, campervans and tents, and there is a camp kitchen, a fire pit, clean amenities and a pool your dog cannot use. Site rates run from $35 to $40 a night including one or two people, with a $30 booking deposit, and separate peak-period rates over Christmas, Easter and school holidays. This is a rural park, not a resort: supplies on site are limited, so bring your own dog food and a water bowl. Seqwater manages the dam and its day-use areas, and park management holds no responsibility for water levels or dam access conditions.

Close by with the dogs

Seqwater allows dogs on lead in the Atkinson Dam day-use areas but not on the foreshore, the boat ramp or in the water, since the dam is a drinking water catchment. Keep that distinction in mind at the shoreline. Lowood is 20 to 25 minutes away for supplies, and Atkinsons Edgewater, a second waterfront camping ground on the same road, is an alternative if the park is booked out. Coominya farm stays to the north east offer another lead-friendly option in the Brisbane Valley.

Atkinsons Edgewater suits campers who want water views, and Coominya farm stays put you closer to the rail trail country. Both are driveable for a day visit if you are based here.