Panorama Caravan Park

Panorama Caravan Park sits right on the waterfront in Big Grove, five to ten minutes from Albany's centre, with elevated sites looking over Princess Royal Harbour. It is a nature-based park rather than a concrete-pad operation, and dogs are welcome across its caravan and camping sites, which makes it a reliable base for a Great Southern trip with the dog on board.

Dogs at the park

The policy is friendly and straightforward for campers: friendly, well-behaved dogs are welcome on lead and under supervision throughout the grounds, with pick-up expected immediately and nuisance barking kept in check, because sites sit close together. Cabins are the catch. Not every cabin takes pets and the policy can shift, so check directly with management before booking a cabin with a dog. The park also reserves the right to refuse particular breeds or individual animals judged disruptive, so a quick phone call ahead clears any doubt.

The place

Sites are generous by caravan-park standards, and the drawcards are the bay views, the pelicans and the short drive to everything. Facilities include a camp kitchen and hot showers, though some guests find the amenities block a little dated. Large rigs, boats and trailers need prior approval from management before arrival.

Max: Confirm your cabin is pet-friendly before you book, since policy varies unit by unit here, and keep the lead on around the sites because your neighbours are close.

The location

The park is on Frenchman Bay Road in Big Grove, well placed for Torndirrup National Park and The Gap and Natural Bridge. National park trails carry on-lead and no-dog sections, so read the signage before you set out. There are harbourside beaches nearby for a swim and coffee options back in Albany.

While you're out there

The Luke Pen Walk along the Kalgan River is a good on-lead leg stretch, and Hazbeanz Finestkind Coffee in Albany covers the morning caffeine. If the park is full, Acclaim Albany Holiday Park and Kalgan River Caravan Park and Chalets are the alternative bases.

More options sit on the Western Australia pet friendly stays list and in the Big Grove guide.