Macquarie Woods Forestry Reserve Campground

Macquarie Woods Forestry Reserve Campground is a free, dog-friendly bush camp in Vittoria State Forest, on Macquarie Woods Drive at Guyong, roughly thirty minutes west of Bathurst and twenty minutes east of Orange. The 600 hectare reserve mixes pine plantation and native woodland, with informal, unallocated campsites on a first-come, first-served basis, and it is genuinely popular with free campers travelling with dogs.

Dogs at Macquarie Woods

Unlike most national parks, NSW State Forests welcome dogs, and Macquarie Woods is one of the region's flagship examples. Dogs may camp overnight in the recreation area, free of charge, provided they stay under effective control. The reserve carries a healthy kangaroo population, so a lead or long lead is the safer call, especially at dawn and dusk when macropods and dogs are most likely to meet. Clean up after your dog and pack the waste out; there are no bins for it.

Worth knowing

Facilities are bush-camp standard: long-drop toilets, picnic tables and fire pits, with fire restrictions depending on the season, so check the current fire ban status before lighting anything. There is no potable water on site and the available water is non-potable, so bring everything you and the dog need. Walking tracks run through the forest and around the lake, and there is a disc golf course for something different. Ground can turn soft after rain, worth factoring in if you are towing, and some forest roads are unsealed and muddy when wet, though the main access is generally fine for 2WD. Campsites are shaded among the pines, and reviews mention kangaroos as much as the trees.

Getting there and parking

Turn off the Mitchell Highway onto Macquarie Woods Drive at Vittoria, between Bathurst and Orange. There is ample space for vehicles, campervans and caravans, with room for self-contained rigs to spread out. Neither Bathurst nor Orange is far for restocking, fuel or a vet if you need one.

While you're out there

For a guaranteed off-lead run, the Machin Park Fenced Dog Park in Orange is the better-equipped option on the western side, and Bathurst's Kefford Street Off Leash Dog Park serves the eastern side. In Orange, Bensons Cafe is a coffee stop, and if you would rather have power and hot showers, Canobolas Caravan Park is the closest serviced base. More options across the state are on the New South Wales stays page.