Spring Hill Recreation Ground

Spring Hill Recreation Ground is a small showground-style camping ground on Whiley Road in Spring Hill, halfway between Orange and Blayney, that takes RVs, camper trailers, caravans and tents for a modest nightly fee. It is a functional overnight stop rather than a destination park, and it takes dogs, which is the main reason travelling owners pick it.

Dogs at the campground

Dogs are permitted in the camping grounds on a leash, supervised at all times, and they are strictly not allowed on the sports oval. You are expected to clean up after them and keep them from becoming a nuisance to other campers. There is no separately listed pet fee; camping itself runs about $7 per person per night on an honesty box basis, with a maximum stay of around 72 hours. The listing is light on formal pet terms, so confirm the rules and current pricing when you register.

The setup

Facilities are basic but complete: toilets, showers and a dump point, self registered on arrival. Travellers describe the amenities as clean for a stopover ground. Two things come up in feedback worth knowing before you book: the site sits near the rail line, so passing trains can be heard overnight, and there have been reports of barking and howling from other campers' dogs. If your own dog is noise sensitive, factor that in or pack ear covers for the van.

Getting there and exercise

Spring Hill sits between Orange and Blayney on the central tablelands, roughly 20 minutes south of Orange. Because the oval is off limits to dogs, the local off lead option is the Victoria Park Fenced Dog Park in the same village, and the Bloomfield Reserve Dog Park in Orange covers a proper run on the drive in. The Plant Room Cafe is the village coffee stop, dogs welcome outside.

More options are listed under dog friendly stays in NSW and in the Spring Hill guide.

Max: The oval is the community's playing field, not your dog's run. Keep him on lead in the grounds and give him his real off lead time at the fenced park up the road.