Lake Wallace Camping

Lake Wallace Camping is a free 48-hour campground right on the lake at Wallerawang, about 10 minutes west of Lithgow, and it is one of the better-equipped free camps in the Central Tablelands for dog owners: there is a fenced off-lead dog pen on site, so a road-trip dog gets a genuine run without you paying a cent.

Dogs at the Lake Wallace Camping

Dogs are welcome across the camping ground on lead and under supervision at your site. The dedicated fenced dog pen is where the lead comes off; normal leash rules apply everywhere else in the reserve. There is no tap inside the pen, so bring a bowl and fill up at the tap near the playground about 20 metres away. Camping is free with a 48-hour maximum stay, so there are no pet fees to factor in.

The place

Large, flat, grassy grounds that take tents, camper trailers, caravans and buses, with internal roads a two-wheel-drive handles comfortably. Facilities are unusually complete for a free camp: free 24-hour hot showers, toilets, an RV dump point for greywater, picnic tables, gas and electric barbecues, a boathouse, and a big kids' playground. Contained campfires under one by one metre, raised off the ground in your own fire pit, are permitted when no total fire ban is on; bring your own firewood. First come, first served, no bookings.

Max: a fenced pen, a lake loop for on-lead sniffing, and hot showers for the humans. The 48-hour cap is my only complaint, and I cannot read a clock anyway.

Location

Just off the Castlereagh Highway on Barton Avenue, roughly 45 minutes from Bathurst and about two and a half hours from Sydney. A walking track loops the lake and doubles as a good on-lead walk. Lithgow's State Mine Heritage Park and the Tin Tunnel are about 15 minutes away for a day trip.

Close by with the dogs

If you want a bigger off-lead field, the Lithgow Dog Park and Recreation Area is a short drive east. If camping gives way to a bed, The Commercial Hotel in town takes dogs in its cabins.

Before you go

It suits road-trippers with dogs who want a genuine off-leash run as a stopover rather than a long stay. Weekends fill early because the amenities are rare for a free camp, so arrive before mid-afternoon to score a spot near the water.

More options are on the NSW dog-friendly stays guide and the Wallerawang destination page.