Camping at Cathedral Reserve

Camping at Cathedral Reserve

Camping doesn’t always have to mean a fully remote wilderness experience. Sometimes the best trips are the simple ones — a patch of grass, a few tall gums overhead, and a quiet mountain village nearby.

Cathedral Reserve at Mt Wilson is one of the easiest free camping spots in the Blue Mountains, and it makes a great base for exploring the gardens, rainforest walks and canyon country around Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine.

Campground Overview

The reserve looks like a large open grassy field when you first drive in, but there are a few different camping options:

• Open grass areas near the road (good for camper trailers)
  
  
• More sheltered spots under the trees further back
  
  
• Walk-in tent spots away from vehicles

If you’re in a tent, the shadier spots near the tree line tend to be quieter and more protected from wind.

Weekends and autumn colour season can get busy, so arriving earlier in the day gives you more choice.

If you’re used to national park campgrounds with booking systems and facilities, Cathedral Reserve feels much more like an old-school bush campsite — simple and relaxed.

Facilities

Cathedral Reserve is a very simple campground. It’s free to camp and there’s no booking required, which makes it great for spontaneous weekend trips.

Facilities include:

• Toilets
  
  
• Picnic tables and shelters
  
  
• Fireplaces
  
  
• Garbage bins
  
  
• Tank water (not suitable for drinking)

There are no showers and no potable water, so bring all the drinking water you’ll need for your stay.

There is plenty of parking available and you should be able to park next to, or at least near to, your tent site. 

There is no power in the campground. I don’t think there’s even a streetlight on the road. So bring a torch. 

Cooking and Waste

There are fireplaces at the reserve, but wood isn’t supplied, so if you’re planning a campfire you’ll need to bring your own.

Before lighting anything, always check the fire restrictions for the region. During Total Fire Ban days, all open fires — including campfires — are illegal, and even solid fuel stoves may be restricted.

Mountain weather can change quickly, and fire rules change with it, so it’s worth checking the Rural Fire Service website before you leave home.

There are quite a few bins around the place. We’re not sure how often Blue Mountains City Council come by to pick up the bins, so if they’re full do the right thing and take your rubbish with you. 

On our last overnight camping trip to Cathedral Reserve, I swear there was a dingo in the campground after dark (ok, it may have just been a local dog…). I heard it sniffing at the tent (where we had cooked dinner), and heard it trying to get into the storage boxes outside. I got up and two of the boxes had their lids pulled off. Maybe it was some kind of fever dream, but just to be on the safe side, don’t leave food things outside, make sure everything is packed away overnight. 

Comfort

Mt Wilson sits high on the Blue Mountains plateau, and even in summer temperatures can drop quickly once the sun goes down.

A few things that help:

• Warm layers for the evening
  
  
• A decent sleeping bag
  
  
• A beanie (seriously — it makes a big difference)

It’s the kind of place where you might be sitting around in a T-shirt at sunset and reaching for a jacket half an hour later.

Small Walks Nearby

One of the best things about camping here is that you’re minutes away from some of the prettiest rainforest pockets in the Blue Mountains.

A few easy options close to camp include:

• The Cathedral of Ferns (about a 10-minute walk)
  
  
• Waterfall Reserve
  
  
• Du Faurs Rocks Lookout
  
  
• Wynnes Rocks Lookout

Of course there’s the beautiful Waterfall Creek for those with a bit more energy and grip on their shoes. 

As well as a world of canyons below at the Wollangambe, however we don’t think any of those could really be described as “small walks”.

Things to Remember

Because Cathedral Reserve is free and easy to access, it attracts all kinds of campers — families, hikers, caravans, and sometimes large groups.

A few simple things make the experience better for everyone:

• Keep noise down at night
  
  
• Take rubbish with you if bins are full
  
  
• Leave fire pits tidy
  
  
• Stick to established camping areas

• Camping is free and first-come, first-served
  
  
• Bring your own drinking water and firewood
  
  
• Nights get surprisingly cold even in summer
  
  
• Check fire restrictions before lighting a fire
  
  
• Great base for exploring Mt Wilson’s gardens and rainforest walks