Planning a road trip to Broome but wondering where you can stop and rest along the way? If you’re considering staying a night at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park… I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s worth a stop!
Keep reading to learn why camping the night at 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park is a great decision, and discover everything that the Park and the stunning Marine Reserve have to offer. Find out how to book, accommodation prices, when the caravan park is open, the best time to visit, and more!
While you’ll find all the reasons people like to visit Eighty Mile Beach in this article, we recognise that it is a place of great significance for its Traditional Custodians. We recognise and acknowledge Karajarri, Ngarla and Nyangumarta people and their continued connection with the land.
1. It’s the perfect stop on your road trip to Broome
If you’re on an epic road trip from Perth to Broome, or just heading along the WA coast, a stop at the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park will be just what the doctor ordered.
The turnoff to Eighty Mile Beach is about ‘halfway’ between the towns of Port Hedland and Broome. Drive north along the Great Northern Highway for 370km and you’ll arrive in Broome. Drive south along the Great Northern Highway for 250km and you’ll arrive in Port Hedland.
Once you find the signposted turnoff to Eighty Mile Beach, all that’s left between you and this beach paradise is a 10km gravel (unsealed) road. Although the road is graded fairly often, just like any gravel road in Australia, it can become bumpy pretty quickly! A 4WD is the best vehicle to tackle any of remote Western Australia in, but if you’re travelling in a 2WD you’ll still be able to get to Eighty Mile Beach. If the road is bumpy and corrugated, just take it easy and be cautious.
2. Enjoy a calm & quiet paradise
The Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park, although modest in nature, is a beautifully kept lush oasis. It’s set right behind the sand dunes that border Eighty Mile Beach and is protected from the ocean beyond. There are lush lawns in every direction, beautiful shady trees, and plenty of quiet places to pull up a seat and relax.
When I visited in the month of May, I practically had the entire place to myself. Although it does get busier as the winter months push on, it’s still a very relaxing spot. People come to Eighty Mile Beach for the beach – so you’ll almost always have plenty of room between you and the next person when you visit!
3. Go fishing & watch the tiny crabs at sunset
One of the best things about Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park is how close it is to the beach! You could wake up and be on the pristine sands of this incredible coastline within seconds.
At dusk and dawn, you will see thousands of tiny ghost crabs and countless other small crustaceans and sea creatures feeding on the tidal flats. The tides at Eighty Mile Beach are pretty big, so as the tide goes out, the fun begins! Have a stroll around and take the time to pause and look closer. You never know what you might find.
One thing that Eighty Mile Beach is famous for is its fishing. Join the fishing enthusiasts during the winter salmon run, where thousands of Threadfin Salmon swim past the shores of Eighty Mile Beach. If you really want to catch one, grab your fishing rod and bait and scope out the deeper sand channels at low tide. Once high tide rolls around, get back to those deep channels and get your line in the water.
Further up the beach, in both directions, you’ll find creeks and estuaries that are the perfect place to fish for flathead, bream, cod or mangrove jack.
The area out the front of the caravan park is called the Wallal Recreation Zone, which means you are allowed to fish from the shore there. Don’t forget that you must comply with the WA Recreational Fishing Rules though, you can check them out here.
4. Sunrise yoga overlooking the beach
Why not take a moment to reconnect with everything around you while you’re in such a tranquil place?
Visitors to the Caravan Park have direct access to the beach via a couple of elevated walkways and staircases that are perched over the sand dunes. These walkways have some viewing platforms at the top, allowing you to sit for a while and take in the view…and they also happen to be big enough to fit a yoga mat.
I set my alarm early and made my way up to the viewing platform with a towel and my yoga mat. I spent a good hour taking in the quiet scene, watching all the shore birds and sea life bring the beach to life. One word of advice though – the surface of the viewing platforms is a hard plastic criss-cross mesh, which happens to be quite hard underfoot. Take a towel or two to put under your yoga mat for extra padding! Don’t forget about other visitors too, if you’re there early enough to beat the crowds you won’t have to worry, but if there are other people around, be considerate of their experience too.
5. It’s affordable to camp, plus there’s cabins too
Now run by Summerstar Tourist Parks, the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park has something that’s sure to suit everyone’s price range. There are powered and unpowered campsites, which are suitable for tents, swags, and camper vans as well as bigger caravans. There are also a range of self-contained cabins you can book if you’re not the camping type.
Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park Prices
Unpowered campsites start around $42 per night, and powered campsites are the same cost.
The most basic ‘Studio Cabin’ starts at $150 per night (which sleeps 2), plus there’s 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom cabins available as well. These are more like the ‘dongas’ you’d find on a mine site in WA, but they are comfortable, clean and most importantly, air-conditioned! Prices vary by season & time of year, so head over to the Summerstar website to check prices and make your booking.
Handy Hint: You won’t need to worry about additional park fees once you arrive, because entry to the Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park is free.
6. The great reviews are all spot on
I’m happy to say that all the positive reviews that are scattered over the internet couldn’t be more accurate. I felt welcomed by the staff, plus the other guests and campers were really friendly and the grounds were beautiful. All the amenities, like the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms were all super clean and tidy.
7. It’s not pet friendly
Perhaps this is a kicker for those travelling with pets, but because Eighty Mile Beach is a world-class protected Marine Park, pets are not permitted at the Caravan Park or in the Marine Reserve (which covers the entire stretch of coastline that is Eighty Mile Beach).
8. Get a taste of local live music
If you’re heading to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park during the peak season (these are the winter months, which are typically from May to September), there’s a good chance you’ll be in for an entertaining treat! The Caravan Park hosts live music nights on the lawn where you can bring your camp chair and watch the sunset while you listen to a local act.
9. It’s open almost all year
Although this part of the coast experiences dramatic seasonal weather shifts, the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park stays open all year long. Peak season is typically from May to September (the winter months), where temperatures are milder than during the summer months. Although it gets incredibly hot and humid during the low season (high 30°C’s and 40°C’s), never fear, the peak season is still balmy and warm too. You can expect temperatures in the low to mid 30’s during winter.
Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, which hit the coast at Eighty Mile Beach in April of 2023, caused an exception to the ‘always open’ rule. They luckily didn’t suffer catastrophic damage and they closed briefly to fix everything up. They are back up and running as per usual now.
Can you Swim at Eighty Mile Beach?
Although technically possible to swim at Eighty Mile Beach, it is strongly advised not to. Common inhabitants of the ocean there are sharks, sea snakes, and sometimes even crocodiles. Strong currents are also very common. If this doesn’t deter you from swimming, then accept that you enter at your own risk. The nearest hospital is hundreds of kilometres away in Port Hedland.
10. Spot migratory birds or turtle nesting
Eighty Mile Beach is an internationally significant Marine Park, and each year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds come from the Artic Circle to feed and rest during the summer months. It’s said to be an incredible spectacle, as birds fill the shores and tidal flats.
Something else magical also happens during the summer months – Flatback turtles come to the beach to nest & lay their eggs. When the eggs finally hatch, the baby turtles use the light of the moon to help guide them to the water. If you are visiting Eighty Mile Beach during nesting or hatching time, be very careful to keep as far away as you can from any turtles, nests or hatchlings as possible. Even more importantly, do not go out at night and use torches to watch the hatchlings run to the water, this can make them vulnerable to predators and could cause them to lose their way. Watch in awe for as long as you like and be sure to keep a healthy distance.
11. There are countless amenities at the Caravan Park
The unbelievable thing about this oasis in the middle of nowhere is just how well equipped it is. Be mindful that there is no such thing as mains power and water – all electricity and water is collected or generated by the Caravan Park independently.
That being said, they manage to keep incredible lush green grounds with beautiful camping sites, plus they have a range of other great amenities:
- Powered & unpowered camping sites
- Self-contained cabins
- Fresh drinking water
- A mini-mart which sells anything from bait to basic groceries
- Laundry
- Full camp kitchen
- BBQ area
- Games room with pool table & large screen TV
- They host daily morning tea (peak season only)
- Parmi nights, Sunday roast nights, fish & chips nights…and more! (peak season only)
- Telstra and Optus 3G/4G reception
Is 80 Mile Beach Worth Visiting?
Have you already made your mind up about Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park? … I have, and it’s an absolute ‘yes’ from me! Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park is worth visiting for the beautiful beach, tranquil lush grounds, great amenities, convenient location, friendly staff, friendlier shorebirds, and the incredible array of wildlife. Not bad for an easy pit-stop on a long road trip.
Planning a longer road trip?
Are you planning to head south along the cost but don’t want the fun to end? Why not check out this Ultimate Guide to Camping in Coral Bay.
Heading further north instead? Find out everything you need to know about camping at Lake Argyle and discover some fun things to do while you’re there.
