If you prefer fluffy pillows and crisp white sheets, bed and breakfasts and glamping tents give you the opportunity to reconnect with the great outdoors while still enjoying life’s great comforts.
Here are the best places to camp, caravan and stay in Somerset.
Best places to stay for families
The NRMA Lake Somerset Holiday Park is set right by the water and has stacks of accommodation styles and activities. Camp, bring an RV, rent a log cabin or a luxe safari tent and enjoy water activities like canoeing or boating. Later in the evening, fire up the barbecues by the lake for a feast beneath the stars.
Esk Caravan Park is kid-friendly and even has two heated pools. One is reserved just for adults, so your kids can splash about without ruining someone else’s vacation.
Best place for pet lovers
Neurum Creek Bush Retreat is a family favourite, and they let you bring your furry four-legged friend, too. Pick your spot amongst 312 acres of raw bushland, park your van or pitch that tent and get back to basics walking, biking and canoeing, all while still enjoying a hot shower.
Esk Caravan Park is also pet-friendly.
Best place to stay for romance
Sitting around a campfire under a starry sky drinking wine with your better half – sounds romantic, right? Better yet, when the time comes to tuck in for the night, roll yourselves into a luxurious bell tent and wake up refreshed to the sound of morning birdsong.
Camping is fun but it’s not necessarily romantic, which is why Pure Glamping at Wivenhoe Dam offers a five-star glamping experience complete with firewood and ice. Just show up, relax and enjoy nature’s beauty.
Best places for grey nomads
Somerset is home to not one, but three, RV-friendly towns. Fernvale, Kilcoy and Lowood all hold that special title, with super wide streets and special parking for RVs.
In Fernvale, there’s easy parking at the Fernvale Futures Complex, and you can park overnight at the Geoff Fisher Bridge, Brisbane Valley Highway.
In Kilcoy, there’s parking opposite the information centre and Yowie Park, plus you can park overnight at Seib Street, or stay up to a week at the Kilcoy Showgrounds for a small fee.Â
At Lowood, try Clock Park or the main street for parking. There is no free overnight rest area, but the showground offers stays for a small fee. Somerset has four dump points and six water filling stations to make your campervanning journey simple.
Best place for cyclists
If you’re hitting the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail by bike, there’s no better stop than Peddlar’s Rest in Toogoolawah. Forget carrying a tent and sleeping on the ground after a long day cycling – instead, choose a luxuriously soft bed, crisp sheets and hot coffee in the morning.
Best for wildlife and wild entertainment
Between the wild nature surrounding the place and the schedule of live entertainment, you would struggle to be bored at Esk Caravan Park. The pet-friendly slice of paradise backs directly onto the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, has two heated pools (one reserved just for adults), and at 4pm each day, the cheeky resident rainbow lorikeets show up for a feed.
Best place for pub lovers
There’s something undeniably charming about staying in the guest rooms above an old heritage pub. It’s something you only find in the countryside these days, so if you find yourself in Toogoolawah, look up the Exchange Hotel for no-frills, simple stays above the bar. The Linville Hotel also offers top-floor rooms in its 1904-built heritage pub.
Best place for short stays
If you’re rolling your RV or campervan through town for one night only, take advantage of eight free overnight rest areas. In Dundas, Fernvale, Harlin, Kilcoy, Linville, Moore and Toogoolawah, you can pull up to designated areas and stay for up to 20 hours at no cost. Find the list of overnight rest areas here.
Best place for long stays
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to longer stays. Somerset is loaded with campgrounds and great facilities to help you slow down and get back in touch with nature.
North of Fernvale, escape for the week at the Captain Logan Campground and Lumley Hill Campground. It’s surrounded by stunning bushland and lake scenery with swimming, fishing, boating and wildlife spotting. Have your camera ready for koalas, kangaroos, pelicans, ducks, possums and birdlife, plus spectacular sunsets and sunrises.
Best place for school groups
Archery, raft building, canoeing, high ropes, abseiling, mountain biking, bush walking, flying fox… Camp Somerset has no shortage of fun team building and outdoor education activities to keep active kids, school and social groups busy. Best of all the camp is set within 1000 acres of bushland with Somerset Dam lapping at the edge. They have no-frills apartments available for large family groups, too.
Best place for serious bush camping
If you think hot showers – or any showers – are for wimps, then bush camping is for you. Bring your swag and sense of adventure when you set out into the 10,000 acre playground that is Landcruiser Mountain Park. There’s 200km of tracks best explored with a four-wheel drive vehicle. Bounce between creeks and waterfalls, go wild swimming, bush walking, climbing and even try freshwater fishing. You can camp anywhere in the park, but there are (actually) four main camp areas with hot showers – Cowah Falls, Trakka Terrace, The Gums and Fig Tree.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of places to pitch your tent, park your van or settle into the lap of luxury in Somerset – and we look forward to seeing you soon.
