Whether Cooktown marks the northern-most part of your journey or you are heading up the cape, Cooktown Racecourse Campground is a good place to stay while visiting Cooktown. The site is run by the council, and it is a donation campground.
To stay at this campground, you must be self-contained. All water must be contained within your vehicle. Containers to collect water are not permitted. The grounds are patrolled for compliance.
Pets are permitted at this campground.
Tents are not permitted.
As far as we could tell fires are not permitted.
On arrival, find a site and set up. There is no check-in procedure.
Cooktown Racecourse Campground Quick Facts
| Campground Name | Cooktown Racecourse Campground |
|---|---|
| Nearest Town | Cooktown |
| GPS | 15°28'27.84"S 145°14'15.37"E |
| Access Road | Sealed |
| Number of sites | ~10 |
| Toilets | No |
| Water | No |
| Dump point | No |
| Power | No |
| Pets | Yes |
| Tents | No |
| Fires permitted | No |
| Telstra coverage | Yes |
| Optus coverage | Yes |
| Cost | Donation |
| Booking | N/A |
Campground Layout and Features
Cooktown Racecourse Campground has about 10 unmarked sites, distributed amongst the trees. The ground is a little uneven, but levelling your van is not too difficult.
The area is shaded in parts. However, if you select a site that suits your requirements, you should not have any issues getting enough solar.
There are no facilities supplied at this site other than some rubbish bins. You must be self-sufficient, and as mentioned above, you must be fully self-contained. No water is to be discharged on the ground. Your van may be inspected for compliance with this requirement. While the race club have facilities, campers are not permitted to use them.
There is a maximum stay of three days at this site. Donations can be made using the stainless steel strong box near the rubbish bins.
This is a popular site so you should plan to arrive early to secure a suitable site.
Cooktown Racecourse Campsite Location
This campsite is a short 2km drive from the centre of Cooktown. The map below shows the campground’s location, the clubhouse is a little below the lower edge.. You can zoom out for a more general location.
What to Watch Out For at Cooktown Racecourse Campground
Besides the need to contain all water, this campground has nothing to worry about.
Final Words
We stayed at the campground before heading up to Cape York. We had a good stay and recommend it.
If you are heading to Cape York from here, we recommend travelling on Battlecamp Road. It is a good road. You may want to consider travelling through Lakefield rather than heading straight to Peninsula Development Rd. Lakefield Road was in really good condition when we travelled it.
Closeby Campgrounds
For those heading up the cape you may wish to stay at Kalpowar Crossing Campground in Lakefield National Park.
If you are heading south from Cooktown you may wish to consider staying at Mossman Golf Club RV Camp Area or Bonadio RV Park near Atherton.