Call in to a caravan park

Orange has two caravan parks. The pet-friendly, council-owned Colour City Caravan Park is part of the showground recreational area. This park looks spectacular in autumn thanks to the changing hues of its mature trees and is the home of the Orange Farmers Market from June to September. As well as powered and unpowered sites, you'll find cabins and a three-bedroom cottage should you decide you want to upgrade for the night. Travelling in an RV? You'll get a free one-night stay, as long as you have your own bathroom facilities (just book through the Orange Visitor Information Centre).

Colour City Caravan Park, Orange - Credit: Orange City Council

On the eastern edge of town, the BIG4 Canobolas Caravan Park has powered sites to suit all sorts of vehicles, a large unpowered area for tents and a range of cabins. It also welcomes pets. Powered sites and camp spots are available at Canowindra Caravan Park, set on a scenic spot on the banks of the Belubula River. It's a great location for attending the famous Canowindra International Balloon Challenge – just be sure to book early. Pet-friendly Blayney Tourist Park is well kitted out with laundry and barbecue facilities, play equipment, and powered and unpowered sites. 

Canowindra Balloon Challenge, Canowindra - Credit: Noel Butcher

Pitch a tent…  

Head to Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area (just 20 minutes out of town) and pitch a tent at the Federal Falls Campground. There are only 10 spots here, accessed by a short walk from the car park. Once you're settled, you’ll enjoy beautiful starry nights (weather permitting), and mornings heralded by birdsong. The campsite gives you access to the Federal Falls Walk, a loop track that takes you through snow gum forests, past vast rock faces, and on a steep walk down to the base of the falls.  

Federal Falls Campground, Canobolas - Credit: Boris Hlavica | DCCEEW

The scene of Australia's first gold rush, Ophir Reserve is today a campsite offering access to a plethora of activities, from fishing and fossicking to exploring old diggings. There's plenty of shade for alfresco meals and walking trails when it comes time to explore. Bakers Shaft Reserve is on the banks of Blaney's Belubula River. It's a serene setting for free camping, with plenty of shady spots to cast out a line.

Also in Blaney, Junction Reefs Reserve is a former mining dam turned secluded campground, also on the banks of the Belubula River. Enjoy walks to a hidden waterfall, then pitch your tent – camping is free. Around 70 kilometres from Orange you'll find Terarra Creek camping and picnic area, set in a natural amphitheatre on the valley floor. It's the perfect base for bushwalkers, sightseers and mountain bikers, not to mention bird watchers – bring your binoculars.

Bakers Shaft Reserve Camp, Burnt Yards - Credit: Blayney Shire Council

Then pitch a hip tent 

Hipcamp is a careful curation of scenic camping spots on private property. There are diverse options available, ranging from Bissys Permaculture Eco Retreat in Cargo, where you can pitch your tent on a working farm will rolling hills and forested groves – enquire about taking a tour of the property. Nearby in Canobolas, The Apple Orchard is, as its name suggests, set on a glorious fruit orchard. Enjoy a tasting of the fruit, then find a spot to relax by the dam and firepit. Olive groves and open paddocks are your backdrop at Camp Yarrindi, just a 20-minute drive from Orange proper. The views of Mount Canobolas are spectacular. 

The Apple Orchard, Canobolas - Credit: Hipcamp Australia Pty Ltd

Glamp it up among the vines

Sometimes, a cellar-door experience is so enjoyable you wish you could just settle in and stay the night. At Nashdale Lane, you can. After tasting a selection of reds and whites crafted on this sustainably managed 24-hectare vineyard, just 10 minutes outside Orange, you can head to one of two glamping cabins, known as Rustig and Kalmte. Both offer stunning luxury escapes in tents that include hardwood flooring, four-poster queen beds, sunken outdoor lounges, stylish kitchens and bathrooms, and wood fires in front of which you can curl up with a bottle of something nice. 

Nashdale Lane Wines, Nashdale