Ahead of the school holidays and October long weekend, visitors are reminded to please plan their trip to NSW national parks as staff prepare for a busy Spring season.
Graham Bush, South Coast Acting Director at the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said COVID-19 restrictions are still in place and some popular precincts may close at short notice if visitation levels exceed safe capacity.
"With good weather expected for the holidays popular precincts such as the camping areas at Murramarang, Meroo and Mimosa Rocks will quickly reach capacity," said Mr Bush.
"The Eurobodalla, Ben Boyd, Bournda and Bungonia national parks are also expected to fill up quickly, as well as the NPWS Visitors Centres at Minnamurra and Fitzroy Falls.
"We want to avoid congestion as people queue to get into particular precincts and our absolute priority is to keep our parks COVID safe."
Mr Bush warned that visitor areas tend to fill up around lunchtime and said it was best to avoid these peak times between 11am and 2pm. Visit early in the morning or come in later in the day so you can enjoy the park for its quieter beauty.
"When coming to any park or reserve, even for just a quick picnic or swim, please plan ahead by visiting our website for information on closures, park alerts and COVID-19 updates as popular precincts will be closed at short notice to ensure visitation levels do not exceed safe capacity.
Julie Bishop, Visitor Experience Director said NPWS is still required to operate its parks and campsites in line with the NSW Public Health order including taking steps to limit numbers within each campground or precinct.
"For many of us it will be such a relief to get outdoors and into nature this Spring, particularly after what felt like a long Winter, but parks across NSW are filling up fast," said Ms Bishop.
"Booking ahead is essential as is practicing physical distancing and good hygiene.
"The quickest and easiest way to check availability and book your favourite campsite is at the NPWS website.
"We are expecting our most popular parks along the coast and in the mountains to be fully booked during the holidays and over the October long weekend, so book early," Ms Bishop said.
For up to date information, including details on how to book a campsite, visit the NPWS website. Traffic information, including up to date information on road closures can be found at Live Traffic NSW.
