Pentland Hotel

🌽 Pentland Hotel, Pentland QLD

(FREE CAMP)

🌽 Description & Location

Nestled just behind the Pentland Hotel on Main Street (Flinders Highway), this informal paddock-style campsite offers free unpowered camping on flat, shaded ground. It’s set well back from the road and rail line, providing a quieter overnight stop despite the town-centre location. The old stables and a row of shady mango trees add a rustic, outback charm. Walk straight through to the pub for a meal, a yarn with locals, and access to basic amenities.

🪶 History

Pentland’s origins date back to the 1860s when the Cape River goldfields brought prospectors inland. The town was formally established following the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1884, becoming a key service centre for the surrounding grazing districts. The hotel has long served travellers and drovers along this stretch of the Flinders Highway. Local landmarks—including a war memorial hall and nearby railway features—reflect Pentland’s mixed Indigenous, settler, and working-class heritage that still echoes through the town today.

🚩 Facilities and Amenities

• ✅ Free, unpowered camping area behind the hotel

• 🚿 Toilets and hot showers available—coin or bar access required

• ☖ Drinking water available

• ❌ No dump point on-site

• 🐾 Pet friendly by arrangement

• ⚡ No power hookups or designated bays

🚗 Vehicle Access

• ↩️ Direct access from Flinders Highway through Pentland township

• 🛋️ Suitable for caravans, motorhomes, and camper trailers

• 🌾 Flat open ground with informal access via rear of hotel stables

ℹ️ Stay Information (as at July 2025)

• 🔹 Campground: Free

• 🔹 Booking: Not required; check-in at hotel bar recommended

• 🔹 Managing authority: Private—Pentland Hotel

• 🔹 Site type: Informal paddock camp behind pub

• 🔹 Maximum stay limits: Not stated

• 🔹 Pets: Pet friendly by arrangement

• 🔹 Self-containment: Not required

• 🔹 Access notes: Gate entry near rear mango tree; follow signs from hotel

• 🔹 Contact: Phone (07) 4788 1106; email enquiries@pentlandhotel.com.au

🍻 Nearby Pubs & Clubs

• 🍻 Pentland Hotel: On-site; open daily for meals, drinks, and local hospitality

🏛 Nearby Campgrounds

• ⛺ Pentland Caravan Park (~200 m): Formal park with power, water, dump point, and facilities

• 🏞 Canns Camp Creek (~17 km north): National park bush site (permit required, 4WD access only)

🌿 Nearby Attractions

• 📅 Town wetlands—good for birdwatching, especially after rain or in spring

• 🗄 Burra Range Lookout—views of sandstone ridges west of town, best at sunset

🚚 Nearest Supplies

• 🏪 Pentland General Store—basic groceries, fuel, post

• ⛽ Charters Towers (~107 km southeast)—full services including clinics, auto repair, and supermarkets

📊 Reviews Summary

Positive aspects:

• 😊 Free, easy-access camp with flat ground and space for large setups

• 🍽️ Short walk to pub meals and amenities

• 🐕 Pet friendly and welcoming hosts

• 🔇 Generally quiet despite proximity to road and rail

Cautions:

• ❌ No power, no dump point

• 🚫 Showers cost extra and may be limited to pub hours

• 🚕 Minor highway and train noise possible

⚠️ Breakdown & Emergency Info

• ⚡ Road Channel = 40; ⛔ Emergency Only Channel = 5

• 📱 Good Telstra and Optus coverage reported

• ⛽ Nearest fuel and mechanical help in Charters Towers

• 🚚 Carry extra water and spares due to remote stretch

• 🌧️ Wet season may cause road closures or track issues nearby

📍 Final Note

For travellers needing a quiet, free overnight rest with a bit of old-school country charm, the paddock behind the Pentland Hotel is a gem. Roll in, enjoy a pub meal, stretch your legs under the mango trees, and soak up some Queensland outback hospitality. It’s a low-fuss, high-welcome spot that suits rigs of all sizes and those travelling light.