Hellyer Gorge free camping Tasmania is situated midway between Yolla and Waratah. It's a great free camping area in the Hellyer Gorge State Recreation Area. The Hellyer Gorge is named after Henry Hellyer, through which flows the Hellyer River. It is the subject of the Hellyer Gorge State Reserve. The Murchison Highway passes through the area with many sharp and steep bends. Being subject to 'black ice', this portion of road has now been bypassed by the newer Ridgely Highway. The Hellyer Gorge is a picturesque reserve situated on the Waratah Highway that links the North West coast of Tasmania to the West Coast (Strahan, Queenstown, Zeehan. It is a mountainous, heavily forested area but one of a number of impressive sections of highway in Tasmania. Since the opening of the Guildford Hampshire road, heavy vehicles leave the Hellyer Gorge more to the tourist traveller, making it a popular spot to stop for a picnic. The roadside campsite Hellyer Gorge is an option to camp overnight if heading to Cradle Mountain. A very pretty scenic alternative from Burnie to the West Coast of Tasmania is to go via the Hellyer Gorge from Somerset north of Burnie to just near the junction of the Murchison Hwy and the road to Waratah.  There are easy, short walks to enjoy and a picnic area by the Hellyer River at the bottom of the Gorge. This is a popular place to take a break from driving. Hellyer Gorge offers a nice stop on the Murchison Highway south; the steep winding gorge of the Hellyer River is filled with a rainforest of tall myrtle beech and mosses. There are a number of walking tracks along the banks of the Hellyer River adjacent to the camping areas that provide a pleasant walk to refresh before continuing your journey. See also: Camping Trial Harbour, Camping Pieman Heads, Camping Waratah, Camping Marrawah, Camping Nelson Bay, Camping Manuka, Camping Lake Gairdner