Police were told two men had an altercation at Little Styx River Campground overnight. (Supplied: Google Earth)

New South Wales police have arrested a man following the alleged fatal bashing of a camper at a remote campsite in the New South Wales northern tablelands.

At 1:40am today, police received a report of an assault at Little Styx River Campground near Ebor, 80km east of Armidale.

Police were told two men had a verbal altercation before one of the men seriously assaulted the other.

The injured man — aged 33 — was then driven to Thora, about 25km north-west of Bellingen, where NSW Ambulance paramedics attempted to treat him. However, he died at the scene.

Police arrested a 26-year-old man on Waterfall Way off Pipeclay Street, Ebor at about 11.30 today.

A crime scene has been established and New England detectives — with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad — have commenced an investigation into the incident.

Paul Creighton, owner of the Thora General Store, said there was a heavy police presence in Thora as police investigated a crime scene next to his business.

Mr Creighton said he was called to the shop early this morning by detectives seeking CCTV footage.

“It takes the wind out of your sails,” Mr Creighton said.

“It’s a very sober environment here at the moment with the police in the shop,”

Mr Creighton said the deceased man had been a regular customer of the general store in the last month and had been living in a nearby campground.

“He was quite a harmless guy, always nicely spoken,” he said.

“He had spent the last month purchasing food from the store to get by.”