South Australia is one of the most underrated camping states in Australia. Dramatic landscapes from the Mediterranean-climate south to the full outback north, with Kangaroo Island, the Eyre Peninsula and the Flinders Ranges all offering world-class experiences. Many South Australian travellers are surprised by the number of excellent free camping options available. Here are 12 of the best.
1. Flinders Ranges National Park — Wilpena Pound
Wilpena Pound is one of Australia’s great natural wonders — a vast natural amphitheatre of ancient quartzite ranges enclosing a hidden valley. The Wilpena Pound Resort campground offers both powered and unpowered sites from $20 per night. The walk into the Pound through Wilpena Creek is an experience unlike anywhere else in Australia. Spring wildflowers (August to October) transform the normally arid landscape. The Adnyamathanha people have lived in and around the Pound for thousands of years — cultural tours are available and highly recommended.
2. Innes National Park
At the tip of the Yorke Peninsula, Innes National Park offers exceptional camping right on some of South Australia’s best surfing beaches. The Shell Beach campground sits above a pristine white shell beach. Sites from $15 per adult per night. Southern right whales are seen offshore from June to October. Excellent fishing from the rocks. The historic shipwreck of the Ethel is accessible at low tide for snorkelling. The park receives far fewer visitors than comparable SA parks — a genuinely uncrowded experience.
3. Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda) National Park
When Lake Eyre fills with water — a rare event dependent on Queensland floods — it becomes the largest lake in Australia and one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles. Even when dry, the vast white salt lake surrounded by gibber plains is one of Australia’s most unique landscapes. Free camping is available at the Halligan Bay area with basic facilities. A scenic flight over the lake is worth every dollar. Access from William Creek via the Oodnadatta Track — 4WD and full outback preparation essential.
4. Coffin Bay National Park
On the Eyre Peninsula west of Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay National Park protects spectacular coastal wilderness including pristine beaches and sheltered bays. The Yangie Bay camping area has basic facilities at $15 per adult per night. The park is renowned for its world-class oysters — farm tours and fresh oyster experiences available in Coffin Bay township. Fishing and crabbing in the bay are excellent. 4WD required for most beach and camping area access. Book ahead for school holidays.
5. Nullarbor National Park
Crossing the Nullarbor Plain on the Eyre Highway is one of Australia’s great road trip experiences. The Head of Bight, within the Nullarbor National Park, is the world’s largest land-based whale watching platform — southern right whales gather here June to October in numbers that must be seen to be believed. Free camping is available adjacent to the head of Bight visitor centre. The bluebush and saltbush plains of the Nullarbor are hypnotically beautiful in the right light. The Bunda Cliffs extend for 200km — dramatic ocean cliffs from the flat plain.
6. Canunda National Park
South of Millicent on the Limestone Coast, Canunda protects a 40km stretch of wild, windswept beach and coastal dune country. The Southend camping area has good facilities at $15 per adult per night. 4WD beach driving is permitted in designated areas. The beach fishing is excellent. The mallee scrub and coastal heath are rich in birds including the rare Southern Emu-wren. This corner of SA is often overlooked in favour of the Coorong to the north — a mistake, as Canunda offers a more rugged and wild experience.
7. Gawler Ranges National Park
In the arid northwest of SA, the Gawler Ranges protect a dramatic landscape of ancient volcano remnants, ephemeral lake systems and spinifex grasslands. Free camping is available at multiple sites throughout the park including Kolay Bore and Uno Bore. 4WD essential for all internal park access. The Organ Pipes — columnar basalt formations from ancient lava flows — are one of the park’s highlights. Wildlife includes wedge-tailed eagles, red kangaroos and, if you are very lucky, the rare and shy bilby.
8. Coorong National Park
The Coorong Lagoon stretches 150km south of the Murray Mouth — a unique system of lagoons separated from the Southern Ocean by the Younghusband Peninsula. The Coorong is internationally recognised as a wetland of global significance under the Ramsar Convention. Camping is available at multiple sites from $15 per adult per night. Pelicans, migratory waders and hundreds of water bird species use the Coorong. A traditional Aboriginal food resource for Ngarrindjeri people for thousands of years — cultural experiences available in the region.
9. Lincoln National Park
Immediately south of Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula, Lincoln National Park offers some of SA’s best coastal camping. The Surfleet Cove and September Beach campgrounds have basic facilities at $15 per adult per night. The park protects extensive mallee heath and dramatic granite and limestone coast. White sharks are present in these waters — cage diving with great white sharks is available from Port Lincoln, one of the world’s premier shark diving destinations. Fishing from the rocks is excellent for snapper and salmon.
10. Mount Remarkable National Park
In the southern Flinders Ranges near Melrose, Mount Remarkable is a green and accessible escape from the plains. The Mambray Creek camping area has good facilities at $15 per adult per night. The Alligator Gorge walk is one of SA’s finest short walks — narrow quartzite slot canyon with remarkable colours and formations. The Summit Trail to Mount Cavern delivers excellent views across Spencer Gulf. Yellow-footed rock wallabies are present and are best seen at dawn or dusk near the gorge.
11. Deep Creek Conservation Park
On the rugged southern tip of Fleurieu Peninsula, Deep Creek is a surprisingly wild and beautiful park just 90km south of Adelaide. Multiple walk-in camping areas are accessible via excellent walking tracks. The Trig Camp and Deep Creek Cove are the most popular. Sites are $15 per adult per night. The trail to the coast passes through dense mallee and stringybark forest before arriving at dramatic clifftop views. The coast below is an important southern right whale nursery area in winter.
12. Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park
The remote northern Flinders Ranges offer the most dramatic and least-visited landscape in SA. The Grindell’s Hut area provides free camping in the remote heart of the ranges with basic pit toilet facilities. 4WD essential. The Gammon Ranges rise steeply from the surrounding plains — gorges, creek beds and rocky ridges reward those willing to explore. The Adnyamathanha people’s country extends throughout the Flinders and northern ranges — their relationship with this landscape spans thousands of generations. Book with the park office before departing.
Tips for Camping in South Australia
- Book SA national park campgrounds through the SA National Parks booking system at environment.sa.gov.au
- The Camps Australia Wide app is essential for finding free camps on roadsides and station properties throughout SA
- Water is scarce throughout much of SA — always carry significant reserves when travelling remote areas
- Outback SA is hot in summer — most remote area camping is best done April to October
- The Eyre Peninsula and Limestone Coast are accessible year-round in conventional vehicles
- Always carry EPIRB or PLB for remote travel in SA
- Many station owners allow camping — always ask permission and leave gates as you find them
South Australia rewards patience and preparation. The state lacks the marketing budgets of Queensland and NSW but the experiences available — whale watching on the Nullarbor, camping in Wilpena Pound, driving the Oodnadatta Track — are among Australia’s finest. Discover SA and discover why those who know it well keep coming back.