Best Camping Spots in South Australia
After 4 months exploring this great state, its time to do a Best Camp Sites in South Australia post!
Now, I want to make it very clear that this is our opinion only, and relates to the camp site itself, not the destination, or attractions nearby. There were plenty of amazing places that we went to where the camp sites weren’t anything special, but we’re purely focusing on best camp sites today.
Eyre Peninsula
Fitzgerald Bay
If you are chasing water front, free camping in a truly stunning part of the world, the Fitzgerald Bay north of Whyalla is the place to go. We ended up here early due to foul weather forecast, and a pretty average free camp, and still had an amazing time.
We dodged the rainfall, caught fish, watched the fish farms get worked on and appreciated the truly stunning views, with the water literally 10 metres from our beds.
The Fitzgerald Bay has a heap of places you can camp, along the emergency track towards Point Lowly, or heading north around the bay.
Cost: Completely free
Amenities: No amenities
Style of camping permitted: All types, with a 4WD recommended for some sites after rain
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: No
How to book: No bookings possible
Memory Cove
Perhaps our all time favourite camp in South Australia is Memory Cove, and you’d hope it’s a great spot after enduring 2 hours or more driving down a pretty rough, and rocky 4WD track.
This magic spot is located deep within the Lincoln National Park, and is accessible to 4WD’s and small trailers only. From the visitors centre in Port Lincoln (where you need to get a key), it will take about 2 hours to do the drive in, with most people averaging around 20km/h on the track itself.
It’s nothing difficult, just relentless rocky sections that will have you very much looking forward to the pristine cove at the other end.
Memory Cove is severely limited to visitors by its track in, and the fact that there are only 5 camp sites. The sites are all under shady parts of a beautiful area, with beach views to a magnificent cove that is well protected on 3 sides.
We spent 3 magic nights at Memory Cove, and would happily do the drive all over again to get more time out there.
Cost: $31 per vehicle, per night
Amenities: Drop toilet
Style of camping permitted: 4WD access only, with small trailers suitable. No caravans or motorhomes
Pet Friendly: No
Fires permitted: No
How to book: Online on the Parks South Australia website
Black Springs Overflow
After feeling a bit underwhelmed at Yangie Bay Campground in the Coffin Bay National Park, we decided to head out further into the park to find a better place. Black Springs is a beautiful part of Coffin Bay National Park, and you can camp at the overflow which is cheaper, often quieter and has much better views and access to the water.
We managed to drag our Reconn R2 Hybrid Caravan out to here, but you’d only do this with a suitable tow vehicle and experience driving off road. We managed to get bogged on the way out, with no issues coming back in, but the drive was completely worth it for a couple of days of peace and quiet.
Cost: $21 per night
Amenities: None
Style of camping permitted: 4WD access only, with camper trailers and light weight hybrids suitable if you are game
Pet Friendly: No
Fires permitted: Yes, in season
How to book: Book online on the Parks South Australia website
Carrow Wells
If you are chasing a magnificent beach that is easily accessible, you won’t go wrong with Carrow Wells, just south of Port Neill.
This is a donation camp, and you can stay behind the first dune, or set quite a while back, or even get beach views if you please. We had two amazing nights here and appreciated the perfect South Australian beach for what it is.
Cost: Donation campground (please leave a donation; its worth it!)
Amenities: Drop toilet
Style of camping permitted: All types, with 4WD only to some areas, and very large vehicles are quite restricted
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes, in season
How to book: No bookings possible
Mikkira Station
We’ve stayed at some pretty unique places on our travels throughout Australia, but camping on a private property that is set up as a sanctuary for wild koalas is up there with the best. Mikkira Station is exactly this, and our camp site had about 10 koalas within 50 metres of our camper.
We saw them on the ground at night, and the following morning too, in their own natural, wild and protected area and had just as much fun as the kids did. This is an absolute must do in South Australia, if its open when you visit (it closes when the fire risk is high).
Cost: $30 per night
Amenities: Flushing toilets and hot showers
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: No
Fires permitted: No
How to book: Phone through, email or book via the Visit Port Lincoln Accommodation website
Flinders Ranges
Moolooloo Station
We had some great camping in the Flinders Ranges, but camping at Witchies on Moolooloo Station was a favourite by a long shot. Not only did we not have a soul camping within several kilometres of us, but the views were unbelievable, the property is stunning to drive around and it was just an incredible place to kick back and relax for a few days.
You absolutely need a 4WD to get here, and its not suitable for caravans, but if you can get in with a camper trailer or tent you’ll have a ball, as did we.
Cost: $33 per site per night (completely private sites with no one else there)
Amenities: Drop toilet
Style of camping permitted: 4WD access only, and small trailers and hybrid campers
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: Ring, or you can book through their website
Parachilna Gorge
If free camping is your thing (why wouldn’t it be?!), you won’t go wrong with Parachilna Gorge. With emu’s, goats and a heap of bird life around all day long, and more camping opportunities than you can poke a stick at, there’s somewhere for everyone at Parachilna.
This is a donation camp too, and we’d highly recommend you put some money in at the entrance, where the rubbish bins are as these sort of places are few and far between.
Our kids had an amazing time splashing in the creek here and watching the animal life, and we thoroughly enjoyed it too.
Cost: Donation camp (near the rubbish bins on your way in)
Amenities: Rubbish bins
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes, but bring your own firewood
How to book: No bookings possible, and virtually unlimited space
Willow Springs
Before arriving at Willow Springs, we’d read some comments about the camp grounds that seemed so positive that I was certain they were fake. It didn’t take long after arriving to realise that they were as legit as it comes, and Willow Springs to this date takes the cake for the tidiest camp grounds that we’ve ever seen.
We stayed in a magic bush camp and had a serious amount of privacy in a setting that was nothing short of breath-taking, and appreciated the spotless, and great amenities at the homestead.
Cost: $30 per night for an unpowered site, and more if you want power
Amenities: Incredibly clean flushing toilets and hot showers, washing machines, camp kitchen and WIFI
Style of camping permitted: All types with some clearance needed
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: Ring, or book on their website
Rawnsley Park Station on the bush sites
I didn’t have overly big expectations of Rawnsley Park Station, and in general am not a fan of the caravan park arrangement, but Rawnsley Park Station ticked so many boxes it was impossible not to fall in love with.
The actual caravan park was busy, noisy and not what we like when camping in Australia, but their bush camping is absolutely magnificent. They have a huge chunk of land where you can camp anywhere you want, and we nailed two amazing spots overlooking a beautiful creek, and Wilpena Pound from the southern end.
With a flushing toilet nearby, and a huge amount of peace and quiet we fell in love with this place extremely quickly.
Cost: $29 for unpowered bush camping sites, and $8 per child over 3
Amenities: Full caravan park amenities
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: Ring, or book online
Argadells
We stumbled across Argadells by pure chance, and rate it as one of the most amazing properties we’ve ever been to, in Australia. The bush camping here is fantastic, or you can stay in their caravan park with all of the amenities.
The huge rolling hills, pristine gorges and flowing creeks here are as stunning as it gets, and if you camp on a bush site, its literally your backyard.
Cost: $15 per adult, and $5 per child for bush camping
Amenities: Toilets at the bush sites, or full amenities at the caravan park
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: Ring, or book on their website
Yorke Peninsula
Balgowan Campsite
We’re not normally ones to enjoy being camped near a heap of other people, but after some terrible winds (who’d have guessed!), we ended up at Balgowan Campsite, and this place turned out to be absolutely magic.
It’s a small, community run caravan park in the middle of a quiet coastal town, with amazing views of a big, beautiful red cliff and a beach that you can quickly walk to. This is incredibly cheap for what you get, and a brilliant place to spend a few nights.
Cost: $20 per night
Amenities: Hot showers, flushing toilets, a playground for the kids
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: No
How to book: Ring Cheryl to make a booking. The number is on their website.
Wauraltee Beach
There’s no doubt that South Australia has some of the best beaches in Australia, and we spent a truly epic night at Wauraltee Beach, camped right on the beach itself. As it turns out, you can do this due to it being crown land, or you can camp in the shire run camp site above the beach.
If you get good weather here, its a magic beach, and one we’ll remember for a long time to come.
Cost: Free on the beach, or shire camping rates above
Amenities: None for the beach camping
Style of camping permitted: 4WD access only, with some clearance needed to enter and exit (no big caravans!)
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: No bookings required
Gym Beach
The Innes National Park at the bottom of the Yorke Peninsula is nothing short of beautiful, but its also quite busy, and developed. The exception to this, is Gym Beach, which is much quieter and on the outskirts of the National Park.
We scored a magic camp site here and loved the huge number of great beaches within walking distance.
Cost: $24 per night, per site
Amenities: Drop toilets and a fire pit
Style of camping permitted: All types, but not all sites suit caravans
Pet Friendly: No
Fires permitted: Yes, in season
How to book: Online on the Parks South Australia website
Pondalowie Bay
Everything in the Innes National Park is so close together, and that is awesome when you’re staying at a place like Pondalowie Bay. The campground is split into two (trailers and no trailers), and has decent sites on gravel, with emu’s walking around often.
A short walk takes you to a beautiful beach, and you can drive to the other attractions (of which are many).
Cost: $25 per night per site
Amenities: Drop toilets
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: No
Fires permitted: Yes, in season
How to book: Online on the Parks South Australia website
Swincer Rocks
After checking out a number of different camp sites north of the Innes National Park, we nearly skipped driving into Swincer Rocks, and that would have been a giant mistake. This was probably our favourite camp site on the Yorke Peninsula, and its not hard to see why.
There’s a couple of magic spots that get you close to a pristine beach, away from the crowds and with views to die for.
Cost: Standard shire camping fees apply – $20 per night, $100 per week, $300 per month (with access to all of the shire sites on the Yorke Peninsula).
Amenities: None
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Yes
How to book: No bookings possible
Fleurieu Peninsula
Rapid BayIn terms of scenic campgrounds in South Australia, I didn’t see anything that compares to Rapid Bay. It’s hugely busy, and so much busier than what we would normally go for, but looking up and down the beach at the stunning hills, pristine water and beautiful jetty well and truly made up for it.
There were a number of occasions where I looked around and felt like we were in Thailand, or another part of the world, with scenery like you very rarely see in Australia.
The amenities aren’t anything to rave about here, but the camp ground is great, and if you can score a water front camp site its a place you’ll rave about for years to come.
Cost: $12.50 per adult, and $7.50 per child per night
Amenities: Public toilets located outside of the park
Style of camping permitted: All types
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fires permitted: Small, contained, comfort fires in season
How to book: Ring and make a booking well in advance!
