The Granites; free camping near Kingston
After an amazing night at 42 Mile Crossing Campground in the Coorong National Park, we headed further south to a private property, which we’d found on Caravan Overnight Stay. Upon pulling up though, we weren’t that impressed, and decided to head back up the road to the Granites to see what that was like.
The campground on the farm was OK, but it was stinking hot, and the camping was in a paddock near lots of old machinery that the kids would inevitably hurt themselves on, with cow pats everywhere and flies galore, and all we wanted to do was have a swim at the beach.
Pulling into The Granites car park, I said to Sarah ‘nup, no way’, but I jumped out anyway and headed to the lookout, and soon changed my mind.
Where are the Granites?
Granite Rock, and the beach is only 21km north of Kingston SE, and roughly 16 minutes drive by car. It’s not too far off the main highway, and makes for a pretty convenient campground.
Alternatively, you can camp at Kingston SE RV Park for $20 for two nights, which is pretty awesome value and a very short drive away.
The Granites Campground
This campground is a big, bitumen car park with no markings or signs in place. There’s enough room for a huge number of people to camp, and if you are sensible and respectful there’s plenty of room to share out. The car park is right on top of the dunes, and a tiny walk takes you down the beach, and to Granite Rock itself.
There are no amenities here, which means you need to be a self sufficient camper. Bring a toilet, drinking water, rubbish bags to take your rubbish away and leave the area with no trace, and it will stay open for everyone else to enjoy!
Watch our vlog
If you want to see more, check out our vlog from the Granites, below:
Do you need a 4WD?
To get to the Granites, you do not need a 4WD. It’s bitumen the whole way (unless you come from the north along the Old Coast Road).
If you want to access the beach though, you absolutely need a 4WD, with a 2WD Mitsubishi Magna getting stuck on the evening we were there. The beach itself is like concrete, but there’s a section that’s really soft, and even in a 4WD without lower tyre pressures it can be a bit of a challenge.
What’s the Granites Beach like?
The turning point for me at this camp ground was the beach. It is wide, hard, stunning and the Granite Rocks make for a pretty awesome view. The fact that you can drive your vehicle onto the beach is awesome, as it meant we could spend most of our time by our 4WD’s on the beach, and not at camp on the bitumen.
When we stayed there were waves rolling in all the time, but they were small enough for the kids to have a ball, and we had a couple of swims.
How much does it cost?
The Granites are 100% free, which is as good as it gets. This is the first time we’ve camped on bitumen, but you really can’t complain.
It’s a great place
I like places that surprise me. I didn’t like this place at all when we first arrived, but it really grew on me, and I thought it was a pretty awesome place as we left. The camp site itself is nothing to rave about, but the beach and scenery makes it worth while, especially when it costs you nothing!
