Parks where you can camp around Adelaide

If you live in Ade­laide and want to expe­ri­ence the joy of camp­ing with­out a long dri­ve, you’re in luck. Sev­er­al well-loved camp­grounds are just a short trip from the city, mak­ing it easy to swap the urban buzz for the peace­ful sounds of nature.

Whether you’re a sea­soned camper or try­ing it for the first time, these con­ve­nient­ly locat­ed spots offer the per­fect blend of adven­ture and relax­ation.
Here’s where you can find them:

Onka­paringa Riv­er Nation­al Park

Pink Gum camp­ground in Onka­paringa Riv­er Nation­al Park, is locat­ed just 35 kilo­me­tres south of the CBD. There are 11 camp­sites suit­able for tents, car­a­vans, camper trail­ers and campervans. 

There are two main walk­ing trails that depart from the camp­ground. Take the Riv­er Hike down to the gorge where you can find a spot by one of the many rock pools to relax with your book.

Drone footage of Onka­paringa Riv­er Nation­al Park 

Para Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park

The Wirra camp­ground in Para Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park is locat­ed on Adelaide’s north­east edge just 43 km from Ade­laide CBD. The camp­ground has 19 camp­sites includ­ing a large group site suit­able for tents, car­a­vans, camper trail­ers and camper­vans. There’s a camp kitchen avail­able, along with bar­be­cue facil­i­ties and acces­si­ble toilets.

While you’re stay­ing in the park, make use of the net­work of walk­ing and cycling trails, the Nature Play For­est and Gawler View Pic­nic Area. Don’t for­get to bring a foot­ball or crick­et bat for a game on the bush oval.

The park also fea­tures Abo­rig­i­nal inter­pre­tive sig­nage acknowl­edg­ing Para Wirra as a spe­cial meet­ing place, which will give you a more in-depth under­stand­ing of the area.

Para Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park 

Deep Creek Con­ser­va­tion Park

Deep Creek Con­ser­va­tion Park has been the go-to park for camp­ing with­in 100 km of Ade­laide – and it’s easy to see why with its stun­ning coastal scenery and abun­dance of wildlife.

As well as its five camp­grounds, Deep Creek also has self-con­tained accom­mo­da­tion, rang­ing from rus­tic cot­tages to archi­tec­tur­al eco-retreats. The dri­ve to Deep Creek is less than two hours from Ade­laide, so it’s an excel­lent escape from the city.

Deep Creek Con­ser­va­tion Park 

New­land Head Con­ser­va­tion Park

Less­er-known but just as beau­ti­ful, New­land Head Con­ser­va­tion Park is as close to Ade­laide by car as Deep Creek. Stay at Wait­pin­ga camp­ground, just a short walk from Wait­pin­ga Beach (where there are ide­al con­di­tions for surf­ing or a spot of fish­ing, but not suit­able for swim­ming). The camp­ground is shel­tered from the wind where you can camp among the mallee or in open areas pro­tect­ed by shrubs. It is an unal­lo­cat­ed camp­ground, and vehi­cles have to be parked at car park­ing bays. 

There are a num­ber of walk­ing trails start­ing from this campground.

Book before you go

Camp­sites in South Aus­tralian nation­al parks need to be booked online. Book­ings can be made up to one year in advance. So in the­o­ry, if you live in Ade­laide you could check which camp­sites are avail­able online, book a spot, and be out camp­ing in nature with­in hours.

If you’re new to camp­ing, check out our guides for begin­ners – includ­ing what tobring, what tocookandhow to behaveat the campground.