Your guide to camping in and around the Yorke Peninsula

Home to an immac­u­late 700km-long coast­line, Yorke Penin­su­la is a favourite hol­i­day des­ti­na­tion for many South Australians.

With world-renowned surf­ing spots, a rugged coast­line, fan­tas­tic bush­walks and a vast his­to­ry to uncov­er, there’s some­thing for every­one to explore – and just an hour and a half’s dri­ve from Ade­laide, it’s easy to vis­it the region for a quick getaway.

Here’s our pick of the best places to stay dur­ing your next trip.

1. Dhil­ba Guu­ran­da-Innes Nation­al Park 

Best for: Nature lovers, hik­ers and beach enthusiasts

Camp­sites:Sten­house Bay, Pon­dalowie Bay, Shell Beach and more

A favourite for camp­ing, fish­ing and surf­ing, the icon­ic Dhil­ba Guu­ran­da-Innes Nation­al Park is a short 5.3km dri­ve from Mar­i­on Bay on the south­ern tip of Yorke Peninsula.

You can immerse your­self in SA’s tumul­tuous mar­itime his­to­ry with a vis­it to the park’s oper­at­ing light­hous­es at Cape Spencer and West Cape, or head to Ethel Beach, where you might be lucky enough to see the Ethel shipwreck.

For a gnarly time, try to catch a wave at Pon­dalowie Bay or, for the more expe­ri­enced surfer, head to Chinaman’s Beach to catch a break.

If fish­ing is more your speed, cast your line from the surf on Browns Beach for a chance at catch­ing salmon – but check out the recre­ation­al fish­ing reg­u­la­tions before you go.

There’s a vari­ety of camp­grounds to pick from, along with some his­toric cot­tages avail­able for accommodation.

When plan­ning your next vis­it, be sure to check out our insid­er tips and must-do activ­i­ties.

2. Mar­i­on Bay

Best for: Fam­i­lies, beach­go­ers and those look­ing for a mix of adven­ture and relaxation

Camp­sites:Mar­i­on Bay Car­a­van Park

Mar­i­on Bay might be seen as the gate­way to the Dhil­ba Guu­ran­da-Innes Nation­al Park but it also boasts its own incred­i­ble spots to swim, fish and surf. 

Mar­i­on Bay Car­a­van Park offers a range of accom­mo­da­tion options to suit your needs, from unpow­ered camp sites through to lux­u­ry fore­shore vil­las and every­thing in between.

For a more rugged expe­ri­ence, try camp­ing along Hillocks Dri­ve, which stretch­es along the rugged coast­line. Here you can find a mix of bush camp­ing and coastal views. It’s a haven for fish­ing and beach­comb­ing, and the per­fect spot to watch the sun­set over the ocean.

If you’re look­ing for some­thing a lit­tle more lux­u­ri­ous, why not check out the Hillocks Ocean Pods.

3. Point Turton

Best for: Cou­ples, qui­et get­aways and anglers

Camp­sites:Point Tur­ton Car­a­van Park

Nes­tled on the west­ern side of Yorke Penin­su­la, Point Tur­tonoffers a peace­ful and pic­turesque camp­ing experience. 

Point Tur­ton Car­a­van Park is right on the water­front with panoram­ic views of the turquoise waters.

This is a great spot for fish­ing, kayak­ing or sim­ply relax­ing by the water. Near­by Fla­her­ty’s Beach is ide­al for a walk or a swim. If you’re into cycling, Point Tur­ton is also a great base for explor­ing the scenic bike trails that wind through the countryside.

4. Wau­ral­tee Beach

Best for: Peo­ple who want to disconnect 

Camp­sites: Wau­ral­tee Bush Campground

You can find Wau­ral­tee Beach on the west coast of Yorke Penin­su­la, about 17 km south of Port Victoria. 

Wau­ral­tee Bush Camp­ground, run by Yorke Penin­su­la Coun­cil, has a max­i­mum capac­i­ty of 24 cars sit­u­at­ed over a large area behind the beach. Tucked between veg­e­ta­tion and sand dunes, the camp­ground has lim­it­ed facil­i­ties, so self-con­tained camp­ing is recommended.

Boast­ing amaz­ing white sand and pris­tine water, the beach has grown in pop­u­lar­i­ty expo­nen­tial­ly in recent years, so remem­ber to secure a camp­ing per­mit ahead of time. 

The state gov­ern­ment recent­ly announced that overnight camp­ing and large camp­ing vehi­cles will not be per­mit­ted on Wau­ral­tee Beach, includ­ing the area known as Sec­ond Beach, from Mon­day 3 Feb­ru­ary 2025. Day­time vehi­cle access will remain for boat launch­ing and recre­ation, and you can absolute­ly stay in the des­ig­nat­ed camp­ground just behind the foreshore. 

This change aims to pro­tect the coastal envi­ron­ment and vis­i­tor safe­ty. You can learn more about these changes on the Depart­ment for Envi­ron­ment and Water’s web­site.

5. Port Vincent

Best for: Fam­i­lies, boat­ing enthu­si­asts, and those seek­ing convenience

Camp­sites:Port Vin­cent Fore­shore Car­a­van Park

For a more resort-like camp­ing expe­ri­ence, head to Port Vin­cent on the east­ern side of the penin­su­la. The Port Vin­cent Fore­shore Car­a­van Parkoffers spa­cious pow­ered and unpow­ered sites, and has plen­ty of facil­i­ties to keep the whole fam­i­ly entertained.

The area is known for its shel­tered beach­es, mak­ing it ide­al for fam­i­lies with young chil­dren. Boat­ing, fish­ing and crab­bing are pop­u­lar pas­times here, and there’s a great mix of play­grounds and parks to enjoy. You can also stroll along the mari­na, vis­it local cafes, or take part in a range of water sports.

Know before you go: things to remem­ber when camp­ing on Yorke Peninsula

Book ahead: Many camp­grounds, espe­cial­ly those with­in nation­al parks, require book­ings in advance.

Pack for all weath­er: Yorke Peninsula’s weath­er can be unpre­dictable so be pre­pared for a mix of sun­shine, wind and rain.

Respect nature: Many camp­ing spots are in pris­tine, pro­tect­ed envi­ron­ments. Leave no trace, slow down and obey speed lim­its, respect the local wildlife, and be mind­ful of any access restric­tions and requirements. 

Bring sup­plies: Some camp­sites, espe­cial­ly remote ones, have lim­it­ed facil­i­ties so stock up on food, water and oth­er essen­tials before you arrive.

Head­er image — cour­tesy of SA Tourism Com­mis­sion (Adam Bruzzone)

Keen for more? Uncov­er every­thing you need to know about how Adelaide’s beach­es are man­aged.