11 national parks in South Australia to camp in these Christmas holidays

Anoth­er busy year is com­ing to a close, so it’s almost time to relax, unwind and get ready to reload for 2020.

If you’re an avid camper and you’ve left your Christ­mas hol­i­day plan­ning until the last minute, don’t stress. There are still camp­sites avail­able in many of South Australia’s nation­al parks over the December/​January hol­i­day period.

Before you start think­ing that plan­ning a camp­ing trip is just one more thing to add to your grow­ing ​‘to do’ list, think again.

We’ve done the hard work for you and picked 11 less­er-known nation­al parks that are per­fect for a qui­et getaway.

Here’s where:

With­in a 3‑hour dri­ve of Adelaide

1. Tolderol Game Reserve

Locat­ed on the shores of Lake Alexan­d­ri­na, just south of Lang­horne Creek, Tolderol Game Reserve is a fan­tas­tic park if you’re an avid birdwatcher.

With only six camp­sites in the park, which are all flat and grassy, this park’s a great choice if you want some­thing away from the hus­tle and bus­tle. Just make sure you book your spot before you go, and be pre­pared to be self-suf­fi­cient, as there are no facil­i­ties onsite.

2. Karte Con­ser­va­tion Park

If you’re look­ing for soli­tude, this is the park for you. Locat­ed north-east of Lameroo, Karte Con­ser­va­tion Park pro­tects a vast area of mallee scrub, which pro­vides an impor­tant habi­tat for more than 40 species of birds, includ­ing the threat­ened malleefowl.

The camp­ground has three camp­sites, a toi­let and pic­nic tables, and you’ll need to book before you go.

3. Loch Luna and Moorook Game Reserves

Explore the net­work of wet­lands, creeks, lagoons and flood plains that make up the Loch Luna and Moorook Game Reserves in the River­land. These parks are great for riv­er-based activ­i­ties and camping.

Camp­sites are well-spaced and can be found along the main riv­er chan­nel, Cham­bers Creek and Loch Luna Lagoon. There are lim­it­ed facil­i­ties here, so be pre­pared. And don’t for­get to book online before you go.

4. Mount Mon­ster Con­ser­va­tion Park

Despite the name, there’s noth­ing scary about Mount Mon­ster Con­ser­va­tion Park. Locat­ed just south of Kei­th in the state’s south-east, this park boasts many spe­cial fea­tures includ­ing an unusu­al gran­ite out­crop found in only one oth­er loca­tion in South Australia.

There’s two hik­ing trails through the nat­ur­al bush­land, which are excel­lent for wild­flower and wildlife watching.

Good news: it’s free to camp at this park, but bad news: there are no onsite facil­i­ties, so make sure you’re self-sufficient.

3 to 5‑hours’ dri­ve from Adelaide

5. Lash­mar Con­ser­va­tion Park

Nes­tled on the peace­ful north­ern coast of Kan­ga­roo Island, just east of Pen­neshaw, Lash­mar Con­ser­va­tion Park is only a 3‑hour dri­ve plus a fer­ry trip from Ade­laide. The park is an ide­al loca­tion for swim­ming, fish­ing and bird­watch­ing and is just a short dri­ve from Cape Willough­by light­sta­tion.

There are two camp­grounds in the park, locat­ed either side of the Chap­man Riv­er. It’s a great spot to vis­it, so don’t miss out – book your camp­site now.

6. Beach­port Con­ser­va­tion Park

White sandy beach­es, coastal flo­ra and exten­sive birdlife make Beach­port Con­ser­va­tion Park an ide­al spot for a camp­ing holiday.

The 3 Mile Bend Camp­ground on the shores of Lake George has sev­en camp­sites, so there won’t be too many neigh­bours. The shel­tered camp­ground is suit­able for small to medi­um size car­a­vans, camper trail­ers and tents. Just make sure you book your site online before you go.

7. Lit­tle Dip Con­ser­va­tion Park

Locat­ed just south of Robe, Lit­tle Dip Con­ser­va­tion Park con­serves a num­ber of small lakes plus a rugged­ly beau­ti­ful coast­line and sand dunes. The lakes are a haven for bird­watch­ers and the beach­es pro­vide good oppor­tu­ni­ties for beach­comb­ing and surf fishing.

It’s a gem of a park, and it has four seclud­ed camp­grounds that you can book a site at.

8. Bool Lagoon Game Reserve

Wake up to the sounds of the birdlife that call this Ram­sar-list­ed wet­lands home. Bool Lagoon Game Reserve con­serves one of the largest and most impor­tant fresh water lagoon sys­tems in south­ern Aus­tralia. Up to 150 bird species are known to vis­it the area, mak­ing it a haven for bird-watchers.

The camp­ground has toi­lets, a pic­nic area with gas bar­be­cue, and run­ning water (non-drink­able), and sites need to be booked online in advance.

9. Chow­illa Game Reserve

The peace­ful water­ways and majes­tic riv­er red gums at Chow­illa Game Reserve make this a won­der­ful place to disconnect.

The remote nature of the park will put you out of range of pesky phone calls as you relax to the sounds of nature. Try your hand at canoe­ing, fish­ing and birdwatching.

With plen­ty of space, you will be sure to find a seclud­ed camp site. Just remem­ber to book before you go.

10. Cape Gantheaume Con­ser­va­tion Park and Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area

Locat­ed on the wild south coast of Kan­ga­roo Island, the vast wilder­ness of Cape Gantheaume Con­ser­va­tion Park and Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area will pro­vide a spec­tac­u­lar back­drop to your Christ­mas get­away. It’s a great spot for bush­walk­ing, bird­watch­ing, kayak­ing, snorkelling and fishing.

There are five camp­sites dot­ted along beau­ti­ful D’Estrees Bay, plus anoth­er five camp­sites at Mur­ray Lagoon, an idyl­lic spot with its abun­dant birdlife. Don’t for­get to book before you go.

A bit more of a road trip…

11. Lau­ra Bay Con­ser­va­tion Park

Lau­ra Bay Con­ser­va­tion Park lies just south of Ceduna on the west cost of the Eyre Penin­su­la. The shel­tered bay, with its tidal sam­phire flats and man­groves, is an ide­al feed­ing ground for sea birds, many of which migrate from the north­ern hemi­sphere each year. Pop­u­lar activ­i­ties to do here include swim­ming, fish­ing and explor­ing the beach and rock pools.

The camp­ground has three camp­sites to book, but bear in mind you’ll need to be a self-suf­fi­cient camper as there are no onsite facil­i­ties here.

Main image: Camp­ing on the Riv­er Murray