Your guide to camping at Ippinitchie Campground

Sit­u­at­ed on the edge of the for­mer Wirrabara For­est, Ippinitchie Camp­ground is about 210km north of Ade­laide, just west of the Wirrabara township. 

The camp­ground is nes­tled amongst plan­ta­tion rem­nants and native wood­land, pro­vid­ing shel­tered camp­sites in a nat­ur­al set­ting. The ten camp­sites are locat­ed along­side Ippinitchie Creek, and are suit­able for tents, camper trail­ers and caravans. 

Before you go, have a read of these use­ful tips so that you can make the most of your time away. 

Facil­i­ties
The camp­ground has basic facil­i­ties includ­ing a water tank and drop toilet

The old Wirrabara Forest’s pic­nic area is only a short dri­ve away and fea­tures shel­ters, BBQ facil­i­ties, toi­let ameni­ties and pic­nic tables.

Near­by activities

Bluff Look­out

The Bluff Look­out is sit­u­at­ed at the top of the Wirrabara Range and pro­vides spec­tac­u­lar views across Port Pirie and the Spencer Gulf region. The access road is a nar­row sealed road and is not suit­able for large or towed vehicles. 

Bush­walk­ing

Dis­cov­er the cap­ti­vat­ing land­scapes of the old Wirrabara For­est along the scenic Wirrabara For­est Trail. This trail takes you through areas that sur­vived the dev­as­tat­ing Ban­gor fires of 2014. From the pic­turesque pic­nic area, the trail leads you to scenic view­points over the sur­round­ing forest­ed areas and fol­lows an old log­ging trail along­side Ippinitchie Creek. Dis­cov­er the rem­nants of Wirrabara’s his­toric forestry oper­a­tions at the Old Nurs­ery, where you can explore ruins dat­ing back to the 1800s. The trail then winds through the enchant­i­ng pine for­est plan­ta­tion of Marn­er’s Block, fea­tur­ing the icon­ic Marn­er’s Sawmill site. 

Please note that the Wirrabara For­est Trail is a shared-use trail. Keep an eye out for cyclists. 

Take a dri­ve through the scenic Port Ger­mein Gorge to the pic­turesque Telowie Gorge. Once there, the short Nukunu Walk will take you to the entry of the gorge where you can fur­ther explore the area along the creek line. Keep an eye out for the elu­sive yel­low foot­ed rock wal­la­by which inhab­it the area!

Flo­ra

Explore the won­ders of the Wap­ma Thu­ra — South­ern Flinders Ranges Nation­al Park. Span­ning 6,909 hectares, this new­ly declared nation­al park con­sol­i­dates small­er con­ser­va­tion, for­est reserves and crown land areas into a sin­gle nation­al park that is teem­ing with a rich vari­ety of native veg­e­ta­tion that pro­vides habi­tat for native birds, rep­tiles and mammals.

Moun­tain biking

Moun­tain bike enthu­si­asts can also enjoy the Wirrabara For­est Trail. This 7.2km shared use trail is nes­tled with­in the native and pine plan­ta­tion reserves. The wide trail has a gen­tle gra­di­ent and smooth sur­face and is suit­able for begin­ner cyclists with basic moun­tain bike skills. Keep an eye out for obsta­cles such as roots, logs, and rocks. 

What to know before you go

Book online

This is a ​‘book before you go’ camp­ground, so be sure to reserve your site online before you head off! 

Check for clo­sures and alerts

Before you head off on your adven­ture, check the Nation­al Parks and Wildlife Ser­vice web­site for any clo­sures and alerts in the campground. 

Leave no trace

There are no bins in nation­al parks. Make sure you pack rub­bish bags so you can take your rub­bish with you when you leave. 

Camp­fires

Fire restric­tions apply to all nation­al parks. At Ippinitchie Camp­ground, each camp­site has its own firepit and camp­fires must be con­tained to these pits. 

Don’t for­get to bring your own fire­wood as the col­lec­tion of fire­wood in nation­al parks is prohibited. 

Dogs

Please leave your pooches at home — no dogs are allowed at Ippinitchie Campground. 

Look­ing for more camp­ing inspi­ra­tion? Check out your guide to camp­ing at Par­ra Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park, your guide to camp­ing at Deep Creek Nation­al Park and four camp­grounds in South Australia’s nation­al parks where you can treat your­self to a hot show­er.