Brachina East was the first campground we came to after dropping through Bunyeroo Gorge on our gorge day, and we pulled in for a look. It’s a great campground: 13 sites spread along Brachina Creek under some of the biggest river red gums we’ve seen, with the hills closing in on both sides. We didn’t stay that time, as the day ended at Acraman, but it’s one we’d book.
What we like
- Huge old river red gums
- 13 sites, plenty of room
- Fire pits and a long-drop
- 4WD sites across the creek
- At the start of the gorge trail
- Hills on both sides
What we don’t
- No drinking water or bins
- Patchy reception at best
- Don’t camp under the gums
About Brachina East CampgroundAbout
Brachina East sits on Brachina Creek just west of the junction where the Bunyeroo Gorge Scenic Drive meets the Brachina Gorge Road, which makes it the first camp on the geological trail if you drive it east to west. SA Parks calls it two camping experiences on Brachina and Aroona creeks: seven 2WD sites, 1 to 7, along the track beside the Brachina overflow, with a toilet and the self-registration board near the entrance, and six 4WD sites, 8 to 13, across the creek and up Aroona Creek on a rough track, with their own toilet. Fees run from $27.50 a night for a single-vehicle site to $64.40 for site 8, which takes four vehicles and 20 people.
Everything is allocated, so you book your numbered site online before you leave Wilpena, and the board is blunt about it: mobile coverage is limited in most of the park.
Quick facts
- AddressBrachina East Campground, Brachina Gorge Road, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, SA, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesToiletsFire PitsBBQsCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo Drinking WaterNo BinsNo PowerNo ShowersNo Pets
- Good to know13 allocated sites4WD for sites 8–13Patchy reception, book first
- Fees$27.50 single-vehicle sites$39.80–$64.40 group sites$14.40 park entry
- 8.8/10Overall rated
- Book via Parks SA
Getting There
From Wilpena Pound, take the Bunyeroo Gorge Scenic Drive over the Razorback and down through Bunyeroo Gorge to the junction, then turn west onto the Brachina Gorge Road and the campground is just along on the right. You can also come in from the Blinman road along the eastern Brachina road, past Youngoona and Trezona. The entrance dips through the dry creek crossing, and the roads are gravel the whole way, fine for a high-clearance 2WD and trailers in the dry. Check the road report after rain, as the creek crossings are the first thing to go.
Campground LayoutLayout
The track leaves the Brachina Gorge Road at the board and follows the overflow north-east past sites 1 to 7, with the toilet by site 4; just past site 3 the 4WD track branches off across the creek bed and climbs up Aroona Creek to sites 8 to 13 and the second toilet. Here’s how it fits together.
The Campsites
The sites are spread along the red gravel flats beside the creek, each marked with a numbered post and a fire pit, with the big river red gums giving shade and the scrubby hills rising behind. There’s a lot of room between them, and the two-vehicle sites have space for a caravan or a small group. The 4WD sites across the creek are quieter again, up Aroona Creek, and site 8 there is the big one for a group of up to 20.
One thing the park signs repeat everywhere here: don’t camp under the gum trees. Red gums drop limbs without warning, and some of these are huge. Pick a site with the shade beside you rather than over you.
Bring Your Own Water and WoodWater and wood
The toilet block is a timber long-drop under a shelter on the main loop, with the rainwater tank beside it. The tank water isn’t guaranteed, so bring your own drinking water, and there are no bins, so take your rubbish out. Each site has a fire pit, and the rules on the board are the park’s: gas only from November to mid April, wood fires from mid April to the end of October, nothing on Total Fire Ban days, and no collecting firewood in the park. Generators and chainsaws aren’t allowed either.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
The Brachina Gorge Geological Trail starts at the door and runs 20 km west through the gorge to the Outback Highway, past Teamsters Campground and the rock-wallaby viewing area. Back the other way, the Razorback and Bunyeroo Valley lookouts are a short drive up the Bunyeroo road, and Cambrian Campground is right beside the junction. The rest of the park is in our Flinders Ranges National Park guide.
Summary
Thirteen roomy sites under giant red gums on Brachina Creek, with a long-drop, a tank and fire pits, right at the start of the gorge trail. Book your number, bring water and firewood, and camp beside the gums rather than under them.
A great campground on Brachina Creek, with enormous river red gums over the flats, hills on both sides and room to spread out across 13 sites.
The 2WD sites sit on the bank and the 4WD sites are across the creek. We only drove through on the gorge day, but it’s on the list for a proper stay.
- 4WD tourers
- Caravanners
- Families
Yes. From $27.50 a night you get a creek-side site under giant red gums at the start of the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, with a long-drop, a tank and fire pits, and site 8 takes a group of 20.
Recommended Gear for Brachina East Campground
Bring your drinking water in good water containers, and with no power a power bank keeps the lights and phones going. A camping fridge keeps food safe in the gorge heat, and the Hema Flinders Ranges Atlas & Guide shows every camp along the Brachina road and the 4WD track across the creek.
