We drove into Teamsters Campground on our way along the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, had a look around and wished straight away that we were staying. The six sites sit high on the bank above Brachina Creek, near where the creek runs out of the gorge onto the plains, with the walls of the gorge going up on both sides, and it’s the kind of camp you want to wake up in. We didn’t that time. We’ll be back for it.
What we like
- Right in the middle of the gorge
- Gorge walls on both sides
- Fire pits and a long-drop
- Big sites, room for larger rigs
- Rock-wallaby country
- Quiet; well off the highway
What we don’t
- No drinking water or bins
- No reception
- Gas only in summer
About Teamsters CampgroundAbout
Teamsters is one of the bush camps along the Brachina Gorge Road in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, on the cliffs above Brachina Creek close to where the creek reaches the plains at the western end of the gorge. SA Parks points out the fossil worm burrows and Wilkawillina limestone fossils nearby, part of the geological trail you’re camped on. The board at the entrance shows six numbered sites strung along the creek: sites 1 and 2 are medium, site 3 is small, each with its own fire pit, and sites 4, 5 and 6 are bus sites with room for a big caravan or motorhome. There’s a long-drop toilet with a rainwater tank beside it and a self-registration station at the entrance, and that’s the lot.
All sites are allocated, so you book your number online before you come in, and there’s no reception in the gorge to do it on the spot. Sites 1 to 3 are $27.50 a night for up to five people and one vehicle, site 4 is $39.80 a night per vehicle, and the two big sites are $52.10 a night for up to 15 people and three vehicles.
Quick facts
- AddressTeamsters Campground, Brachina Gorge Road, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, SA, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionNo reception
- FacilitiesToiletsFire PitsCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo Drinking WaterNo BinsNo PowerNo ShowersNo Pets
- Good to know6 allocated sites, 3 for busesGravel road, 2WD in the dryNo reception
- Fees$27.50 a night, sites 1–3$39.80–$52.10 group sites$14.40 park entry
- 8.9/10Overall rated
- Book via Parks SA
Getting There
Teamsters is on the Brachina Gorge Road towards the western end of the gorge. From Wilpena Pound you can come over the Razorback and through Bunyeroo Gorge, then west along the geological trail, which is how we arrived; from the Outback Highway it’s about 12 km of gravel in from the Brachina Gorge turn-off. The road crosses the creek bed and is rough in places, but the park lists it as fine for a high-clearance 2WD, caravans and trailers in the dry. The entrance is signed, with the board and the self-registration station just inside.
The Campsites
The sites are spread out on red gravel flats between the road and the creek, with river red gums for shade and the rocky walls of the gorge rising straight up behind them. The ones we walked around had a fire pit ringed with big boulders and plenty of room for a vehicle, a tent and chairs, and the bus sites at the far end are wide open with space for anything. What makes it is the setting: you’re camped inside the gorge, with the layered rock of the geological trail on both sides and the creek bed in front.
It was quiet when we came through in the middle of the day, and with only six sites it never gets busy. Fires are allowed in the pits from April to the end of October, gas only over summer and nothing on Total Fire Ban days, and you bring your own firewood.
Campground LayoutLayout
The campground track leaves the Brachina Gorge Road at the information board and runs north between the creek and the road. Sites 1, 2 and 3 are on a small loop at the top, the three bus sites sit along the track towards the creek, and the toilet and water tank are near the entrance. Here’s how it fits together.
Just a Long-Drop and a TankToilet & water
The toilet is a timber long-drop under a shelter, with a corrugated rainwater tank beside it. The tank isn’t drinking water, so carry what you need, and there are no bins, so everything comes back out with you. It’s basic, but it’s all a camp like this needs.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
You’re on the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, with the rock formation signs and the yellow-footed rock-wallaby viewing area a few minutes either way. The Outback Highway and the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna are half an hour west, and the rest of the park, from Wilpena Pound to the sunrise at Razorback Lookout, is in our Flinders Ranges National Park guide.
Summary
Six sites inside Brachina Gorge with the walls on both sides, fire pits, a long-drop and a tank. We only drove through, and it went straight to the top of the list for next time. Book your number, bring water and firewood, and sleep in the gorge.
The camp we wish we’d stayed at.
Six sites on the red flats beside Brachina Creek with the gorge walls rising on both sides, shared fire pits with barbecue plates, a long-drop and a tank, and nothing between you and the rock. We only drove through on the geological trail, and we’re coming back to spend the night.
- 4WD tourers
- Caravanners
- Travellers
Yes. $27.50 a night gets you a site inside Brachina Gorge with the walls and the creek for a view. We’d choose it over the camps outside the gorge next time.
Recommended Gear for Teamsters Campground
Carry your drinking water in good water containers, as the tank isn’t drinkable. 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.
