After a week of bush camps in outback NSW and a stop in Broken Hill, Wilpena Pound was the first real campground of the trip, with hot showers, a laundry and a store. We stayed two nights on an unpowered site among the native pines, with the walls of the Pound right behind the trees, and used it as our base for the Flinders Ranges.
What we like
- Right at the foot of Wilpena Pound
- Hot showers and a laundry
- Camp kitchens with electric BBQs
- Pool, restaurant and a store
- Shady sites among native pines
- Free WiFi in the public areas
What we don’t
- Park entry on top of the site fee
- Tap water isn’t drinkable
- No campfires most of the year
About Wilpena Pound CampgroundAbout
Wilpena Pound Campground sits at the foot of Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, about 430 km north of Adelaide. It’s privately run by Wilpena Pound Resort, which is part of Discovery Parks, and it’s big: 46 powered sites and a lot of unpowered sites spread through the native pines, plus the resort’s hotel rooms and glamping tents next door.
The visitor centre, the IGA store, fuel, the restaurant and the pool are all at the resort, a short walk or drive from the campground. The trailhead for the Wilpena Pound walks starts right there as well, which is the main reason to stay here.
Quick facts
- AddressWilpena Pound Campground, Wilpena Road, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, SA, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesToiletsHot ShowersLaundryCamp KitchenBBQsBinsPicnic TablesPicnic ShelterPoolStoreRestaurantFuelWiFiDump PointPowered SitesCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo Drinking WaterNo CampfiresNo Pets
- Good to knowSealed road inFree WiFi in public areasDrinking water from the IGA
- Fees$30 a night for 2 people, unpowered$14.40 park entry per vehicle
- 9.3/10Overall rated
- Book your site
Getting There
We came in from Broken Hill, through Peterborough and Hawker, and the last stretch from Hawker to Wilpena is sealed all the way, so any car, caravan or camper trailer can get here. The road runs along the flats with the walls of the Pound growing in front of you, and we arrived in the evening with the low sun on the ranges.
Park entry for Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park is $14.40 per vehicle, and you buy it online before you arrive. There’s a QR code at reception if you forgot. The campground has a camping tag to display on your dash, and when we arrived after reception had closed, an envelope with our name, a map and the guest booklet was waiting at the door, with check-in finished at reception the next morning.
Campground LayoutLayout
The resort road runs in from the Hawker–Wilpena Road past the store and visitor centre, with the camp kitchen and the bus bays off to the north, the powered sites in a block in the middle and the unpowered area spread through the pines to the west, each with its own amenities block. Reception, the pool and the restaurant are across Wilpena Creek to the south, about a 7-minute walk from the unpowered sites, and the Pound walks start past the powered sites. Here’s how it fits together.
The Campsites
The unpowered sites are spread through the native pines on red dirt, and most of them have good shade, which matters here in summer. They aren’t marked bays, you just pick a spot in the unpowered area, and we found one with room for the Prado, the awning and the chairs, with the Pound showing through the trees. The powered sites are in a separate, more open area closer to the amenities.
Even at Christmas the unpowered area never felt crowded, as the sites are well spread out and the pines break it up. Maximum 6 people per site, and generators aren’t allowed, which keeps it quiet, with a noise curfew at 10 pm.
Hot Showers After Outback CampsShowers & laundry
The amenities block is built from rammed earth with a corrugated iron roof, and it was clean every time we used it. There are flush toilets, hot showers in a row of cubicles and a bank of basins, all open to the air under the roof, which works well in the heat. After a week of outback camps, the hot shower was the highlight of the day.
The laundry is at the end of the block, with four washing machines at $1 a load, dryers at $4, and washing powder, coins and irons for loan at reception. A rainwater tank stands beside the block, but the tap water in the campground isn’t drinkable. You collect free drinking water at the IGA between 8 am and 6 pm, so bring a container.
Cooking Without a CampfireCamp kitchens
There are covered camp kitchen shelters through the campground, with electric barbecues, picnic tables and bins, and a recycling station near the entrance. We cooked on the barbecues most nights and kept our own stove for the morning coffee.
Don’t plan on a campfire. Fire restrictions were in place during our stay, and Discovery Parks bans campfires at Wilpena Pound from November to the end of April every year. Outside that, the park manager can still call a ban on hot days, and you can’t collect firewood in the park, so firewood comes from the IGA.
A Short Walk to the ResortThe resort
The resort is a short walk from the campground, and campers can use the pool, which was very welcome in the December heat. The restaurant and bar are there too, with a happy hour from 3 to 5 pm, and the IGA sells food, ice, firewood and souvenirs, so you can restock without driving back to Hawker. Fuel is at the resort as well.
Reception doubles as the park’s visitor centre, with the walk maps and the bushwalking register for the longer walks. There’s free, unlimited WiFi in the public areas, which is where we caught up on messages, as mobile coverage in the park is patchy.
Evenings Among the KangaroosEvenings
The evenings were the best part. The sky went orange behind the pines, with the ranges dark in the background, and kangaroos and emus wandered through the campground at dusk. The signs ask you not to feed the wildlife or leave food out, and with that many kangaroos about, keep your rubbish in the bins.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
The walks into Wilpena Pound start at the campground, from the short stroll to the Hills Homestead and Wangara Lookout to the full-day climb of St Mary Peak. Further afield is the Bunyeroo and Brachina gorge drive, Stokes Hill and Hucks lookouts on the road out, and the four-site bush camp at Acraman Campground if you want a quieter night, with the sunrise from Razorback Lookout ten minutes from it. We cover them all in our Flinders Ranges posts.
Summary
Wilpena Pound campground is the comfortable option in the Flinders Ranges: shady sites, hot showers, a laundry, camp kitchens and a pool, with the Pound walks at the gate, for $30 a night. The tap water isn’t drinkable and campfires are banned most of the year, but as a base for a few days it’s hard to beat.
The easiest base in the Flinders Ranges.
Shady unpowered sites among the pines, hot showers, a laundry, camp kitchens and a pool, with the Pound walks starting at the gate. At $30 a night for two it’s better value than we expected from a resort.
- Families
- Caravanners
- Hikers
Yes. $30 a night for two gets you hot showers, a laundry, camp kitchens, a pool and the walks on your doorstep. Park entry is extra, but it’s the obvious base in the Flinders.
Recommended Gear for Wilpena Pound Campground
The Hema Flinders Ranges Atlas & Guide has every track and walk in the park. With the tap water non-potable, a couple of good water containers make the trips to the IGA worthwhile, and a camping fridge earns its keep in the summer heat. On an unpowered site, a power bank keeps the phones and lights going.
