Youngoona was the camp right after the Aroona Valley Lookout turn-off as we drove the Brachina road on our gorge day, and we drove in for a look. It’s a small bush camp tucked under a dark, rounded hill, with big river red gums over the sites, and it felt quieter and more enclosed than Trezona a few minutes further on. We didn’t stay, but it’s one to remember if you want the smaller camp.
What we like
- Only four sites, very quiet
- Red gums and a dark hill behind
- Numbered, allocated sites
- Between Trezona and the gorge
What we don’t
- No toilet, water or bins
- Rough track in
- Patchy reception
About Youngoona CampgroundAbout
Youngoona sits at the eastern end of the Brachina Gorge Road, where Oraparinna Creek joins Enorama Creek, between the Aroona Valley turn-off and Trezona. SA Parks lists its facilities as nil: four sites with fire pits and part shade, and nothing else. A short, rough track leads in from the road under the hill to a loop with four numbered sites on red gravel among the gums, with fire pits beside sites 2 and 4, and Oraparinna Creek, mainly dry, running along the north side. The park map shows no toilet, so you need your own setup, or Trezona’s long-drop a few minutes along the road. The sign at the entrance says it plainly: all campsites are allocated, book your number on parks.sa.gov.au or at the Wilpena Visitor Centre, and camp only on the site you were given.
Quick facts
- AddressYoungoona Campground, Brachina Gorge Road, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, SA, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesFire PitsCamper Trailer AccessNo ToiletsNo Drinking WaterNo BinsNo PowerNo ShowersNo Pets
- Good to know4 sites, book firstNo toilet, nearest at TrezonaRough track in
- Fees$27.50 a night per site$14.40 park entry
- 8.1/10Overall rated
- Book via Parks SA
Getting There
From Blinman, head west on the gravel Brachina road past the Aroona Valley turn-off, and the Youngoona sign is on the left before Trezona. From Wilpena Pound, come over the Bunyeroo drive and north through the Brachina junction, then east past Trezona. The main road suits a high-clearance 2WD in the dry; the track into the camp is short but rough, which is what the symbol on the sign is warning you about.
Campground LayoutLayout
The track comes in from the Brachina Gorge Road and splits into a short loop with the four sites around it, sites 1 and 2 at the bottom near the entrance and 3 and 4 at the top towards the creek. Here’s how it fits together.
The Campsites
The sites are spread on red gravel under the river red gums, with the dark hill rising straight behind them, which gives the camp a closed-in, sheltered feel that Trezona’s open flats don’t have. There are only four, each with a numbered post, and the ones we looked at had room for a vehicle and a tent in the shade of the gums. As everywhere in the park, don’t camp under the big trees, and bring your own firewood if you plan a fire in the cooler months.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Trezona and the Golden Spike walk are a few minutes along the road, the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail starts past Brachina East further west, and Aroona Valley Lookout is back towards Blinman. The rest of the park is in our Flinders Ranges National Park guide.
Summary
A small, sheltered bush camp under a dark hill and big red gums, the quieter neighbour of Trezona. Book your number before you lose reception, take the rough track slowly, and bring water and firewood.
A small, quiet bush camp under a dark, rounded hill, with river red gums for shade and four numbered sites on the red gravel.
There’s no toilet, so you need to be set up for that, but if Trezona is too big and open for you, this is the quieter choice a few minutes along. We only drove in for a look on the gorge day.
- 4WD tourers
- Campers
- Couples
Yes, for a quiet night. $27.50 gets you one of four sites under the gums with the hill behind, a short drive from the gorge trail. Bring your own toilet setup.
Recommended Gear for Youngoona Campground
Carry your drinking water in good water containers, as there’s none at camp. A power bank keeps the phones and lights going without power, a camping fridge keeps food safe in the heat, and the Hema Flinders Ranges Atlas & Guide shows every camp along the Brachina road.
