Looking to head to a road less travelled? Check out these top Northern Territory campsites.
LORELLA SPRINGS WILDERNESS PARK
Lorella Springs is a family-owned station set on one million acres that boasts vast stretches of open savannah, mangroves and salt flats, just ripe for exploration.
Fishing, bushwalks, intriguing Indigenous art, and varied 4WD tracks will keep the crew entertained while a hot spring provides a reprieve after a day of intense adventures.
Accommodation ranges from luxe homesteads living in air-conditioned cabins to safari-style tents and idyllic remote camping by a river.
BUTTERFLY SPRINGS, LIMMEN NATIONAL PARK
Birdwatchers and anglers alike will gravitate to Limmen National Park, a Northern Territory hotspot annexed as a national park less than 10 years ago, crammed with awe-inspiring destinations.
Central to it all is the postcard-perfect Butterfly Springs, providing the ideal place to cool off and relax. There’s also plenty to see and do, with bushwalks and 4WD access leading to the curious yet accessible Southern Lost City and Western Lost City formations. And if you’re happy to lose half a day, you can launch a tinnie and cast a line at Roper River.
KEEP RIVER NATIONAL PARK
Keep River National Park is a little gem next to the Western Australia border that’s accessible by 2WD. Although small in size, its unique scenery puts it high on the must-do list with intriguing Indigenous rock art that’s easy to find. RV camping is available at Jarnem and Gurrandalng, a short drive from the park, with both sites easy treks to fascinating rock formations. As you enter the park, you’ll find thousands of Indigenous rock art drawings on the 28km of the main road.
Be sure to pack the binoculars, too, as Cockatoo Lagoon near the information centre provides a great viewing site for twitchers, with much of the park, declared the Keep River Important Bird Area.
FLORA RIVER NATURE PARK
Located 130km west of Katherine is a pint-size oasis filled with emerald spas, gob-smacking falls and translucent plunge pools. An angler’s delight, Flora River Nature Park provides boat ramp access to bream-filled waters, where river explorers can launch a tinnie or canoe. Djarrung and Kathleen falls are within reach of the Djarrung campground making this intimate park ideal for hikers and river enthusiasts keen to launch a canoe.
Although unsealed, the tracks suit conventional vehicles and rigs during the dry.
THE WEST MACDONNELL RANGES
The West MacDonnell Ranges – that ancient, ochre behemoth that closes in on Alice Springs from the west – offers overlanders a stress-free touring destination thanks to quality tarmac roads.
Although written off by many hard-core 4WDing enthusiasts, the breathtakingly rugged beauty needs to be experienced by every outback traveller. Spanning 250km west of Alice Springs, with campsites at all the major gorges including two at Redbank Gorge, the West MacDonnell Ranges is a must.