The best camping spots near Adelaide: free campsites and holiday parks

Did you know there are places around Adelaide you can camp free? If you haven’t heard of free camping and like sleeping amid nature’s finest landscapes, this handy guide to Adelaide’s top 9 free camping spots is for you!

Free camping – also known as freedom or wild camping – is exactly what it sounds like; the ability to camp for free in designated sites. You don’t need to be on a budget to enjoy the benefit of free camping Adelaide. Besides the obvious advantage of saving on campground and holiday park fees, most free camping sites are in the thick of nature. Be it riverside, in the shade of an olive grove, or even at the beach.

Adelaide has some exceptional free camping sites for travellers in the know, but finding one is as easy as spotting an echidna on a rainy day (challenging!). Especially as you must only stay free in designated zones and local council rules can change.

To make life easier for you, we’ve used our road trip expertise to research the best destinations in the region to park your Adelaide motorhome hire without cost. Leaving you more time to figure out which fun-filled Adelaide activities you’d like to do with the money saved.

This guide covers the best camping spots near Adelaide for a motorhome trip: nine free campsites within about two hours of the city, from the Murray River to the Yorke Peninsula, plus the national park campgrounds and holiday parks worth booking when you want power, a hot shower and a pool for the kids. All of them are an easy drive from our Adelaide motorhome branch at North Plympton.

Your camping options near Adelaide

There are three ways to camp around Adelaide, and most trips use all of them. A night or two at a free riverside reserve where the view does the work, a booked site inside a national park when you want to wake up in the landscape, and a holiday park with power when it is time for a long shower, a load of washing and a pool. A self-contained motorhome lets you switch between them whenever you like.

4 reasons we rate free camping on a motorhome road trip

Are you curious about the benefits of free camping as you tour Adelaide and beyond? Here are the top four perks:

• Disconnect to reconnect: Free camping sites are often in nature, away from cities, allowing you time to escape the routine of ‘real’ life and rediscover flow and ease. Replace your alarm clock with the sounds of birds. Turn off the TV and watch the spectacular night sky instead. And trade your heavy-footed neighbours for native wildlife. It’s the perfect stress reset!
• Your home on the road: We cannot overstate the benefit of travelling in a motorhome. Besides enjoying the security, size, and fabulous comfort of our vehicles, as they are all fully self-contained – with a bathroom and kitchen - you also can free camp at designated sites. Most free camping sites only welcome self-sufficient travellers.
• Discover hidden gems: Is there a free camping site close to Adelaide’s bustling Rundle Mall? Not a chance! Most designated free camping destinations are out of the city centre. With our handy guide, we’ll introduce you to destinations you hadn’t considered for your road trip.
• Spend on what matters: A night or two at a free site leaves more room in the trip for the things you came for. Like Adelaide Central Market treats for your RV fridge or a fun dolphin-watching cruise!

The top 9 free campsites around Adelaide

By choosing to free camp Adelaide with your motorhome hire from Star RV, you can embrace the simple life and discover hidden gems, and put the difference towards the experiences that make the trip. Discover the diversity of the best free camping spots in our top 9 guide below.

1. Frank Potts Reserve

For explorations around peaceful Lake Alexandrina and Langhorne Creek (home to the world’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines), head to Frank Potts Reserve. It’s a simple free camping site with plenty of shaded spots under the gum trees for self-contained motorhomes (up to 72 hours). While you’re here, walk the nearby beaches, wander lakeside, or go fishing.

Frank Potts Reserve is an hour from our Star RV Adelaide motorhome branch. If you love clifftop hiking, rock pools, and expansive views, stop in Onkaparinga River National Park on your way to Frank Potts Reserve.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water

Dog-friendly: Yes, on a leash

2. Narrung Ferry

With 10 sites alongside Lake Alexandrina, the Narrung Ferry Campsite allows self-sufficient road-trippers to camp free for up to 72 hours. The site is by the Narrung Ferry car service; use it to cross to Point Malcolm Lighthouse, Australia’s only inland lighthouse.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, rubbish bins, and drinking water

Dog-friendly: Yes, on a leash

3. Palmer Cricket Ground

You don’t need to be a cricket lover to enjoy a free stay at the Palmer Cricket Ground, but it’ll be a bonus if you do. Only 30 minutes from the Barossa Valley, it's a quiet base for a day among the Barossa's cellar doors.

The Palmer Cricket Ground is a peaceful place to lay your head. Get there early if you like shaded sites; the olive grove spots are popular.

Facilities: Toilets, BBQ, and running water (not suitable for drinking)

Dog-friendly: Yes

4. Hettner Landing

Camp alongside the Murray River at Hettner Landing, halfway between Adelaide (an hour 45) and Murray River National Park (two hours 20 minutes further). Tranquil and picturesque, it’s an ideal free camping site to escape into nature.

There are limited spaces, so get there early to secure a sheltered spot in the bush. Enjoy the pelicans, lorikeets, and galahs for company. Alternatively, park alongside the rivers to make your home-away-from-home feel like it also has a pool! If you’re into fishing, catching a Murray cod here is a rite of passage.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, BBQs, and fire pits

Dog-friendly: Yes

5. Swamp Hen Reserve

Next to Hettner Landing and also on the banks of the mighty Murray River, Swamp Hen Reserve offers free campsites, some with beach access. Spend time swimming or walking the red river gum forests and wetlands paths. Watch for 200 bird species that call the Murray River home, including black and whistling kites, coots, cormorants, and swamp hens.

The Walker Flat General Store is handy for forgotten supplies, and the Adelaide Hills are only an hour away.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, BBQs, and rubbish bins

Dog-friendly: Yes

6. Big Bend

Good news for self-contained motorhome travellers; you’re invited to stay free at Big Bend on the Murray River for up to 48 hours. Spend your time swimming, fishing or native birdwatching.

There’s a general store (with petrol) in Swan Reach if you’ve forgotten something. If Big Bend is full or you prefer toilets onsite, Greenways Landing is also free and only 10 minutes away.

Facilities: Rubbish bins only

Dog-friendly: Yes

7. Hamley Bridge Sports & Rec Ground

While basic, this is another South Australian sports ground welcoming passing self-contained road trippers to stay free. Between the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley, Hamley Bridge Sports Ground is a handy overnight stop between two of South Australia's great wine regions.

Note: there's little in the way of shade here.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, drinking water, and a dump point

Dog-friendly: Yes, on a leash

8. Burra Creek Gorge Reserve

Burra Creek Gorge Reserve – also known as Worlds End - is a free site for self-sufficient campers two hours from Adelaide in the glorious Clare Valley. Scenic, peaceful, and off-the-beaten-track, it’s a great spot to explore nearby sites like Burra’s Bon Accord Mine Museum, Redruth Gaol, and Burra Mine Open Air Museum. You can also access part of Australia’s longest walking trail, the 1,200-kilometre Heysen Trail.

Note: if there’s been heavy rain, the road may be unsuitable, and mosquitos will be prevalent.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits (April to November only, BYO wood)

Dog-friendly: Yes, on a leash

9. Moonta RV Overnight Stop Area

If you’re heading to the Copper Coast or Yorke Peninsula’s Pink Lakes, the Moonta RV Overnight Stop Area – two hours from Star RV Adelaide - is a welcome addition to your itinerary. Fully self-contained vehicles can stay up to 48 hours at this large grassy space (donations appreciated). There’s ample shade, and it’s a quiet spot come nightfall.

The rest stop is only five minutes from the white sands of Port Hughes Beach and is close to Moonta’s main street and shops, including takeaway meals (the Cornish pasties have a solid reputation). Moonta is the largest town on the Copper Coast; discover why at the national heritage Moonta Mines.

Facilities: Water

Dog-friendly: Yes

Where to stay near Adelaide with power and facilities

Free camping is the best part of a motorhome trip right up until you want a long hot shower and somewhere to put a load of washing. Most people alternate: two or three nights off-grid, then a night somewhere with power, and the trip is better for it. Every Star RV motorhome is fully self-contained with its own toilet, shower and kitchen, so you can do either and switch whenever you feel like it. These are the holiday parks and booked campgrounds we would point you to first.

Holiday parks near Adelaide

Brownhill Creek Tourist Park, Mitcham

Seven kilometres from the city and tucked inside Brownhill Creek Recreation Park, this is the closest proper campground to the CBD and the easiest first or last night of a trip. Koalas in the gums, walking trails from the gate, and a cafe on site for the morning coffee. Powered, unpowered and ensuite sites, sealed roads throughout and a central dump point make it an easy stop in a motorhome. The pool runs in the warmer months.

Sites: Powered, unpowered and ensuite sites Facilities: Seasonal pool, camp kitchen with fire pit, playground, cafe, laundry, dump point Dog-friendly: At the manager's discretion, so ask when you book

Belair National Park Holiday Park, Belair

Thirteen kilometres from the CBD and inside Belair National Park, so you get the walking trails and the wildlife of a national park with the comforts of a holiday park. A good base for a family's first night before heading down the Fleurieu. Ask for one of the big rig powered sites: they are built for larger setups, so a six-berth Polaris has room to spare. The standard powered sites suit a smaller motorhome.

Sites: Powered sites including dedicated big rig sites, plus unpowered camping Facilities: Pool, camp kitchen, playgrounds, barbecue areas, laundry Dog-friendly: Some cabins only. Confirm before booking a site with a dog

Discovery Parks Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills

About half an hour from the city on Mount Barker Road and a few minutes from Hahndorf's main street, this is the park to book for a Hills weekend: German bakeries and cellar doors by day, a pool and a camp kitchen by night. Powered sites, a bouncing pillow and mini golf for the kids, wifi, and an EV charging station if you are travelling with a car as well. Seasonal camp fires in the cooler months. **Sites: **Powered campsites plus cabins and rooms Facilities: Pool, camp kitchen, playground, bouncing pillow, mini golf, wifi, EV charging Dog-friendly: Check the park's current pet policy when you book

BIG4 The Bend Holiday Park, Tailem Bend

An hour from Adelaide on the Murray, with drive-through sites you can pull a motorhome into without reversing anything, which is exactly what you want at the end of a driving day. The Bend Motorsport Park is next door if anyone in the vehicle cares about that. A commercial-grade camp kitchen, a solar-heated pool, go-karts, mini golf and a jumping pillow make it a favourite with families. Star RV travellers can join BIG4 Perks+ for member discounts at participating BIG4 parks around Australia. Sites: Drive-through sites, ensuite sites, powered and unpowered pet-friendly sites Facilities: Camp kitchen, solar-heated outdoor pool, playground, jumping pillow, go-karts, mini golf, free wifi **Dog-friendly: **Yes, on pet-friendly sites

National park and forest campgrounds near Adelaide

No power at any of these, which is why a self-contained motorhome is the way to enjoy them. Every one must be booked before you arrive. The last entry is closed for 2026 and is included so you can plan around its return.

Pink Gum Campground, Onkaparinga River National Park

Less than 30 kilometres from the city near Blewitt Springs, Pink Gum is the closest national park campground to Adelaide and a genuine bush camp: rock pools, gorge walks and kangaroos at dusk. It is also on the way to McLaren Vale. Eleven sites, three of them suitable for caravans, so book one of those three and check the site length against your motorhome. Fire pits can be used outside the fire ban season. **Sites: **11 sites, three suitable for caravans and motorhomes, booked online before arrival Facilities: Toilet, washing-up facilities, fire pits outside the fire ban season Dog-friendly: No, dogs are not permitted in the park

Stringybark and Trig Campgrounds, Deep Creek National Park

The Fleurieu Peninsula's headline park, about an hour and a half south of Adelaide, with coastal cliffs, beach walks and a resident kangaroo population that shows up on cue. This is the park most locals name first when asked for the best camping near Adelaide. Stringybark and Trig both take caravans and campervans. Stringybark has hot showers, which is rare in a national park; Trig has a picnic shelter and more sites. Tapanappa is tents only, so skip it in a motorhome. Sites: Stringybark 16 sites, Trig 25 sites, both booked online before arrival **Facilities: **Toilets, seasonal camp fires. Hot showers and picnic tables at Stringybark **Dog-friendly: **No, dogs are not permitted in the park

Chookarloo Campground, Kuitpo Forest, Adelaide Hills

About 50 minutes from the city in the Adelaide Hills, Chookarloo sits in eucalypt woodland in the heart of Kuitpo Forest, with the Heysen Trail passing through and a tree-climbing park nearby. It is the Hills campground to book if Hahndorf's holiday park is full. Twenty-three sites, most of them large enough for a caravan or motorhome, and each is listed with its dimensions when you book so you can pick one that fits. Open from 1 April to 30 November, with wood fires allowed from May to October. **Sites: **23 sites, fee charged per vehicle, booked online. Open 1 April to 30 November **Facilities: **Two timber shelters, toilet, fire pits, picnic tables, rainwater Dog-friendly: Yes, on a lead in the campground

Rapid Bay Campground, Fleurieu Peninsula

Beach camping an hour and 40 minutes from Adelaide, right on the water at the bottom of the Fleurieu. The jetty is one of South Australia's best-known dive and snorkel spots, and the sunsets over Gulf St Vincent are the reason people keep coming back. Unpowered sites only, and no drinking water, so arrive with your tanks full. Flush toilets and barbecue areas on site, gas barbecues allowed, no campfires. **Sites: **Unpowered sites for tents, caravans and camper trailers. Confirm motorhome length when booking **Facilities: **Flush toilets, barbecue areas. No potable water, no powered sites, no campfires **Dog-friendly: **Yes, supervised and under control

Rocky Paddock Campground, Mount Crawford Forest (closed for the rest of 2026)

Please note: Rocky Paddock is closed for the remainder of the 2026 camping season while the forest's 95-year-old plantation pines are removed and the site is fully renewed. A reopening date has not been announced, so check with ForestrySA before planning a stay. We have kept it here because it is the campground locals name first, and it will be worth the wait. About an hour north-east of Adelaide via Williamstown, on the edge of the Barossa, Rocky Paddock is bush camping among old pines and granite outcrops, with mountain biking, bushwalking and horse-riding trails running through the surrounding forest. Simple facilities, big sites and a night sky worth the drive. Sites: Around 30 sites, booked online through ForestrySA when the campground reopens. Season runs 1 April to 30 November. Confirm site size for a motorhome at booking Facilities: Pit toilets, fire rings and picnic tables. No power, no drinking water **Dog-friendly: **Yes, on a lead in the campground

Camping in the Adelaide Hills and Hahndorf

There is no free camping in Hahndorf itself, and Alec Johnston Park on the main street is a day-use reserve, not an overnight stop. The closest free site is Frank Potts Reserve at Langhorne Creek, about 35 minutes away. Within the Hills, camping is booked rather than free: Discovery Parks Hahndorf for power and a pool, Chookarloo in Kuitpo Forest for the bush, and Pink Gum in Onkaparinga River National Park for the gorge. All three are above. Whether it is the 2-berth Polaris for a couple, the 4-berth or the 6-berth Polaris for the whole family, every Star RV is fully self-contained with a toilet, shower and 240V, so three nights beside the Murray and a night at Belair are the same easy trip.

Top tips for planning your free camping road trip

Whether you’re taking in South Australia’s coastal wonders, checking out the region’s bushland trails, or touring the lush hinterland regions where the fresh produce is as much a highlight as the sights themselves, travelling in a motorhome allows you to see the region your way. That you can also camp free en route is the proverbial icing on the cake.

With our help, planning your Star RV motorhome hire trip around Adelaide is a breeze when you consider these top tips:

• Stay current: While we’ve done all the hard work to locate the top 9 best free camping sites around Adelaide, it’s challenging to stay on top of local council rules (and changes). Download the WikiCamps or Campermate app for the most up-to-date intel.
• Know – and follow - the rules: We’ve noted any known rules at these 10 epic sites, including if there is a maximum time limit (typically between 24 and 72 hours). Once you’re there, however, check for the latest requirements. Rangers may do spot checks, especially at popular sites.
• The road less travelled: Before you set out for your free campground, check the road conditions haven’t changed. Wet weather can make some impassable in a motorhome. Your vehicle’s excess reduction policy won’t cover you on some roads, like gravel and 4WD tracks.
• Pack the essentials: Being self-sufficient when free camping is the key to success! You'll need ample food, water and fuel. We recommend travelling with a first aid kit, too.
• Support local businesses: With the remote location of many free camping sites, you can choose to support local businesses as you travel! It’s rewarding to give back to small family run businesses businesses and is an excellent way to meet the locals.
• Respect the environment: A responsibility of any freedom camper is to respect the spaces you stay in. This means being mindful of noise, litter, and waste, and taking care when driving. How you act can impact how welcome the community is with you and future travellers.
• Leave no trace: When you travel in a fully self-contained vehicle, do your bit, including packing in and out. This includes taking your rubbish with you unless there are big bins onsite. Stay on top of your vehicle’s waste, too. Wikicamps or Campermate have dump stations/points on their maps, so you can leave zero trace on your road trip.

So, there you have it; the 9 best free camping sites around Adelaide to give you even more freedom on your Star RV road trip. Travelling with everything you need sets you up for a journey filled with adventure, joy, and spontaneity.

If you’re ready to star in your own Adelaide road trip with a Star RV motorhome, call us on 1800 875 018 or click BOOK NOW.