The 9 best free camping sites near Adelaide

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.

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 Rundell 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.
• Save to spend: While there are affordable campgrounds around Adelaide, it’s far more satisfying to skip the fees and spend that money on more enjoyable experiences. 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, all while stretching your travel budget further. 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 great alternative to the high accommodation costs at one of Adelaide’s most popular regions.

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-7from-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 ideal if you’d rather spend more on excellent food and wine treats than campground fees.

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

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 mom-and-pop 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.