Camps Australia Wide
Free camping near Kings Canyon
Looking for free camping near Kings Canyon? It’s out there, and it’s closer than most travellers expect. Every camp on this page has been personally checked by our team, which means you won’t tow the van down a dirt road to a locked gate, a closed camp, or a site you can’t turn around in. And nobody can pay to be listed here. If a camp is on this page, it earned its place.
Kings Canyon sits in Watarrka National Park on the Red Centre Way, between Uluru and Alice Springs, and it is remote country where the next camp can be a long way down the road. We’ve been checking camps through this country since 1992, so when we say a site near Kings Canyon takes dogs or suits your rig, it’s because one of our team has personally checked it.
The three closest free camps to Kings Canyon
Closest first, and every detail checked by us, not scraped from a five-year-old forum post. Full details, GPS coordinates and offline maps for these and every other site in the region are in the Camps Australia Wide App.
29 km from townGintys Lookout
Gintys Lookout also known locally as Jump Up lookout, or incorrectly known in many places as Morris Pass, is the perfect
- CostFree
- Facilitiesfireplace. No toilets
- Max stayUp to 24 hours
- AccessClose to the road
92 km from townSalt Creek Rest Area
Salt Creek Rest Area is located conveniently between two major attractions in the Red Centre.
- CostFree
- Facilitiespicnic tables, BBQs. No toilets
- Max stayUp to 24 hours
- AccessClose to the road
95 km from townSouthern Entry Camp
A gravel pull over unofficial stop.
- CostFree
- Facilitiesfireplace. No toilets
- AccessClose to the road
What you get with every Camps Australia Wide campsite
There is no shortage of camping information online. What’s in short supply is camping information you can trust. That’s the gap our Personally Checked Standard fills, and it’s why the sites above appear here only after we have checked them for ourselves.
- Personally checked, not crowd-sourced. We visit each site and assess it against our 12-point Personally Checked™ standard, from access and arrival to safety, noise and tested phone signal, so the surprises are gone before you arrive.
- Re-checked regularly. Camps close, fees change, tracks wash out. We revisit and update the details, so you’re not planning tonight’s stop around last year’s information.
- No paid listings, ever. We have never charged a council, farmer or park to be listed, so a camp is recommended because it’s good, not because someone paid us to say so.
- 16,000+ personally checked campsites across every state and territory, including right through the Red Centre, so wherever the trip takes you next, the same checked information goes with you. Read exactly how we do it on our the Personally Checked™ Standard page.
Two ways to find your next camp near Kings Canyon
On the road: the Camps Australia Wide App
The Camps Australia Wide App finds Personally Checked free and low-cost sites near wherever you are, works offline when you lose coverage out on the Red Centre Way, and lets you filter for your setup, whether that is a tent, a camper or a big rig. One subscription covers the whole country, and the maps keep working when the signal drops out.
Get the Camps Australia Wide App
On the dash: our print guides
Prefer a book on the dash? CAMPS 13 is our go-to for free and budget camping right around the country, with CAMPSPendium 2 alongside it as the full state-by-state trip planner. After caravan parks instead? Have a look at Caravan Parks 7. All personally checked, the same as the Camps Australia Wide App.
Shop the print guidesFrequently asked questions about free camping near Kings Canyon
Is there free camping near Kings Canyon?
Yes. Our team has personally checked 7 free camps within 150 km of Kings Canyon, the closest being Gintys Lookout about 29 km away. Out here that counts as close. All of them are in the Camps Australia Wide App with offline maps.
Can I take my dog to free camps near Kings Canyon?
Yes. All three sites on this page allow pets. Policies do vary from site to site across the region, so check the listing for each camp in the Camps Australia Wide App and keep dogs under control around other campers.
Is free camping near Kings Canyon suitable for caravans and big rigs?
It depends on the site. Salt Creek Rest Area and Southern Entry Camp have both been personally checked by our team as suitable for big rigs. Gintys Lookout is the closest, but the access track is 4WD country. Salt Creek Rest Area has the most shade of the three. We note access for every site we check, so you know before you commit the van down a narrow track.
How long can you stay at free camps near Kings Canyon?
Time limits vary by site. Gintys Lookout and Salt Creek Rest Area are both signed for stays of up to 24 hours. Because we personally check each site, you’ll know before you set up whether it’s a one-night stop or somewhere to settle in for a few days. Councils do change limits, so always follow the signs on site.
What facilities do free camps near Kings Canyon have?
All three free camps on this page have toilets and tested phone signal. Salt Creek Rest Area adds BBQs and picnic tables. None of these three has toilets, so you need to be fully self contained before you leave the bitumen. Gintys Lookout and Southern Entry Camp have fireplaces. Carry all your water: there is none at any of them, and the distances between camps out here are measured in hours, not minutes. The listing tells you what is actually there, before you commit the van, not after.
Where can I find more campsites around Kings Canyon?
Our database shows 21 personally checked places to stay within 150 km of Kings Canyon, from the resort at the canyon out towards Curtin Springs and the West MacDonnells. They range from free rest areas and lookouts to station stays and national park campgrounds. The Camps Australia Wide App lists every one with offline maps.
Keep exploring
Wherever the road takes you around Kings Canyon and the Red Centre, we hope you find a cracking camp and love it out there. For more tips and new sites as we check them, join our free weekly newsletter.
