Camping in the Eyre Peninsula

The Eyre Peninsula is a big triangle of country between Spencer Gulf and the Great Australian Bight, with calm gulf beaches on one side, cliffs and surf on the other, and three national parks: Lincoln, Coffin Bay and the Gawler Ranges. Port Lincoln at the southern tip is a seafood town, farming tuna, kingfish, abalone, mussels and oysters.

Where is the best place to camp in the Eyre Peninsula?

The easiest plan is to base yourself near Port Lincoln or on one of the two coasts. Just south of town, Lincoln National Park has campgrounds right on the water, including September Beach, and Coffin Bay, 36 km west, has its own park. Up the gulf, Tumby Bay's caravan park is by calm water for swimming and snorkelling, and on the west coast the towns are further apart, with foreshore parks such as Streaky Bay Foreshore Tourist Park.

What is there to do in the Eyre Peninsula with kids?

In Lincoln National Park you can swim, snorkel and fish in the sheltered coves, with kangaroos, emus and sea lions about. Near Whyalla, the Steel City, giant cuttlefish gather in shallow water off Point Lowly from May to August. Around Streaky Bay, Murphy's Haystacks are pink granite outcrops about 1,590 million years old, and the town's National Trust museum is close to the foreshore park, as is the Tumby Bay museum in Tumby Bay.

• Penong Windmill Museum – Museums and history, Penong. Closest campground: Penong Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Darling Terrace Gallery – Museums and history, Whyalla. Closest campground: Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park, 1 km
• Port Lincoln Railway Museum – Museums and history, Port Lincoln. Closest campground: Port Lincoln Tourist Park, 2 km
• Poochera District Museum – Museums and history, Poochera. Closest campground: Poochera Hotel Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Franklin Harbour Historical Museum – Museums and history, Cowell. Closest campground: Cowell Foreshore Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Lock & Districts Heritage Museum – Museums and history, Lock. Closest campground: Lock Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Ceduna School House - National Trust SA – Museums and history, Ceduna. Closest campground: Big 4 Ceduna Tourist Park, under 1 km
• Tumby Bay National Trust Museum – Museums and history, Tumby Bay. Closest campground: CWA Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Cleve Old Council Chambers - National Trust – Museums and history, Cleve. Closest campground: Birdseye Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Agricultural Museum – Museums and history, Cowell. Closest campground: Cowell Foreshore Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Kimba and Gawler Ranges Historical Museum – Museums and history, Kimba. Closest campground: Kimba Recreation Reserve, 1 km
• Streaky Bay National Trust Museum – Museums and history, Streaky Bay. Closest campground: Streaky Bay Foreshore Tourist Park, 1 km
• Mount Laura Station-National Trust – Museums and history, Whyalla Norrie. Closest campground: Sundowner Cabin & Tourist Park, 2 km
• Historic Woolshed Museum – Museums and history, Penong. Closest campground: Penong Caravan Park, 2 km
• Axel Stenross Maritime Museum – Museums and history, Port Lincoln. Closest campground: Port Lincoln Tourist Park, 4 km
• Koppio Smithy Museum-National Trust – Museums and history, Koppio. Closest campground: Moonlight Bay, 17 km
• Kimba Swimming Centre – Swimming, Kimba. Closest campground: Kimba Recreation Reserve, under 1 km
• Lock Aquatic and Fitness Centre – Swimming, Lock. Closest campground: Lock Caravan Park, under 1 km

What are the best beaches and nature spots on the Eyre Peninsula?

Around Streaky Bay, Smooth Pool and The Granites are sheltered rock pools, and at Elliston, Locks Well has a protected bay with calm, shallow water. Lincoln and Coffin Bay national parks have coastal lookouts, and southern right whales pass Lincoln between July and November.

• Tumby Bay – Swimming spot. Closest campground: CWA Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Coffin Bay Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Coffin Bay Caravan Park, 1 km
• Hummock Hill Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park, 1 km
• Locks Well beach – Swimming spot. Closest campground: Waterloo Bay Tourist Park, 17 km
• Flinders Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Billy Lights Point – Lookout. Closest campground: Port Lincoln Tourist Park, 2 km
• Clifftop Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Elliston Caravan Park, 2 km
• Whites Knob Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Kimba Recreation Reserve, 2 km

Is it safe to swim in the Eyre Peninsula?

Pick the sheltered spots. The exposed seas in Lincoln National Park have dangerous rips and there have been numerous drownings, and the cliff-backed surf beaches along the west coast are rough, so stick to calm water like Tumby Bay, the sheltered coves and the rock pools.

Do you need to book campsites in the Eyre Peninsula?

Lincoln and Coffin Bay national park campgrounds are booked through National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.

Are there powered sites in the Eyre Peninsula?

Yes. 13 campgrounds here have powered sites confirmed, including Port Lincoln Tourist Park, Venus Bay Beachfront Tourist Park and Wirrulla Progress Caravan Park. For the rest we are still confirming, so check with the park or holiday park before you book a powered site.

How far is Port Lincoln from Adelaide?

Port Lincoln is about 649 km from Adelaide by road, or about 280 km by air. Whyalla is about 395 km from Adelaide, Streaky Bay about 727 km and Ceduna, the gateway to the Nullarbor, about 778 km.

Facts from Wikipedia, "Lincoln National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Eyre Peninsula" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Port Lincoln" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Whyalla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Streaky Bay, South Australia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Elliston, South Australia" (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikipedia, "Tumby Bay, South Australia" (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Map of campgrounds in the Eyre Peninsula

54 campgrounds

• Port Lincoln Tourist Park — Port Lincoln, SA. drinking water, dump point, pets allowed, picnic tables, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets, wifi
• Venus Bay Beachfront Tourist Park — Venus Bay, SA. caravan sites, drinking water, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets, wheelchair accessible
• Wirrulla Progress Caravan Park — Wirrulla, SA. camp kitchen, caravan sites, laundry, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Kimba Recreation Reserve — Kimba, SA. camp kitchen, caravan sites, dump point, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Lock Caravan Park — Lock, SA. caravan sites, laundry, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Whyalla Caravan & Tourist Park — Mullaquana, SA. drinking water, pets allowed, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Yalata Caravan Park — Yalata, SA. caravan sites, dump point, laundry, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Islands Caravan Park, Streaky Bay — Streaky Bay, SA. drinking water, dump point, powered sites, toilets, wifi
• Penong Caravan Park — Penong, SA. camp kitchen, dump point, laundry, showers, toilets
• Point Lowly — Point Lowly, SA. caravan sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• September Beach Campground — Lincoln National Park, SA. caravan sites, tent sites, toilets, wheelchair accessible
• Beach Front Arno Bay Caravan Park — Arno Bay, SA. powered sites, showers, toilets
• Coffin Bay Caravan Park — Coffin Bay, SA. toilets, wheelchair accessible, wifi
• Cowell Foreshore Caravan Park — Cowell, SA. powered sites, showers, toilets
• Port Gibbon Foreshore — Port Gibbon, SA. dump point, showers, toilets
• Port Neill Caravan Park — Port Neill, SA. powered sites, showers, toilets
• Smokey Bay Caravan Park — Smoky Bay, SA. dump point, powered sites, tent sites
• Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park — Whyalla, SA. toilets, wheelchair accessible, wifi
• Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park — Ceduna, SA. powered sites, tent sites
• Kenny Park — Port Kenny, SA. showers, toilets
• Moonlight Bay — Whites River, SA. caravan sites, tent sites
• Perlubie Beach — Perlubie, SA. toilets, wheelchair accessible
• Poochera Hotel Caravan Park — Poochera, SA. showers, toilets
• Sheringa Beach — Sheringa, SA. showers, toilets
• Surfleet Cove Campground — Lincoln National Park, SA. caravan sites, tent sites
• Birdseye Caravan Park — Cleve, SA. powered sites
• Fowlers Bay Caravan Park — Fowlers Bay, SA. toilets
• Hotel Arno RV Parking — Arno Bay, SA. dump point
• Port Lincoln Caravan Park — North Shields, SA. powered sites
• Big 4 Ceduna Tourist Park — Ceduna, SA
• Carcase Rock Campsite — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Ceduna Airport Caravan Park — Ceduna, SA
• Ceduna Shelley Beach Caravan Park — Ceduna, SA
• Cowell Motorhome Park — Cowell, SA
• CWA Caravan Park — Tumby Bay, SA
• Elliston Caravan Park — Elliston, SA
• Engine Point Campground (S) — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Fisherman Point Campground — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Fowlers Bay Bush Camp — Fowlers Bay, SA
• Horse Rock Campground — Lincoln National Park, SA
• MacLaren Campsite — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Mikkira Station Campground — Sleaford, SA
• Nullarbor Roadhouse Caravan Park — Nullarbor, SA
• Point Sinclair Camping Ground — Penong, SA
• Port Neill RV Park — Port Neill, SA
• Redcliff Campsite — Tumby Bay, SA
• Streaky Bay Foreshore Tourist Park — Streaky Bay, SA
• Sundowner Cabin & Tourist Park — Whyalla Norrie, SA
• Taylors Landing Campground — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Tumby Bay Caravan Park — Tumby Bay, SA
• Tumby Bay Motorhome Park — Tumby Bay, SA
• Waterloo Bay Tourist Park — Elliston, SA
• Woodcutters Beach Campsite — Lincoln National Park, SA
• Yangie Bay Camp Ground — Coffin Bay, SA

Region boundary: ABS ASGS Edition 3 Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0.