Snapshot
| Where | Southern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia — about 680km and 8 hours' drive from Adelaide · 50km West of Port Lincoln, roughly 45 minutes on sealed road · Park entrance is 15km from both Yangie Bay and Point Avoid |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed road from Flinders Highway through the Coffin Bay township to the park entrance · Yangie Bay (15km), Point Avoid (15km) and Golden Island Lookout (18km) are 2WD on sealed road · Everything north of Yangie Bay is high-clearance 4WD over soft sand, rock and tide-affected beach track, and NPWS asks drivers not to tow vans beyond Yangie Bay or along the Gunyah Beach track |
| Best time | Late winter and spring for walking, with the wildflower peak on the limestone heath and the most birdlife · March–May and October–November are mild and quiet · NPWS also calls summer perfect for camping and beach days, when it is warm to hot and usually dry |
| Worst time | Midwinter, when rain can make the 4WD tracks muddy and the exposed southern coast takes gale-force winds · January–February heat (mean maxima around 30°C, with spells of 38–42°C) leaves the walks with little shade |
| Time needed | 2 days for the sealed loop, the Yangie Bay walks and a first 4WD run · 3–4 days to add Black Springs and the Whidbey Wilderness walks |
| Cost | Vehicle entry $14.40 per vehicle, paid before entry · Camping from $23.10 per night per site, booked and paid online before arrival · No fuel, water or shops in the park |
| Facilities | No drinking water anywhere in the park — carry all of it · Long-drop toilets at Yangie Bay, Black Springs, Morgan's Landing and The Pool only · Generators permitted 9am–9pm · Fuel and supplies at the Coffin Bay township; mobile coverage patchy and unreliable |
| Best for | Four-wheel drivers chasing empty beaches · Families and kayakers at Yangie Bay · Birdwatchers and shore-based anglers |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
The sealed loop and the Yangie Bay walks are easy, but most of the park is high-clearance 4WD over soft sand, rock and tide-affected beach track, there is no drinking water anywhere, and the Whidbey walks run 24km over eight hours. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
Coffin Bay National Park covers the southern Coffin Bay Peninsula on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula, 50km west of Port Lincoln. Sealed roads reach its main draws: Yangie Bay at the park's southern end, the limestone cliffs at Point Avoid that Matthew Flinders named for their hazard in 1802, and Golden Island Lookout above Almonta Beach. North of there the peninsula turns to soft sand, rock platforms and long empty beaches — Sensation, Gunyah and Seven Mile — that only high-clearance four-wheel drives reach.
The Barngarla and Nauo peoples drew on these waters and dunes long before Flinders' chart of 1802; stone fish traps, middens and stone-working sites survive in the park, and the nondebean plant on the sandhills was a prized food. Modern and ancient dune fields, Pleistocene limestone and high windswept cliffs shape the coast, hooded plovers nest on the surf beaches, and more than 120 bird species use the park for refuge and nesting.
Go if…
- You have a high-clearance 4WD and want beaches most visitors never reach — Sensation, Gunyah and Seven Mile
- You want a quiet base: Yangie Bay's 19 sites put you beside a sheltered bay with walks straight from the tent
- You're a birdwatcher or a shore-based angler — more than 120 bird species, hooded plovers nesting on the sand, salmon along Almonta Beach
- You like your coast rugged: limestone cliffs, dune fields and Southern Ocean swell rather than patrolled swimming beaches
Skip it if…
- You're towing a caravan or driving a 2WD and want more than the sealed southern loop — everything beyond Yangie Bay is 4WD, and NPWS asks you not to tow vans past it
- You need drinking water, fuel or reliable phone reception — the park has none of the first two and patchy coverage at best
- You want calm, safe swimming — this coast is exposed, the surf beaches are unpatrolled and the cliffs are undercut and crumbling
- You're visiting midwinter and don't want mud, gales and rough seas — July and August are the hardest months on the exposed southern coast
What to expect
Reviewed
You arrive from Port Lincoln on sealed road through the Coffin Bay township, with the park entrance a short drive beyond the town and the first lookout, Templetonia, only a few kilometres in — interpretive signs there name the islands and distant ranges visible from the top. From the entrance it is 15km to Yangie Bay and 15km to Point Avoid, and 18km to Golden Island Lookout, all sealed and fine for two-wheel drives and caravans. Point Avoid is the coast Flinders marked as hazardous in 1802, and on a big swell you can see why: the Southern Ocean piles into undercut limestone while the Whidbey Isles Conservation Park islands — Price Island nearest, then Perforated Island, then the Four Hummocks on the horizon — lie off the headland. A lower lookout gives access down to Almonta Beach, a long strip of white sand backed by dunes.
Yangie Bay is the park's southern hub: 19 allocated unpowered sites, a long-drop toilet, a picnic shelter and a kayak launch on a shallow beach. The Yangie Lookout Walk runs 1km return in about 20 minutes, and the Yangie Bay Hike covers 2km in 45 minutes through coastal mallee, sheoak woodland, saltmarsh and low limestone cliffs. The bay is a marine sanctuary where dolphins come in to feed, and kangaroos and emus occasionally swim across to graze Yangie Island.
North of Yangie Bay everything changes. The Coffin Track runs across rocky limestone and soft sand to Point Sir Isaac, 55km from the park entrance (about 6 hours return),, The Pool and Reef Point, with Sensation Beach and the Whidbey Wilderness trailheads at the end of it, and Black Springs off to the east, 28km from the park entrance — about a three-hour return drive. This is high-clearance four-wheel drive country: drop your tyre pressures, run a sand flag, carry recovery gear, and don't tow vans beyond Yangie Bay or along the Gunyah Beach track. Sections of the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track hold deep ruts and soft sand, and seawater inundates some parts at high tide, so plan those legs around low water. On Gunyah Beach you can drive no further than 3km either side of where the track joins it — beyond that is a seabird refuge and breeding area.
Walking the beaches you are in hooded plover country: the threatened shorebird nests on sand throughout the park, so give nests a wide berth and stick to designated tracks. White-bellied sea eagles and ospreys breed along the coast, emus, goannas and western grey kangaroos are common near the campgrounds, and southern right whales pass the Avoid Bay cliffs in winter. In late winter and spring the limestone heath flowers — cocky tongue throws up large orange, red and yellow blooms — and the park's seven vegetation communities run from samphire swamp to dryland tea-tree.
Practically, the park gives you nothing: no drinking water, no fuel, no shops, no bins. Long-drop toilets exist only at Yangie Bay, Black Springs, Morgan's Landing and The Pool, generators run 9am to 9pm, and you bring your own firewood because collecting it is banned. Mobile coverage is patchy and unreliable, especially on low ground, and introduced honey bees swarm and are drawn to water sources from spring through autumn. The cliffs are undercut and crumbling, so keep back from the edge whether you are walking, fishing or driving near them.
Where to stay
Most people base in the Coffin Bay township, minutes from the park entrance, where there is fuel, a general store and a caravan park; Yangie Bay is the only in-park option that takes big rigs.
When bookings open: NPWS publishes no booking window for Coffin Bay campsites — sites are booked and paid online before arrival, with demand peaking over the December–January school holidays. If you can't book online, use one of the park's booking agents across the state. Official booking page. Checked 11 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yangie Bay Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | Two-wheel drives, caravans and families — the park's only sealed-road campground | 15km from the park entrance on sealed road | 19 allocated unpowered sites with long-drop toilets, a picnic shelter, a kayak launch and shared fire pits · book and pay before arrival | Book now |
| Black Springs Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | Four-wheel drivers who want to camp right on the beach | 28km from the park entrance (4WD, about 3 hours return) | 8 allocated unpowered sites, all within 50 metres of the beach overlooking Port Douglas, long-drop toilet · book and pay before arrival | Book now |
| Morgan's Landing Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | Beach camping and fishing at the western end of Seven Mile Beach | On the 4WD track north of Yangie Bay | 4 allocated unpowered sites within 100 metres of the beach, long-drop toilet, small boats launchable from the beach · book and pay before arrival | Book now |
| Discovery Parks – Coffin Bay | 4.2 / 5 (194 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Caravanners wanting a full-facility town base beside the water | On the Esplanade in the Coffin Bay township, minutes from the park entrance | Powered and unpowered sites, deluxe safari tents and two-bedroom cabins, with camp kitchen, BBQs, Wi-Fi, guest laundry and accessible bathrooms | Check rates |
| Almonta Park Lodge | Not rated | Groups or families wanting a self-contained base near the park | Limestone Lane, Coffin Bay | Four-bedroom, two-bathroom lodge with full kitchen, terrace, air-conditioning, laundry and barbecue; pets welcome | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Coffin Track 4WD to Sensation Beach and Point Sir Isaac
The track north from Yangie Bay runs across rocky limestone and soft sand to Point Sir Isaac, 55km from the park entrance (about 6 hours return),, The Pool and Reef Point, with Sensation Beach and the Whidbey Wilderness trailheads at the end. Sensation Beach takes its name from a tuna boat that ran ashore there in 1969. Drop tyre pressures, carry a sand flag and recovery gear, and check the alerts page: seawater inundates some sections of the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track at high tide.
Yangie Lookout Walk
The shortest walk in the park climbs from the Yangie Bay camping area to a lookout over the bay, the campground and the peninsula beyond. It suits all fitness levels and works as a first-evening stretch after the drive in. Go early or late — the ranger's own advice is to get out while the winds are gentle.
Yangie Bay Hike
A loop through coastal mallee, open sheoak woodland, saltmarsh and low limestone cliffs, passing the lookout on the way. From the same trailhead the Long Beach Hike runs 10km one way (3 hours 30 minutes) out to the beach beyond the park boundary. Carry water even on the short loop — the park has none.
Point Avoid, Golden Island Lookout and Almonta Beach
The sealed scenic drive south-east of Yangie Bay, with roadside stops where Southern Ocean swell hits the limestone cliffs that Flinders named for their hazard in 1802. Golden Island Lookout looks out over the island and the submerged remnants of an isthmus that once joined it to the mainland. A lower lookout gives access down to Almonta Beach.
Wildlife watching on Almonta and Seven Mile beaches
More than 120 bird species use the park, many of conservation significance: hooded plovers nest on the surf beaches and white-bellied sea eagles and ospreys breed along the coast. Emus, goannas and western grey kangaroos are common around campgrounds and dune edges, and southern right whales pass the Avoid Bay cliffs in winter. NPWS asks birdwatchers to carry binoculars, stay quiet near nesting birds and never approach a nest.
Black Rocks Hike
An undulating walk from a small roadside car park, with the first trail sign within 100 metres and a lookout that makes a shorter 7.6km return outing if you turn back early. Walking SA measures the full return walk at 12.2km and 4.5 hours against NPWS's 8km and 3 hours. One cliff section is unmarked, so keep your bearings on the headland.
Black Springs Well Hike
A walk from the end of the Black Springs campground to an old hand-pump well, starting between campsites 2 and 3. Walking SA measures the full loop at 3km return and an hour against NPWS's 2km and 40 minutes. The trailhead is a 28km 4WD drive from the park entrance, so combine it with a night at the beach.
Whidbey Hike and Boarding House Bay Hike
The Whidbey Wilderness Area's two long walks share their early kilometres out of the Sensation Beach trailhead before branching, and both are full-day undertakings over undulating ground. The Whidbey end has a blowhole beside the track near its turnaround. Camp at Sensation (2 vehicles, no toilets) or Morgan's Landing before or after, and carry all your water.
Coffin Bay National Park itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: the sealed lookouts and Yangie Bay
- Morning. Drive from the Coffin Bay township into the park and stop at Templetonia Lookout, a few kilometres past the entrance, then continue the 15km to Point Avoid and the 18km to Golden Island Lookout — all sealed road, all fine for two-wheel drives.
- Midday. Walk the Yangie Lookout Walk (1km return, 20 minutes) and the Yangie Bay Hike (2km, 45 minutes) from the Yangie Bay camping area, and eat at the picnic shelter above the kayak launch.
- Afternoon. Drop down to Almonta Beach from the Golden Island lookout, then drive back out to the Coffin Bay township, 50km from Port Lincoln, for fuel and supplies before dark.
No nights — this is the sealed-road loop and the short walks. Base in the Coffin Bay township or at Yangie Bay (19 sites, from $23.10 a night). Entry is $14.40 per vehicle, paid before entry, and there is no water or fuel inside the park.
Two days: add Black Springs by 4WD
- Day 1. As the one-day plan: Templetonia Lookout, Point Avoid and Golden Island Lookout in the morning, the Yangie Bay walks after lunch.
- Day 2, morning. Take the 4WD track 28km to Black Springs — about a three-hour return drive from the park entrance — with tyre pressures down and a sand flag up. The eight campsites sit within 50 metres of the beach, overlooking Port Douglas.
- Day 2, afternoon. Walk the Black Springs Well Hike (2km return, 40 minutes) to the old hand-pump well, then the Black Rocks Hike (8km, 3 hours) from its roadside car park. Camp at Yangie Bay or Black Springs; the Sensation and Big Yangie Bay sites have no toilets.
Two nights at Yangie Bay (19 sites) or Black Springs (8 sites), from $23.10 a night per site and booked before arrival. Entry is $14.40 per vehicle. The Black Springs leg is high-clearance 4WD — check tide times for the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing section and the NPWS alerts page before you drive.
Three days: the Whidbey Wilderness walks
- Day 1. As the one-day plan: the sealed lookouts in the morning, the Yangie Bay walks after lunch.
- Day 2. As the two-day plan: Black Springs, the Well Hike and the Black Rocks Hike.
- Day 3. Drive the 50km to Sensation Beach — allow six hours return — and walk into the Whidbey Wilderness Area. The Whidbey Hike and the Boarding House Bay Hike each run 24km over 8 hours from the trailhead near Sensation Beach, sharing their early kilometres before they branch. Camp at Sensation (2 vehicles, no toilets) or at Morgan's Landing on Seven Mile Beach.
Three nights in the park, from $23.10 a night per site, booked before arrival; entry is $14.40 per vehicle. Day 3 combines 50km of 4WD driving with a 24km walk, so carry every litre of water you need and check the NPWS alerts page for the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track before setting out.
Experiences worth booking
Coffin Bay National Park Half-day 4WD Tour
Check availability →
Port Lincoln Full-day Exploration Tour
Check availability →Tours run by independent operators and booked on Viator. Booking links go to Viator, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are "from" figures in AUD, checked 2026-11-11.
Suggested gear for Coffin Bay National Park
18 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Sand flag and rated recovery gear (snatch strap, shovel, tyre levers) NPWS advises sand flags and recovery tracks on the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing section, where deep ruts and soft sand are normal.
- Tyre deflator and air compressor Lower pressures get you through the soft sand north of Yangie Bay; re-inflate for the sealed run back to the township.
- Water containers holding every litre you'll drink There is no drinking water anywhere in the park, and honey bees swarm at water sources from spring through autumn.
- Tide times (chart or app) before you drive north Seawater inundates sections of the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track at high tide; NPWS says to avoid peak tides and check water depths.
- Shoes with sticky soles for limestone Rock platforms and the crumbling cliff edges around Avoid Bay punish soft footwear as hard as they punish tyres.
- Face fly net Summer flies work the beaches and dune scrub all day, and a net beats swatting.
- Warm layers, not just a windproof July mean minima sit around 5°C, and the exposed southern coast takes gale-force winds through winter.
- Binoculars and a bird field guide More than 120 bird species use the park, and NPWS asks birdwatchers to stay quiet and well back from nesting hooded plovers.
How this compares
Coffin Bay National Park vs Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park is the other South Australian peninsula coast to consider: the tip of Yorke Peninsula, 284km from Adelaide on sealed roads, with two operating lighthouses, the rusted Ethel wreck and seven campgrounds. Its walks are short and marked and the camping is 2WD-friendly. Choose Innes for easy-access beach camping and heritage; choose Coffin Bay National Park for long empty surf beaches and soft-sand 4WD tracks, a longer trip west of Port Lincoln.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed roads to most campgrounds and lookouts, no 4WD needed for the main sites
- Best for
- Camping · surf and fishing · lighthouse and wreck heritage
Coffin Bay National Park vs Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is South Australia's other big coastal wildlife destination, 16km off the Fleurieu Peninsula and reached by a 45-minute ferry from Cape Jervis, with a fur seal colony at Cape du Couedic, sea lions at Seal Bay and the 61km Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Choose Kangaroo Island for seals, sea lions and granite coast with ferry-based logistics; choose Coffin Bay National Park for self-reliant beach driving and camping on the Eyre Peninsula.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Ferry from Cape Jervis or a flight; sealed and unsealed roads on the island
- Best for
- Wildlife · granite coastline · multi-day walking
Coffin Bay National Park vs Gawler Ranges National Park
Gawler Ranges National Park is the Eyre Peninsula's inland alternative: outback country rather than coast, on the region's western side. Audacia's full guide is still in production, so treat this as the dry-country leg of an Eyre Peninsula trip rather than a detailed comparison. Choose the Gawler Ranges for outback touring; choose Coffin Bay National Park for coastline, dunes and 4WD beach country.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Inland Eyre Peninsula; unsealed roads, high-clearance recommended
- Best for
- Outback touring · remote camping · dark skies
Before you go
- Pay the $14.40 vehicle entry before you arrive and book campsites online (from $23.10 a night) or through a state booking agent — there is no booking office in the park
- Carry every litre of drinking water you need: the park has none, and introduced honey bees can swarm and are drawn to water sources from spring through autumn
- Fuel at Port Lincoln (50km) or the Coffin Bay township before entering — there is no fuel in the park
- Check the NPWS alerts page and tide times before driving north: seawater inundates sections of the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track at high tide, and that section holds deep ruts and soft sand
- Drop tyre pressures for the soft sand, run a sand flag, carry recovery gear, and don't tow vans beyond Yangie Bay or along the Gunyah Beach track
- Download maps and tell someone your plan — mobile coverage is patchy and unreliable across the park, especially on low ground
- Fire rules: the park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may close on Extreme days; NPWS allows campfires in the campgrounds (shared fire pits at Yangie Bay, none at the others), subject to seasonal fire restrictions and never on total fire ban days; collecting firewood is prohibited, so bring your own
- Take all your rubbish out (there are no bins), don't feed wildlife, and keep well back from the undercut cliffs
When to go
seasons & the hard months
March to May and October to November are the windows that suit almost everyone. The park's own guidance is that late winter and spring favour walking, with native flora and birdlife at their best, and the limestone heath flowers after winter rain. Autumn days are mild — the annual mean maximum sits around 23°C — while January's mean of 30.2°C has faded and the summer crowds have gone. Pack for wind regardless: the peninsula is exposed, and the ranger's tip is to get out early while the winds are gentle.
Summer is workable if you plan around it. January averages 30.2°C and the park's management plan warns of spells at 38–42°C, the campgrounds fill with the school holidays, and the walks carry little shade. Midwinter is the harder edge: July and August bring the most rain (about 63mm and 60mm), muddy 4WD tracks and gale-force winds on the exposed southern coast, though the Coffin Bay side stays calmer. The park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may close on Extreme days, so check the alerts and CFS ratings through the fire season.
Questions
6 answers
Not for the southern park. Yangie Bay is 15km, Point Avoid 15km and Golden Island Lookout 18km from the park entrance, all on sealed road and fine for two-wheel drives and caravans. Everything north of Yangie Bay — Black Springs, Morgan's Landing, Sensation Beach, Point Sir Isaac and the Whidbey trailheads — is high-clearance 4WD on soft sand, rock and tide-affected beach track. NPWS asks drivers not to tow vans beyond Yangie Bay or along the Gunyah Beach track.
Vehicle entry is $14.40 per vehicle and must be paid before entry. Camping starts at $23.10 per night per site and is booked and paid online before arrival, or through booking agents across the state if you can't book online.
No to both. There is no drinking water anywhere in the park and no fuel or shops. Bring all your water, and fill up at Port Lincoln, 50km away, or at the Coffin Bay township, which has a general store and fuel.
There are seven camping areas. Yangie Bay is the only one on sealed road, with 19 allocated sites, long-drop toilets, a picnic shelter and a kayak launch. Black Springs has 8 allocated sites within 50 metres of the beach, Morgan's Landing sits at the western end of Seven Mile Beach, and The Pool near Point Sir Isaac is the most remote with 7 allocated sites. Sensation (2 vehicles), Big Yangie Bay (7 vehicles) and Black Springs Overflow (8 vehicles) have no toilets.
Only where it is designated, and with care. Keep to the marked tracks, reduce tyre pressure for soft sand, and avoid driving above the high-water mark. On Gunyah Beach you may drive no further than 3km either side of where the track joins it — beyond that is a seabird refuge and breeding area — and seawater covers parts of the Yangie Bay to Morgan's Landing track at high tide, so check tide times first.
Wood and solid-fuel fires are permitted year-round between the high and low water mark other than on total fire ban days, and gas or liquid fuel fires are permitted except on total fire ban days. You must bring your own firewood — collecting it in the park is prohibited. The park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also close on Extreme Fire Danger days.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.