Snapshot
| Where | About 200km south-east of Adelaide · Roughly 2 hours' drive via Tailem Bend and Meningie · 150km of lagoon from the Goolwa Barrage to Kingston SE · Jack Point turn-off 14km north-east of Salt Creek |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed Princes Highway through Tailem Bend and Meningie, then unsealed Loop Road south of Salt Creek, Loveday Bay Road (6km), Mark Point Road (5km) and Seven Mile Road to the lagoon shore; Ocean Beach is 4WD-only soft sand driven at low tide; no vehicle access across the barrages or the Murray Mouth from Goolwa |
| Best time | March–April and October–November — mild 18–24°C days, native fruits ripe in autumn, and migratory waders arriving from October |
| Worst time | June–August — the wettest months of the year (65–70mm falling across 16–18 days) with strong winds off the Southern Ocean and short days |
| Time needed | 2–3 days — the park stretches 150km, the northern lagoon is best seen by boat or kayak from Goolwa, and the southern campgrounds and crossings need their own run from Meningie |
| Cost | Free vehicle entry and no park entry fee; camping from $12.30 per night, booked and paid before arrival; beach camping needs a separate booking, with a permit for each vehicle |
| Facilities | Non-potable tank water at 42 Mile Crossing, Godfrey's Landing and the Loop Road car park; long-drop toilets at most campgrounds; no shops or fuel inside the park; mobile coverage patchy and unreliable, especially in low-lying areas |
| Best for | Birdwatchers after pelicans and migratory waders · self-sufficient campers with a 4WD · paddlers and families after short, flat walks |
| Difficulty |
2 of 5 — Moderate
The walks are short and flat, but Ocean Beach is 4WD-only soft sand with tides and dune collapses to read, and the park asks for self-sufficient touring once you leave Meningie. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
The Coorong is a long, shallow lagoon running south-east from the Murray Mouth, shut off from the Southern Ocean by the Younghusband Peninsula — a barrier of white dunes and nearly 200 kilometres of continuous sand beach. It is Ngarrindjeri Country: 'Kurangk' means 'long narrow neck', and the Kungun Ngarrindjeri Yunnan agreement negotiated in 2009 recognises Ngarrindjeri traditional ownership of these lands and waters and a process for negotiating how Country is cared for. The park runs about 150 kilometres from the Goolwa Barrage to Kingston SE, with water that shifts from freshwater near the barrages to brackish at the Murray Mouth and hypersaline in the southern lagoon. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here and the lagoon is one of the great breeding areas for the Australian pelican, while shell middens metres deep in places record thousands of years of Aboriginal campsites along these shores.
You come for the space between the water and the dunes: a walk over the sand at 42 Mile Crossing, a paddle on the lagoon, a low-tide drive along Ocean Beach, and a quiet camp at Parnka Point.
Go if…
- Birds are the point of the trip — pelican breeding islands, waders from Siberia and Alaska on the southern mudflats, and more than 200 recorded species
- You're happy to book and pay for camping before you arrive and travel without shops, fuel or reliable phone signal
- You have a 4WD and want low-tide beach driving, or a kayak and want sheltered lagoon water
- You want short, flat Grade 1 walks rather than climbs, and you can travel outside mid-winter
Skip it if…
- You want mountains, gorges, waterfalls or any kind of climb — this is water, sand and scrub at sea level
- You can't book ahead: every campsite must be booked and paid before arrival, and beach camping needs its own booking
- Your dates fall in June–August and you dislike rain, wind and short days on an exposed coast
- You want to drive the ocean beach without a 4WD, soft-sand experience and recovery gear
What to expect
Reviewed
You reach the Coorong on the Princes Highway, about 200km and two hours south-east of Adelaide through Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend to Meningie. What you find is a map problem before it is a walking destination: the park is a 150km strip split by the lagoon, with the northern end best seen by boat or kayak from Goolwa because there is no vehicle access across the barrages or the Murray Mouth. The southern sections come off Narrung Road and the Princes Highway on unsealed roads — Loop Road south of Salt Creek, Loveday Bay Road (6km) and Mark Point Road (5km) down to the Kartoo Road boat ramp, and Seven Mile Road along the shoreline. A 2WD handles all of these when they are dry.
Old Coorong Road and the Loop Road run straight between water and scrub, and that is what the park looks like for most of its length: a shallow lagoon on one hand, low mallee and tea-tree on the other, and a white dune barrier between you and the Southern Ocean. The Coorong is the modern estuary of the River Murray, formed with Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert, and the Younghusband Peninsula that walls it off is a beach-dune barrier built from sand pushed shoreward as sea levels rose after the last ice age. The water changes as you travel south — freshwater near the Goolwa Barrages, brackish at the Murray Mouth and hypersaline in the southern lagoon — and the southern lagoon's depth swings by almost a metre between late spring highs and late autumn lows, exposing wide mudflats from early summer. Those mudflats are why the waders are here: birds that breed in Alaska, northern China and Siberia feed across them through the southern summer.
Parnka Point is where the two lagoons pinch together — the narrowest and deepest point of the Coorong, with the lookout on the headland looking north over the North Lagoon and south over the South Lagoon. The Parnka Ngoppun Trail loops 5km along the shoreline in about two hours, past the Younghusband dune system, and it is the walk where the bird list fills up: pelicans, avocets, banded stilts, sharp-tailed sandpipers and red-necked stints working the shallow sheltered bays. Bring binoculars and go early.
Behind the dunes is the ocean beach — nearly 200km of continuous sand, broken only at the Murray Mouth, and gazetted as a road so the normal rules apply: licence, registration, seat belts, speed limits and no drink-driving. You drive only between the high and low water marks, ideally at low tide, and only on designated tracks; driving behind or within the dunes is prohibited at all times and fines apply, because off-track wheels damage Ngarrindjeri sites and wildlife habitat. This is a 4WD job — the sand is soft, and the park warns that severe erosion and dune collapses from high tides and sea surges make beach driving a high-risk activity for both people and vehicles. Check tide times, swell and the forecast before you leave Meningie, drop your tyre pressures and carry recovery gear. The beach from Tea Tree Crossing north to the Murray Mouth closes to vehicles every year from 24 October to 24 December so hooded plovers can breed undisturbed.
Camping in the park is unpowered and simple. Allocated sites sit at Parnka Point (Pelican and Avocet), Long Point and 28 Mile Crossing; unallocated ones at 42 Mile Crossing and along Karrtoo Road on the lagoon edge; boat-in sites at Godfrey's Landing and Barkers Knoll. Long-drop toilets at most campgrounds, non-potable water at some, and no bins anywhere — everything you bring in goes back out with you. Fires are banned except in the designated pits at 42 Mile Crossing and on the beach foreshore between the high and low water marks, and never on a total fire ban day. You cannot collect firewood in the park, so bring a stove and gas. Shell middens along these shores record thousands of years of Aboriginal campsites, some of them metres deep, and the park asks one thing of you: walk around them, leave every shell and stone where it lies, and take nothing home. Birding is why many people come at all — pelicans breed on islands in the lagoon and are viewed from the purpose-built deck at Jack Point, and avocets, banded stilts, terns and waders work the shallows year-round.
Where to stay
Most people camp inside the park at Parnka Point, 42 Mile Crossing or Long Point, or base in Meningie for a bed, a meal and supplies; Salt Creek has holiday houses and little else, and Goolwa is the northern gateway.
When bookings open: Every campsite must be booked and paid before arrival; book online up to 12 months ahead or in person at booking agents across the state, and beach camping needs its own booking. Official booking page. Checked 5 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnka Point — Pelican Campground (Parks SA) | Not rated | Lagoon-front camping and the Parnka Ngoppun Trail at first light | On Parnka Point, between the North and South Lagoons | 8 allocated unpowered sites, some overlooking the lagoon · long-drop toilet, boat launch, picnic area, disabled parking · no campfires · 2WD and 4WD accessible | Book now |
| 42 Mile Crossing Campground (Parks SA) | Not rated | Ocean Beach access and group camping behind the dunes | Large grassed, semi-sheltered site with a walking trail to the beach | 30 unpowered unnumbered sites, unallocated, group camping allowed · accessible long-drop toilet, sheltered picnic area, non-potable water · campfires permitted in designated pits, subject to seasonal restrictions | Book now |
| Long Point Campground (Parks SA) | Not rated | Caravans, fishing and a jetty on the lagoon | On the lagoon shore, about 30 minutes' drive from the Mark Point area | 5 allocated unpowered sites · accessible long-drop toilet, accessible car park, picnic table, small jetty and boat ramp · no campfires · 2WD accessible | Book now |
| Lake Albert Caravan Park | Not rated | A powered site or cabin with Lake Albert at the door | In Meningie, the northern gateway on the Princes Highway | Caravan sites, cabins and motel-style lodging on the shores of Lake Albert, with town services close by | Check rates |
| Coorong Cabins | 9.9 / 10 (27 reviews, Booking.com) | A self-contained base with kayaks and bikes included | Seven Mile Road, Meningie, about 10 minutes from town | Two self-contained cabins with air-conditioning, combustion heaters, push bikes, kayaks, fishing equipment and a camp kitchen | Check rates |
| Coorong Waterfront Retreat | Not rated | A group of six wanting a kitchen and beach access | Seven Mile Road, Meningie | Three-bedroom cottage with kitchen, wi-fi, air-conditioning and beach access · pet-friendly | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
42 Mile Crossing, the dune walk and Ocean Beach
42 Mile Crossing is where most people meet the ocean: a large, semi-sheltered grassed campground behind the dunes, with a walk over the sand to the beach — the closest beach access in the park for a 2WD. From here Ocean Beach is a gazetted road, driven only between the high and low water marks at low tide and only by 4WD on the designated track. Expect soft sand, and read the park's warnings about erosion and dune collapses from high tides and sea surges before you commit. The beach from Tea Tree Crossing north to the Murray Mouth is closed to vehicles from 24 October to 24 December each year for hooded plover breeding.
Jack Point Pelican Observatory
A flat dune walk to a purpose-built viewing deck above a large Australian pelican breeding colony — the birds that Colin Thiele's readers know as Mr Percival. The signposted turn-off is about 14km north-east of Salt Creek on the Princes Highway. Twenty minutes gets you there and back, and the deck is the closest most people get to the nesting islands.
Ngrugie Ngoppun Walk
The name means 'good walk' in Ngarrindjeri language, and the loop starts at Salt Creek, opposite the replica oil rig, with a second trailhead where Loop Road meets the highway. It is an undulating hour through dune country with wildlife viewing and local history along the way. Short, flat and easy — the walk to do first.
Lakes Nature Walk Trail
A flat circuit from the car park on Loop Road, 1.3km from Salt Creek, past the ephemeral Pipe Clay Lake through tea-tree and mallee scrub and low sand dunes. Echidnas, emus and the rufous bristlebird are the usual sightings. The lakes change with the season and the year, so the walk is never quite the same twice.
Parnka Ngoppun Trail and Parnka Point Lookout
The 5km Parnka Ngoppun Trail loops the Parnka Point shoreline in about two hours, with the lookout at the narrowest point between the North and South Lagoons at its heart. This is the park's best short walk for birds — pelicans, avocets, banded stilts, sharp-tailed sandpipers and red-necked stints work the shallow sheltered bays below the headland. The track also passes the Younghusband Peninsula dune system, so you see the barrier that keeps the Southern Ocean out. Camp at the Pelican or Avocet campground on the point and walk it at first light.
Nukan Kungun Hike
The park's overnight walk, starting at Salt Creek and finishing at the 42 Mile Crossing campground, with secluded bush campsites dotted along the trail. It runs behind the lagoon shore rather than over the dunes, so the walking is flat and the birdlife constant. From the campground you can continue over the dunes to the ocean beach, a further 1.3km.
Chinaman's Well Historic Site Journey to Gold Walk
A short loop through the stone well and quarries of the gold rush era, with the story of the diggers who worked this coast. The terrain is easy and the walk is well signposted. It pairs naturally with the Salt Creek walks.
Paddle the lagoon
The lagoon is sheltered water and the park is a recognised paddling destination, with boat ramps at Long Point and Mark Point and a canoe launch at the Malleefowl campground on Loop Road. Godfrey's Landing and Barkers Knoll are boat- or canoe-access-only campsites, so a paddle is also a way to overnight. Guided day trips leave from Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, cross to the Younghusband Peninsula for a dune walk and finish at the Murray Mouth. Wind funnels down the lagoon, so check the forecast and paddle early.
Coorong National Park itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Salt Creek walks and the pelican deck
- Early morning. Leave Adelaide and drive about 200km south-east via Tailem Bend and Meningie — roughly two hours to Salt Creek at the heart of the park.
- Mid-morning. Ngrugie Ngoppun Walk from the Salt Creek trailhead (2.5km loop, 1 hour 15 minutes), then the Lakes Nature Walk Trail from the Loop Road car park (3km loop, 1 hour) past the ephemeral lakes.
- Early afternoon. Drive 14km north-east of Salt Creek to the Jack Point Pelican Observatory walk (1.2km return, 20 minutes) and the purpose-built deck over the breeding colony.
- Late afternoon. Parnka Ngoppun Trail at Parnka Point (5km loop, 2 hours) if you have the legs, then the drive back to Adelaide.
About 12km of walking and no nights. Entry to the park is free, and there is no fuel or shops inside it — fill up at Tailem Bend or Meningie and carry your own drinking water, since the tank water is non-potable. Every walk here is short and flat, so the plan runs in any season, but check the CFS fire danger rating first: the park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger.
Two days: add a night at Parnka Point
- Day 1. The Salt Creek walks — Ngrugie Ngoppun (2.5km loop) and the Lakes Nature Walk (3km loop) — then Jack Point (1.2km return), and camp at Parnka Point instead of driving home.
- Day 2, morning. Parnka Ngoppun Trail (5km loop, 2 hours) from Parnka Point, with the lookout over both the North and South Lagoons at the halfway mark.
- Day 2, afternoon. Drive to 42 Mile Crossing and walk the dunes to the beach (about 3.5km return, 20–60 minutes), then head back to Adelaide.
About 12km of walking and one night camping at Parnka Point. Camping costs from $12.30 per night and must be booked and paid before you arrive; entry is free, and there is no fuel in the park, so fill up at Tailem Bend or Meningie and carry drinking water. Campfires are not allowed at Parnka Point, and the ocean beach from Tea Tree Crossing north to the Murray Mouth is closed to vehicles from 24 October to 24 December.
Three days: walk the Nukan Kungun Hike
- Day 1. Ngrugie Ngoppun (2.5km loop) and the Lakes Nature Walk (3km loop) at Salt Creek, then Jack Point (1.2km return); camp on the Loop Road at the Hooded Plover campground, about 1km from Salt Creek.
- Day 2. Start the Nukan Kungun Hike from Salt Creek — 25km one way to 42 Mile Crossing over two days — and camp at one of the secluded bush campsites along the trail.
- Day 3. Finish the Nukan Kungun Hike at 42 Mile Crossing, walk the dunes out to Ocean Beach (about 3.5km return), and drive for home.
About 35km of walking over three days and two nights. Camping costs from $12.30 per night and every campsite must be booked and paid before you arrive; entry is free and there is no fuel in the park, so fill up at Tailem Bend or Meningie and carry all the drinking water you need. Wood fires are banned except in the designated pits at 42 Mile Crossing and on the beach foreshore, and never on a total fire ban day.
Experiences worth booking
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 2026-11-09.
Suggested gear for Coorong 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.
- A tyre deflator and pressure gauge The crossings and Ocean Beach are soft sand, and ranger advice is to adjust tyre pressures before beach driving.
- A full-size spare tyre, shovel and recovery gear The park warns of severe erosion and dune collapses on the beach, there is no fuel or tyre service inside the park, and bogging is a real risk.
- Offline park maps (Parks SA points to the Avenza Maps app) Mobile coverage is patchy and unreliable, especially in low-lying areas, so your phone won't load a map when you need one.
- Tide times and a swell forecast, printed or downloaded You can only drive the beach between the high and low water marks at low tide, and the park tells you to check tides, swell and weather before beach driving or fishing.
- A windproof warm layer The coast is fully exposed, the wind runs year-round and winter brings the year's heaviest rain across 16 to 18 days a month.
- A fly head net Mid-summer fly numbers are the reason many travellers avoid the hottest months on this coast, and repellent alone won't hold them off.
- A gas stove and fuel canister Wood fires are banned except at 42 Mile Crossing's designated pits and on the beach foreshore, and collecting firewood in the park is prohibited.
- A dry bag and PFD for the lagoon Paddling here means open, shallow water with wind chop, and boat-based trips carry your kit to boat-in campsites at Godfrey's Landing and Barkers Knoll.
How this compares
Coorong National Park vs Canunda National Park
Canunda National Park is the south-east coast park in this register and the closest comparison to the Coorong on the shoreline. It is a planned Audacia guide, so treat the choice as coast on its own terms rather than lagoon. Choose Canunda for the south-east coast standing alone; choose the Coorong for the lagoon, the pelican colonies and short flat walks.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- South Australia's south-east coast; check the park authority's page for track and access conditions before you go
- Best for
- Coast and dunes · camping · readers continuing down the south-east shoreline
Coorong National Park vs Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, on the Yorke Peninsula, is the other coastal park a South Australian loop might include, and it is a planned Audacia guide. It gives you a peninsula coast rather than an estuary lagoon. Choose Dhilba Guuranda-Innes for a Yorke Peninsula coastal trip; choose the Coorong for the Ramsar wetland, the waders and the 4WD beach.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Yorke Peninsula, South Australia; check the park authority's page for track and access conditions before you go
- Best for
- Peninsula coast · a loop out of Adelaide · camping with more road access
Coorong National Park vs Murray River National Park
Murray River National Park sits on the Murray in South Australia — the same river whose estuary forms the Coorong — and is the natural alternative if you want river country rather than a coastal lagoon. It is a planned Audacia guide. Choose Murray River for the river itself; choose the Coorong for the lagoon, the Younghusband dune barrier and ocean beach driving.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Murray River country, South Australia; check the park authority's page for track and access conditions before you go
- Best for
- River camping · paddling · readers following the Murray downstream
Before you go
- Book and pay for your campsite before you arrive — online up to 12 months ahead or in person at booking agents; beach camping needs its own booking, with a permit for each vehicle
- Entry is free. There is no vehicle fee and no park entry fee to budget for
- Ocean Beach is 4WD-only, driven at low tide between the high and low water marks; it is a gazetted road with normal road rules, quad bikes are banned and only registered motorbikes are allowed
- The beach from Tea Tree Crossing north to the Murray Mouth closes to vehicles from 24 October to 24 December every year to protect breeding hooded plovers
- Fill up at Tailem Bend or Meningie and shop there too — there is no fuel and no shops in the park, and Salt Creek services are limited
- Carry all the drinking water you need; the tank water at 42 Mile Crossing, Godfrey's Landing and the Loop Road car park is non-potable, and mobile coverage is patchy and unreliable in low-lying areas
- Fire rules shape the trip: wood fires only in the designated pits at 42 Mile Crossing and on the beach foreshore between the marks, never on total fire ban days, and no firewood collection anywhere in the park; the park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may close on Extreme days
- Check tide times, swell and the forecast before beach driving or fishing, drop your tyre pressures, and never drive behind or within the dunes — off-track driving is prohibited and fines apply
When to go
seasons & the hard months
The Coorong works most of the year, and the windows are autumn and spring. Autumn brings milder weather and native fruits ripe in the scrub; from October the migratory waders arrive from Alaska, northern China and Siberia and stay through to February, with the largest flocks in December to February, and spring brings wildflowers across the dunes and mallee. Third-party climate records put autumn and spring days around 18–24°C, which is exactly the range that makes a two-hour shoreline walk or a paddle pleasant rather than an endurance test. This is also when the light is kind to the water and the campsites are quieter than in mid-summer.
Winter and mid-summer are the stretches to avoid if you can. From June to August the park gets its heaviest rain — around 65–70mm a month falling across 16 to 18 days — along with strong winds off the Southern Ocean and short days, which turns an exposed lagoon camp into a wet, windy exercise. Summer has the opposite problem: long-term records put January daily maxima in the low 30s, days over 35°C are recorded, the flies are at their worst in mid-summer, and the hooded plover closure shuts the northern beach to vehicles from 24 October to 24 December. If summer is your only option, walk early, fish at dawn and dusk, and treat the beach as a 4WD proposition with tides to respect.
Questions
6 answers
Not for most of the park. The Princes Highway, Loop Road, Loveday Bay Road, Mark Point Road and Seven Mile Road are unsealed in places but suitable for 2WD when dry, and 42 Mile Crossing is the closest point where a 2WD can reach the beach — over the dunes on foot. Ocean Beach itself is 4WD-only soft sand, driven at low tide between the high and low water marks, with normal road rules applying. There is no public transport in the park, so a vehicle is essential.
Nothing to enter. Vehicle entry is free and there is no park entry fee. Camping is charged from $12.30 per night per site, must be booked and paid before arrival, and beach camping requires its own booking with a permit for each vehicle. Book online up to 12 months ahead or in person at booking agents across the state.
The main bases are Parnka Point (15 allocated sites across the Pelican and Avocet campgrounds), 42 Mile Crossing (30 unpowered unnumbered sites, group camping allowed), Long Point (5 allocated sites, the pick for caravans) and 28 Mile Crossing (5 sites among the dunes). The Loop Road campgrounds add 14 sites across four campgrounds near Salt Creek. All of them must be booked before you arrive, and there are no powered sites anywhere in the park.
Yes, from the Jack Point Pelican Observatory, a 1.2km-return, 20-minute walk to a purpose-built deck over a large breeding colony, reached from a signposted turn-off about 14km north-east of Salt Creek. The lagoon is one of the outstanding Australian pelican breeding areas, and more than 200 bird species have been recorded in the park, with waders working the southern mudflats through summer.
No to all three, effectively. Tank water at 42 Mile Crossing, Godfrey's Landing and the Loop Road car park is non-potable — carry your own supply. There is no fuel or shops in the park, so fill up and shop at Tailem Bend or Meningie. Mobile coverage is patchy and unreliable, especially in low-lying areas, so download your maps and alerts before you leave town.
The ocean beach from Tea Tree Crossing north to the Murray Mouth is closed to vehicles from 24 October to 24 December every year to protect breeding hooded plovers. Wood fires are prohibited throughout the park except in the designated pits at 42 Mile Crossing and on the beach foreshore between the high and low water marks, and never on a total fire ban day; gas and liquid fuel fires are permitted except on total fire ban days. The park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also close on Extreme days, so check the CFS rating — the Bushfire Information Hotline is 1800 362 361.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.