Mambray Creek Campground is the best campground for your Mount Remarkable National Park stay. It is a well-planned campground with excellent facilities. It is nestled in the natural vegetation, including large red river gums that provide shade on some. but not all, campsites.
Activities in the area include relaxing, walking, and watching wildlife. If your legs meet the challenge, we recommend the 4.6 km (one-way) walk to Sugargum Lookout. It can be accessed via the Mambray Creek track. It is fairly flat until Scarfe’s Hut and then about 500m of a steep walk to the lookout.
The campground is located between Port Augusta and Port Germein. It is accessed from the A1 highway via a sealed road that continues right to each campsite.
As the campground is located in a national park, you must be self-contained if using your own facilities. However, toilets and showers are provided. Also, pets are not allowed.
The area contains natural vegetation, rock cliffs and shear-faced gorges. It has fantastic bushwalking.
Mambray Creek Campground Quick Facts
| Campground Name | Mambray Creek Campground |
|---|---|
| Nearest Town | Port Augusta/Port Germein |
| GPS | 32°50'20.59"S 138° 2'19.84"E |
| Access Road | Sealed |
| Number of sites | 49 |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Dump point | No |
| Power | No |
| Pets | No |
| Fires permitted | Only from Apr to Nov (bring your own wood) |
| Telstra coverage | Yes |
| Optus coverage | Yes |
| Cost | From $32 per night (includes park entrance fee) |
| Booking | Mambray Creek booking |
Campground Layout and Features
Mambray Creek Campground contains 49 well-spaced campsites of varying sizes along Mambray Creek. Some are large enough for large caravans, while others are only suitable for tents. Some sites are designed to cater to small groups of more than one vehicle. The larger sites accommodate more people and attract a higher fee. The national park bookings page provides full details for each site (a link is provided below).
There are two group sites, and the nearby day-use area has gas BBQs and sheltered picnic places with seating.
Firepits are provided at each site. However, during the summer months, a fire ban prevents their use. Only gas stoves may be used for cooking during these times.
The campsites are located on either side of a one-way loop.
The facilities at this campground are what sets it apart from the vast majority of other sites in national parks. One could crown this as a national park glamping campground. The facilities are excellent.
In the centre of the loop is a very new and clean shower and toilet block. The showers have gas-fired hot water. There is also a semi-enclosed camp kitchen containing a gas BBQ and sink. There are drinking water taps scattered in the campground. Not all taps are threaded and some are more free-flowing than others.
There are two group camping areas with their own facilities.
For those not wishing to camp, a cabin can be booked. This accommodates up to four people.
Mambray Creek Campground Location
The campground is 47km southeast of Port Augusta and 20km northeast of Port Germein. The map below shows the location.
What to Watch Out For at Mambray Creek Campground
We didn’t find anything negative about this site. For some, the price may be more than normal national park campgrounds, but you are paying for the provided facilities: what other national park has hot showers?
The only other negative may be that it will be difficult to leave.
You may have a lace monitor visit your site. They are nothing to worry about and will keep their distance. If you stay still they will get closer. Moving will result in them moving away.
Final Words
This campground is a wonderful place to slow down and view the scenery. We suggest that you spend more than one night here.
There is a good reason why the facilities here are so good. Shortly before our visit, it reopened after a $2.5 million redevelopment.
To book your stay at the campground, follow this link: Book Mambray Creek Campground.
Closeby Campgrounds
For those travelling from this area to the west coast of the Yorke Peninsula, you may wish to consider Port Victoria, or to the west coast Port Julia.
If you are heading west to the Eyre Peninsula White Sands Campground near Port Gibbon could be your first stop.
Edited on 10/1/2/10 due to price increase from $31 per night to $32.