Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia is one of the most amazing Australian national parks. Aboriginal people have inhabited these mountains for thousands of years, leaving behind some good Aboriginal rock painting. Today Wilpena Pound, Arkaroo Rock, Sacred Canyon and Parachilna Gorge still amaze geologists, bushwalkers and mountain-climbers; and if you like Australian animals, Flinders Ranges is one of the best places to see Yellow-footed rock wallabies. Here's some information about the park, and in the end of the page is a map of the area.
How to Get to Flinders Ranges Coming from Adelaide in south, you’ll first come to a picturesque small town Quorn, and then to Hawkers – the gateway to Flinders Ranges National Park. From here, there is the Moralana Scenic Route to the national park. You will have to do a fair bit of driving even inside the Flinders Ranges (it is huge – 400km from south to north), between Wilpena in south, Bunyeroo Gorge and Brachina Gorge in west, Aroona Valley in north and Wilkawillina Gorge in east. There are 17 walks and hikes in the park which take you to historical sites, lookouts and Aboriginal rock art sites, and you can camp in many places.
Wilpena Pound In the southernmost end of the national park is Wilpena Pound, the Flinder Ranges National Park’s most famous attraction. For geologists it is a significant geomorphological feature showing folding of sediments. For bushwalkers, artists and photographers it is a favourite place to visit particularly at sunrises and sunsets.
Bushwalks and Camping around Wilpena Pound There are a few bushwalks departing from Wilpena that take you to Mt Ohlssen Bagge, Wangarra Lookout, the historic Hills Homestead, Malloga Falls and St Mary Peak - the highest peak in Flinders Ranges National Park. You can camp at Cooinda camping ground, and there is also the Wilpena Pound Resort in town. South-east of Wilpena Pound is the Arkaroo Rock, with Aboriginal rock painting featuring the creation of Wilpena Pound. East of it is the Sacred Canyon, an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage site where there are rock paintings of waterholes, tracks, people and other symbols.
Bunyeroo Gorge and Bunyeroo Valley North of Wilpena Pound is the Bunyeroo Gorge, and the scenic Bunyeroo Valley with many lookouts. There is also the historic Yanyanna Hut from 1850s, the central point in the Aroona pastoral run. You can camp at the Acraman camp ground west of the hut and the Bunyeroo Valley Lookouts.
Brachina Gorge North of Bunyeroo Gorge is Brachina Gorge, known as Australia’s most important habitat of Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby. Many species of Australian reptiles and birds can also be seen, and one of the most interesting things is the Brachina Gorge Geological Tour, a 20km self-guided track that takes you through 130 million years of earth history. You can pick up a geological map and more information about the tour at the visitor centre in Wilpena Pound. There is a camping ground at Cambrian.
Aroona Valley North of Brachina Gorge is Aroona Valley, one of the most scenic valleys in Flinders Ranges National Park. From the ruins of Haywards station from 1850s, many bushwalks start which take you around in the valley and to lookouts, and there are camping grounds at Koolamon and Youngoona.
Parachilna Gorge North of here is the Parachilna Gorge which links the small townships Blinman and Parachilna. It is a scenic drive with many lookouts and camping spots, and once in Parachilna there is the famous Prairie Hotel that has camp sites in the back and serves emu, camel and kangaroo.
Iga Warta North of here is Iga Warta where members of a local Aboriginal community run a range of tours to the Flinders Ranges, their ancestors’ home ground. Other tours are offered by Wayward Bus, Ozzie’s Bush Track Tours and Wallaby Tracks Adventure Tours.
Here's a map of Flinders Ranges National Park, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
