Siberia Track — Wentworth to Broken Hill via the Darling River Red Desert Corridor
Outback Australia at its most honest and merciless.
Most people drive the Silver City Highway and call it the outback. The Siberia Track says otherwise. Running roughly northeast from Wentworth on the Murray-Darling junction toward Broken Hill, this corrugated dirt and sand route cuts through mallee scrub, dry lake beds, and the kind of red country that swallows time. The critical stretch passes through the Mungo National Park buffer zone and crosses the Darling River floodplain — in wet years, that crossing becomes a negotiation. The track earned its name honestly: early settlers thought the landscape felt as remote and merciless as Siberia, and they weren’t wrong.
This is a high-clearance 4WD route minimum, with long sections of bulldust and loose sand demanding low-range. No fuel between Wentworth and Broken Hill — carry at least 400km range. Water is scarce and unreliable; bring everything you need. Cell service drops to nothing fast. Best run May through September before summer heat makes breakdowns genuinely dangerous. The payoff is complete solitude, stupendous sunsets over red dunescapes, and the Menindee Lakes if you deviate slightly east. Permits are not required, but check road conditions with Broken Hill council before departing.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, High Clearance, Overland Route |
| Surface | Dirt, Mixed, Sand |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 198 mi / 319 km |
| Duration | 2-3 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 980 ft |
| Best season | May-September |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD with low-range |
| Nearest town | Broken Hill, NSW |
| Land manager | NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service / Broken Hill City Council |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | NSW NPWS Mungo National Park Broken Hill City Council Road Conditions |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lifted Hilux or Patrol on stock tyres handle this, or do I need a full build?
A high-clearance 4WD with low-range and all-terrain tyres is the minimum — a stock Hilux or Patrol will manage, but soft red sand sections will punish street tyres hard. Carry a MaxTrax or two and know how to use your low-range; this isn't the trail to learn sand driving basics.
When can I actually drive this without getting bogged or baked alive?
May through September is the window — temperatures drop to a liveable range and the dirt tracks firm up after winter. Summer out here is a genuine survival situation with 45°C+ heat, and the sandy sections become hell without cold nights to firm the surface.
Do I need permits to run the Siberia Track, and are there fees for camping along the route?
If your route takes you through Mungo National Park, a park entry fee applies — check the NSW NPWS site for current rates. Outside the park boundary on NSW Crown Land and pastoral stations, no formal permit is required, but always check current road and access conditions with Broken Hill City Council before you leave.
What's the hardest section and what actually makes it brutal?
The red sand dune crossings north of the Darling River corridor are where rigs get caught — loose, deep sand with no firm base and nowhere to anchor a recovery if you're solo. It's not a single big obstacle; it's relentless soft going that drains fuel, tests tyre pressures, and exposes any weak link in your recovery kit fast.
How much water and fuel do I need to carry for the full 319km run?
Plan for zero resupply between Wentworth and Broken Hill — carry a minimum of 20 litres of drinking water per person plus your vehicle cooling reserve, and enough fuel for at least 400km given the fuel-hungry sand work and low-range running. There are no serviced stops on the track itself; Broken Hill is your first reliable fuel at the end.
Trail track
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