Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary — Bararranna Gorge Creek Flat Dispersed Camp

Bararranna Gorge cuts through ancient Precambrian rock on the northern edge of the Flinders Ranges, and the creek flats at its base have long served as informal dry camps for overlanders running the Arkaroola ridge tracks. No facilities, no signage — just quartzite walls, desert mulga, and the silence of one of Australia’s most remote private wilderness reserves. Fires are generally prohibited inside the sanctuary; carry a camp stove. The gorge itself is spectacular at dusk when the rock glows red.

Access is via unsealed tracks inside Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary — you must self-register or check in at Arkaroola Village Resort before heading into the back country. The sanctuary operates under its own permit conditions separate from NPWS. Tracks can be heavily corrugated and sand-silted after summer storms. High-clearance 4WD essential. Best April to October; summer heat is genuinely dangerous out here.

Gorge-floor dry camp in volcanic Arkaroola.