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South Australian national parks Voyage Tips and guide

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    Conservation areas in Australia topics:
    National parksMarine parksIndigenous Protected Areas

    State/territory national parks: NSWNTQldSATas.Vic.WA

    There are twenty-eight national parks in Australia's third largest state, and unlike neighbouring New South Wales, national parks in South Australia are only reserved for the finest parks. The state is home to Australia's largest national park, several dry lakes, the vast Flinders Ranges, several fossil sites, one of which is world heritage listed and unusual geological formations.

    Understand

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    Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park

    Unlike other states, South Australia has a hierarchy when it comes to what is a national park and they are only reserved for the finest landscapes. Some national parks in other Australian states may only be a conservation park, game reserve, recreational area, regional reserves, conservation reserves or a wilderness protection area. Like other states, the state government manages most marine parks that are within 5.5 km from the shore, with the waters further than 5.5 km being managed by Parks Australia.

    Park websites

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    There are two websites that are used by the SA government.

    Some individual parks or historic sites such as Naracoorte Caves or Adelaide Gaol will have its own website (in this case naracoortecaves.sa.gov.au or adelaidegaol.sa.gov.au), but those are the two main websites used.

    National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

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    The "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" (also known as the "National Parks Act") is South Australia's primary legislation regarding the establishment and management of protected areas. The act uses the term "reserve" instead of the term "protected area" while the agency administering the act generally uses the term "park". The act concerns the establishment and management of reserves, the establishment of sanctuaries, the conservation of indigenous plants and animals, the declaration of protected animals, the management of protected animals with respect to the collection, capture, breeding and control of hunting.

    World heritage national parks

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    Unlike other states, South Australia only has a single world-heritage listed national park, Naracoorte Caves National Park. However, in April 2021, the Flinders Ranges were added to the tentative list, which include Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, Nilpena Ediacara National Park and Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park.

    Get in

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    Most national parks will have at least one public road to get in, but some such as Lake Torres NP don't have any, and you will have to use private roads, often with permits required. Getting one might take days, if not weeks and you will need to do some planning in advance.

    If you are going to a park in the Outback, make sure to check the SA government's Outback Road Warnings report before leaving.

    National parks

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    Map
    Map of South Australian national parks

    As a key, a shaded turquoise background indicates the park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage List site while a shaded orange background indicates the park is part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A red background indicates that it is on the tentative list for world heritage.

    Park Established Image Area Region Description
    1 Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara 2016 24.57 km2 (9.49 sq mi) Adelaide Region A very large bird sanctuary.
    2 Belair National Park 1891 8.35 km2 (3.22 sq mi) Adelaide South Australia's first national park, home to several historic sites and waterfalls. By today's standards, it's only a conservation park, but it remains for historical reasons.
    3 Canunda National Park Canunda National Park on Wikipedia 1959 96.24 km2 (37.16 sq mi) Limestone Coast A park with coastal dunes, limestone cliffs and natural bushland.
    4 Cleland National Park 1945 (conservation park)
    2021 (national park)
    11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) Adelaide Region Formerly a conservation park until 2021, Cleland is known for those wanting to reach the Mt. Lofty summit and its wildlife park.
    5 Coffin Bay National Park Coffin Bay National Park on Wikipedia 1982 309.76 km2 (119.60 sq mi) Eyre Peninsula An area with pristine turquoise waters near Port Lincoln, particularly of interest for bird watchers.
    6 Coorong National Park 1967 490.15 km2 (189.25 sq mi) Murray and Mallee Riverland One of the world's longest beaches, and an important cultural site for the indigenous Ngarrindjeri people
    7 Deep Creek National Park 1971 44.96 km2 (17.36 sq mi) Fleurieu Peninsula
    8 Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park 1970 94.15 km2 (36.35 sq mi) Yorke Peninsula
    9 Flinders Chase National Park Flinders Chase National Park on Wikipedia 1919 (nature reserve)
    1972 (national pakr)
    326.61 km2 (126.10 sq mi) Kangaroo Island A place to go sealion-watching in Kangaroo Island
    10 Gawler Ranges National Park 2002 1,628.75 km2 (628.86 sq mi) Eyre Peninsula
    11 Glenthorne National Park–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Glenthorne National Park–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta on Wikipedia 2020 N/A Adelaide A new national park created after transforming the O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park and with the addition of the Hallett Cove Conservation Park, Marino Conservation Park, areas of the Field River Valley and the Happy Valley Reservoir.
    12 Great Australian Bight Marine National Park Great Australian Bight Marine National Park on Wikipedia 1996 1,233.22 km2 (476.15 sq mi) (state waters) Outback / Commonwealth waters Home to a lot of sea lions and whales
    13 Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park 1945 933.97 km2 (360.61 sq mi) Outback South Australia's most iconic national park, containing a naturally formed amphitheatre
    14 Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park 1985 13,488.37 km2 (5,207.89 sq mi) Outback An important reserve of Australasian wildlife
    15 Lake Gairdner National Park Lake Gairdner National Park on Wikipedia 1991 5,531.77 km2 (2,135.83 sq mi) Outback
    16 Lake Torrens National Park Lake Torrens National Park on Wikipedia 1991 5,676.68 km2 (2,191.78 sq mi) Outback
    17 Lincoln National Park Lincoln National Park on Wikipedia 1941 216.38 km2 (83.54 sq mi) Eyre Peninsula
    18 Malkumba-Coongie Lakes National Park Malkumba-Coongie Lakes National Park on Wikipedia 2005 266.69 km2 (102.97 sq mi) Outback
    19 Mount Remarkable National Park Mount Remarkable National Park on Wikipedia 1952 150 km2 (58 sq mi) Outback
    20 Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park 2021 36,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) Outback Australia's largest national park
    21 Murray River National Park Murray River National Park on Wikipedia 1991 135.92 km2 (52.48 sq mi) Murray and Mallee Riverland
    22 Naracoorte Caves National Park 1972 (conservation park)
    2001 (national park)
    6.6 km2 (2.5 sq mi) Limestone Coast South Australia's only World Heritage national park is home to one of Australia's largest fossil deposits
    23 Nilpena Ediacara National Park Ediacara Conservation Park on Wikipedia 2021 Outback One of the state's newest parks, having opened to the public in early 2023, it contains some of the oldest fossils in the world from the Ediacaran era. The Ediacaran era was named after the former name of the park (Ediacara Conservation Reserve)
    24 Nullarbor National Park Nullarbor National Park on Wikipedia 1979 (org boundary)
    2013 (present boundary)
    323.10 km2 (124.75 sq mi) (national park)
    28,500 km2 (11,000 sq mi) (protected area)
    Outback Vast openness with nothing in sight. From a travel perspective, it is often considered to be part of the same park as the Nullabor Wilderness Protection Area. Unfortunately, its area was significantly reduced in 2013, where much of it is now part of the Nullabor Wilderness Protection Area.
    25 Onkaparinga River National Park Onkaparinga River National Park on Wikipedia 1993 15.42 km2 (5.95 sq mi) Adelaide
    26 Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park 1970 1,257.23 km2 (485.42 sq mi) Outback
    27 Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges National Park Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges National Park on Wikipedia 2021 Outback
    28 Witjira National Park Witjira National Park on Wikipedia 1985 7,726.73 km2 (2,983.31 sq mi) Outback

    See also

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    This travel topic about South Australian national parks is a usable article. It touches on all the major areas of the topic. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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