Marree Hotel Campground: Free Camping Behind The Pub
Marree Hotel Campground is a free camping area behind the Marree Hotel. It doesn’t cost anything more than the price of a meal in the pub. Marree is where the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks cross meet It’s been a stopping point for travellers going back to the pioneering days.
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Marree Hotel Campground Location And Info At A Glance
Cost: Free if you have a meal in the pub.
Type: Pub Camping
Pet Friendly: Yes
Location: -29.649041°, 138.064652°
Distance From Marree: 0km
Distance From Oodnadatta: 406km
Distance From Marla: 660km
How The Free Camping Works
The space out back is flat and big enough for cars and caravans, but it fills up when lots of people are travelling through. The deal is straightforward – you can camp for free if you buy a meal at the pub. Most people seem happy with this arrangement although as always there are some people who have complained in reviews we’ve read.
Amanda and I plus friends of ours have been to the Marree Hotel lots of times and eaten many meals there. The meals are big and well cooked – and they taste bloody nice. My favourite is the camel burger.
Staff and owners at the hotel know the area well and reviews commonly mention how helpful they are. The pub does get busy in the evenings during peak travel season – generally winter months and a month either side. The camel burger gets mentioned in reviews a lot so I’m not the only one that like it! There are more normal meals available if you’re not feeling adventurous.
Marree Hotel Campground Is Out The Back
Recent Changes At The Marree Hotel Campground
There’s been an important change to free camping at the Marree Hotel campground. Free campers used to be able to use the hotel’s toilets and showers but that has stopped as of early 2025. As I understand it some people were abusing the privilege and leaving a mess. So now those facilities are only for people who pay for rooms at the hotel. Fair enough too. We’ve personally seen firsthand the mess that some people leave behind – it’s just too hard for an inconsiderate few to do the right thing.
Facilities And Pet Friendly Status At The Marree Hotel Campground
The camping area has no potable water, no power and no bins. You bring everything you need and take your rubbish when you leave. Dogs can come along if they’re well behaved.
Amanda Having A beer At The Marree Hotel
Why People Keep Coming
Marree doesn’t have lots of options so the hotel becomes the centre of everything. It’s a small town in the middle of the outback. Supporting a real outback business feels right to most visitors and you end up meeting interesting people from all over the place. Each time we’ve been there we’ve met different backpackers working in the hotel from all over the world.
The location works well for people wanting to fly over Lake Eyre or explore what Marree has to offer. Being in town means good security and you’re close to everything.
Worth Knowing
Book a proper room or campsite if you need full facilities. The restaurant stays busy so getting in early for dinner makes sense. Apparently signing the walls inside is something people do – bring a pen.
Marree has some historical stuff worth seeing. Old railway buildings, small museums and inside the hotel there’s a display about Tom Kruse that outback history buffs seem to enjoy.
Marree Hotel Camel Burger
Bottom Line
Marree Hotel campground free camping still works for people who can look after themselves and don’t mind the basic setup. Recent changes mean you really do need to be self-sufficient now.
A few grubs who didn’t, couldn’t or wouldn’t follow simple rules have made things less ideal for others. Unfortunately this is becoming more common. I don’t know why, it’s not my position to philosophise on human nature.
According to the vast majority of reviews people who stay seem to think it’s worth it. Funny enough the poor reviews seem to be from people who arrived late in the day and were either turned away due to lack of space or were “squeezed in like sardines”. The moral of that story is arrive early.