Box Creek Bush Camp campsite is an amazing spot for free camping that most people miss driving past on the Oodnadatta Track. It’s where Box Creek and Old Woman Creek meet up about 3.5km from the old railway siding. No cost, no crowds, just proper bush camping the way it should be.

Box Creek Bush Camp Campsite Location And Info At A Glance

Cost: Free
Type: Free Camping / Bush Camping
Pet Friendly: Yes
Location: -28.714409°, 135.970542°
Distance From Marree: 248km
Distance From Oodnadatta: 157km
Distance From Marla: 411km

Finding The Campsite

Box Creek Bush Camp is easy enough once you know where to look. Coming from the north on the Oodnadatta Track, first left turn straight after you see the Box Creek sign. Drive right to the end – don’t stop halfway thinking you’re lost. It’s in about a kilometre from the track.

A few people reckon the turn can be hard to spot because the roads aren’t exactly what the maps show, but trust me – first left after that sign and keep going till you can’t go any further.

Box Creek Bush Camp Entry Point

What’s At Box Creek Bush Camp?

Box Creek Bush Camp isn’t a caravan park. No toilets, no water, no bins, no camp kitchen. You bring everything in, you take everything out. What you get instead is heaps of space, mostly flat ground and room for caravans of all sizes without getting jammed up against your neighbours.

Best spots are down the southern side about a kilometre in. The creeks form a bit of a bend here with some old coolabah trees giving decent shade. Ground’s pretty solid most of the time, but if it’s been raining stay off the softer patches or you’ll be reaching for the Maxtraxx and a shovel.

Fires And Firewood

Plenty of fallen timber lying around for fires. Every second review mentions this – seems there’s always enough wood to keep a fire going. Just check if there are any any fire bans in place before you light up.

Creek’s usually dry but when there’s water the mozzies turn up to the party. Flies are brutal here – probably the worst you’ll strike on the whole track. Bring a flynet or you’ll go mental.

Animals And Safety

Dingoes drop by regularly especially just before sunrise. Pretty amazing to see but keep your dog close and don’t leave anything interesting outside your van. Shoes seem to be a favourite thing to steal for some reason.

Birdlife’s excellent – wake up to proper bush sounds. Creek bed’s good for a wander, just watch the cats eyes from the local plants. They’ll go right through thin shoes.

Box Creek Bush Camp Oodnadatta Track On Google Earth

Why People Keep Coming Back

• Dead quiet out here. Far enough off the track that you won’t hear or see traffic. Most times you’ll have the whole place to yourself, though there’s room for half a dozen groups easy.
• Sunsets are something else. No light pollution so the stars are brilliant. When the desert flowers are out it’s pretty special.

Worth Knowing

• Turn up with everything – water, food, fuel. The nearest places to get anything at all from are at William Creek or The Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse.
• Ground can get boggy after rain so pick your spot carefully. Dogs are welcome but watch them around the dingoes.
• Some people drive in, have a look, and decide it’s too early to stop. Big mistake – this spot’s worth staying for.

Box Creek Camp Campsite Is The Real Oodnadatta Track Camping Deal

Box Creek’s what outback camping used to be like everywhere. Free, spacious, no rules except the ones that matter – clean up after yourself and don’t wreck it for the next mob.

Not everyone’s cup of tea because there’s nothing here except what nature put there. But if you want proper bush camping this is as good as it gets on the Oodnadatta Track. Just don’t tell everyone about it – like we just did.

Travelling the Oodnadatta Track and want a proper bush camping experience? The overnight campsite near Irrapatana Sand Hills is worth considering. Sits just behind those red dunes with big views, some natural wind protection and proper outback quiet.

Overnight Campsite Near Irrapatana Sand Hills Location And Info At A Glance

Cost: Free
Type: Free Camping / Bush Camping
Location: -29.085839°, 136.529259°
Pet Friendly: Yes
Distance From Marree: 177km
Distance From Oodnadatta: 230km
Distance From Marla: 484km

Campsite Near Irrapatana Sand Hills Oodnadatta Track On Google Earth

Getting There

Turn off onto a dirt track that heads away from the main road, winds around behind the sand hills toward an old station. When heading towards Oodnadatta it’s on the left. Easy enough to get to when it’s dry and the camping area is mostly flat. Don’t even think about it if it’s been raining or looks like rain – turns into a bog.

What You’ll Find At The Overnight Campsite Near The Irrapatana Sand Hills

Plenty of room here, reasonably level, space for several caravans without being on top of each other. The sand dunes block some wind and make it feel pretty remote. There’s a fenced dam nearby that the local cattle use so make sure not to block access to it. Plenty of old fence posts and bits of wood lying around for a fire though you need to follow fire restrictions. Dogs are fine but keep an eye on them – cattle might be around and there’s no fencing to keep them separate. What remains of the old Irrapatana Siding on the Ghan Railway is not far away.

No Facilities

This is proper bush camping – no toilets, no water, no bins. You bring everything in, you take everything out. Need to be completely self-sufficient. If you want a basic stop along the track this works. Don’t expect anything else.

What To Like At The Overnight Campsite Near The Irrapatana Sand Hills

People like it for the space and quiet. Sandhills give it a nice backdrop and some shelter. Usually have the place to yourself. Good spot for caravans, camper trailers or just rolling out a swag. Decent place to break up the drive, get some rest or take photos of the red dunes. Sometimes get wildflowers through the area.

Irrapatana Sand Hills Turnoff On Google Earth

Know Before You Go

• Solid flat ground when dry, muddy mess when wet
• No facilities – no water, no shade, no toilets – it’s all up to you
• Usually wood around for fires but respect fire bans
• Zero little light pollution so good for looking at the stars

Bottom Line

The overnight campsite Near The Irrapatana Sand Hills is classic Oodnadatta Track camping – quiet, roomy, no frills. If you’re happy being self-sufficient and cleaning up after yourself it’s a nice place to spend the night. Red dunes, big skies, lots of peace and quiet. Look after it and it’ll be there for the next people coming through.

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.

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.