www.flindersrangesnationalpark.com.au
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park · Unofficial operator’s manual
Practical planner
Fees split · Wilpena day order · St Mary Peak / Wangara notes · packing · heat and coverage · official NPWSSA
links. Reviewed 15 Aug 2026 — verify live with NPWSSA. Print this page or save as PDF from your browser.
At last official-page review the park can close after flood damage, including walking trails. Night-time
pest-control closures have applied on selected tracks. Recheck alerts the morning you travel — do not treat a
printed date as live status.
1. Before you leave town
Bookings & status
- ☐ Vehicle entry paid in advance (not mixed with camping)
- ☐ NPWSSA camp booked on parks.sa.gov.au if camping
- ☐ Wilpena powered sites booked with the Resort / Visitor Centre if using those
- ☐ Official alerts checked this morning
- ☐ Outback Road Report checked if using unsealed roads
- ☐ CFS fire rating checked
- ☐ Someone has your route and latest return time
Apps & comms (while you still have signal)
- ☐ Offline park map / Avenza downloaded
- ☐ Discover the Flinders Ranges app
- ☐ Flinders Ranges Walks app
- ☐ Emergency+ installed
- ☐ Screenshot of alerts and bookings
- ☐ PLB packed if doing St Mary Peak, Malloga or a remote camp
2. Fees — three separate systems
Vehicle entry / pass
- ☐ Day entry paid before arrival — official page $14.40 per vehicle at last review [VERIFY]
- ☐ SA park passes cover vehicle entry only
- ☐ Camping is never included in the pass
Camping
- ☐ NPWSSA sites from $12.30/night (hiker) [VERIFY per camp]
- ☐ Book parks.sa.gov.au before you arrive
- ☐ Wilpena powered / permanent tents are private — different desk
No walk permit for standard day walks. Register walks of three or more hours at the Wilpena trailhead.
3. Pick one main plan
First visit / one day on the ground
Visitor Centre → Wangara or Hills Homestead → Cazneaux Tree or Hucks Lookout. Sleep at Wilpena or Hawker. Leave St Mary Peak for another day.
Two nights, cooler months, trails open
Day 1 Wangara. Day 2 one hard hike only (St Mary Peak to Tanderra Saddle, or Ohlssen Bagge if the peak is closed). Leave by 9am (10am DST).
Family / heat / mixed energy
Homestead without the lookout climb, Cazneaux Tree, a sealed-road lookout. No peak.
Three to four days, high-clearance vehicle
Wilpena first, then Trezona or Aroona only if the Outback Road Report and park alerts agree. No peak on a moving day.
4. Wilpena day order (typical)
- ☐ Night before — Pay entry. Screenshot alerts. Agree: primary walk = Wangara or Homestead.
- ☐ Morning — Visitor Centre when it opens (typically 8am — [VERIFY]). Register if out ≥3 hours. Walk.
- ☐ Afternoon — Shade and food. Then Cazneaux Tree or Hucks Lookout. Do not add Ohlssen Bagge.
- ☐ Evening — Sleep close. Do not start a long drive to Adelaide after a Pound walk.
5. St Mary Peak / Ngarri Mudlanha (only if open)
- ☐ Direct ~14.6 km / 6 hrs · loop ~21.5 km / 9 hrs. Hard. Typically closed December–February [VERIFY].
- ☐ Leave no later than 9am (10am DST). Carry ≥4 L water per person.
- ☐ Traditional Owners prefer visitors do not climb the absolute summit. Tanderra Saddle is the high viewpoint.
- ☐ Turn around before the steep last sections if anyone is hot or late.
6. Packing
Everyone
- ☐ Water 4 L+ per person for walks over two hours
- ☐ Wide-brim hat, SPF50, sun shirt
- ☐ Grip shoes
- ☐ Light warm layer + jacket
- ☐ Day pack 20–30 L
- ☐ Snacks / lunch
- ☐ First aid + blister kit
- ☐ Headlamp
- ☐ Power bank
Longer / remote days
- ☐ Whistle + map / compass or offline map
- ☐ Trekking poles (steep climbs)
- ☐ PLB or satellite messenger
- ☐ Extra drinking water for camp
- ☐ Own firewood is not collected in the park — follow seasonal fire rules
7. Heat, roads and coverage
- ☐ April–October is the usual walking season. Summer maxima commonly 30–45°C.
- ☐ All trails close on Catastrophic Fire Danger.
- ☐ Unsealed roads (Brachina, Bunyeroo, Wirrealpa) close after rain. Check DIT: 1300 361 033.
- ☐ Official: mobile coverage is patchy, especially in gorges. Wilpena has a public phone. 000 needs reception.
- ☐ Dogs are not permitted (assistance dogs under published policy).
- ☐ Cultural sites: do not touch, climb or remove anything. Sacred Canyon is guided only.
- ☐ Emergency: 000. Wilpena Visitor Centre (+61 8) 8648 0048. After-hours NPWSSA 0408 378 284. CFS 1800 362 361.
8. Official links (verify live)
9. On-site itineraries