Burra Creek Gorge Campground

Table of Contents

Quick Guide

Location –151km north of Adelaide
Cost – free
Campsites – caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers and tents
Facilities – drop toilets and rubbish bins

Comprehensive information at the bottom of the post.

Our Visit to Burra Creek Gorge

We have camped at Burra Creek Gorge (aka World’s End Gorge) many times. Our latest visit was in July 2020 as part of our road trip from Darwin to Adelaide. It was during the 2020 Pandemic just after restrictions had lifted a little. The South Australian government was encouraging people to get out and explore their state, as interstate and international travel was still very much restricted. As a result, Burra Creek Gorge was quite busy. This wasn’t surprising, as this campground is known to get very busy on long weekends and other holidays.

Campground

There are two camp areas, the upper campsites (turn left) and the lower situated along the creek. The creek always has water as far as I am aware. I have wondered if the water is from a spring. It is not deep, but it is picturesque.

Things to do

We stayed for two nights and enjoyed cooking over a campfire. We went for a drive into Burra hoping to enjoy some of the many attractions. However, the information centre was closed as were the activities – Covid-19 was still wreaking havoc. We strolled around town having a look at the antique shops, before having a couple of drinks at the pub. There is ample things to see and do in Burra such as the old miners’ dugouts and the Bon Accord Mine Museum.

Dugout History – About 600 dugouts were excavated between 1846 and 1851 along the banks of the Burra Creek. These dugouts supplied accommodation for an estimated population of 1800 (a third of whom where children). The main area of dugouts was known as Creek Street. In 1851, the creek flooded driving the inhabitants out. Several dugouts remain; entrance to the Miners’ Dugouts is included in the Burra Heritage Passport (see below for more information).

More camping in South Australia – Warren Gorge, 21km north of Quorn in the Flinders Ranges.

More information

About

Burra Creek Gorge is a free camping area in a bush setting, with a creek and lots of gum trees.

Location – 151km north of Adelaide. 16km SE of Burra off World’s End Highway.

Cost – Free

Bookings – No

Campsites

Campsites are suitable for caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers and tents. Bush camping only, no powered sites. There are no designated campsites.

Facilities – There are a couple of drop toilets: rubbish bins and a few picnic tables.

Dogs – Permitted on a leash.

Fires – Permitted outside of fire season only, bring your own firewood.

Water – No, you will need to bring your own water.

Generators – Permitted

Wifi/phone reception – No

Things to do – Birdwatching and walking/hiking. The Heysen Trail goes through this area; visit the Heysen website for maps.

Things to do nearby – Visit Burra – copper mine, historic buildings, Burra Heritage Passport, fossil display, Bon Accord Mine Museum, Redruth Gaol and the Burra Mine Open Air Museum. For more information about Burra and attractions visit www.visitburra.com

Burra Heritage Passport available from Burra and Goyder Visitor Information Centre, 2 Market Square, Burra.

Other information – Closest fuel is at the Burra roadhouse 11.09km.

Our thoughts

Pros – Toilet, rubbish bins, creek.
Cons – Walking tracks not clearly marked.
Our verdict – This is a fabulous free camp. Be aware that the campsite is not regulated and there is no noise control, i.e. you may experience the use of generators late into the night.

More Accommodation Options

We typically book our accommodation through booking.com. We like the convenience of booking online, and we are usually able to pay for our accommodation on arrival at the hotel/resort or room. booking.com advertise many different accommodation styles at Burra, so you are sure to find the perfect place.

Booking.com

iVisa

iVisa makes getting a visa super easy. You can even get passport and visa photos done!

Photo Credit:

Worlds End. Burra Creek gorge red river banks and magnificent River Red Gums by denisbin – Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Dug out houses along Burra Creek South Australia. Early miners from 1845 lived in these dugouts until the early 1850s by denisbin Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)