National Parks
National parks we’ve explored around Australia
National parks have already taken us through some of the best parts of our travels — from the rugged ranges of South Australia to Uluṟu and Kings Canyon in the Red Centre.
One thing we’ve quickly learned is that every state and territory seems to do park entry a little differently.
Along with sharing what we actually did in each park, we’ll keep track of the passes, permits and entry fees we needed along the way.
Park Passes — It’s Not One System
There’s no single Australian National Parks Pass. Different states, territories and federally managed parks have their own systems. We’ve needed different passes and vehicle-entry permits during our travels, so we’ll include what we needed for each park when we visited.
South Australia
Some SA parks require a separate vehicle-entry fee or an eligible SA Parks Pass.
Northern Territory
Interstate visitors need an NT Parks Visitor Pass for many NT-managed national parks and reserves. One pass can cover multiple participating NT parks for the period it is valid.
Parks Australia
Some major national parks are federally managed and use their own passes. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is one of these and is NOT covered by the NT Parks Visitor Pass.
Passes, prices and conditions can change. Always check the official park website before visiting.
Parks we’ve actually visited
One Pass, Multiple NT Parks
Once you’re travelling through the Northern Territory, the NT Parks Visitor Pass starts making a lot more sense than looking at every national park individually. The same valid visitor pass can cover Watarrka and many other NT-managed parks and reserves, making the longer-duration options worth considering if you’re travelling through the Territory for a few weeks.
Parks We’ve Used Our NT Pass At
- Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon)
We’ll add national parks here as our trip continues — only parks we’ve actually entered using the NT Parks Visitor Pass.
More Parks As We Travel
This list will keep growing as our lap takes us through more of Australia’s national parks. We’ll only add parks we’ve actually visited and share what the experience — and the entry process — was like for us.