Outback
The Outback of South Australia is a large expanse of northern South Australia.| Tap on a place to explore it |
Photo: Diceman, Public domain.
Essential Destinations
Top destinations include Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and Coober Pedy.
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
Photo: Faj2323, CC BY-SA 4.0.
If there's one place that many think of the South Australian Outback, it's Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, a South Australian national park best known for its iconic Wilpena Pound, a large naturally formed amphitheatre.
Coober Pedy
Photo: Thilver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Coober Pedy, is a small town in South Australia, 846 km north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway with a population of 3,500.
Port Augusta
Photo: GeorgieSharp, CC BY-SA 3.0.
If you could associate any town in Australia with the open road, there's no better choice than Port Augusta. The town is a regional centre of about 12,000 people, 300 km from Adelaide, at the top of the Spencer Gulf.
Destinations to Discover
Explore places such as Oodnadatta and Innamincka.
Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located 1043 kilometres north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or 873 km direct, at an altitude of 112 metres.
Innamincka
Photo: PookieFugglestein, CC0.
Innamincka is a small town with big dreams but with a deep dark history and has been enduring 90-year decline. Although from the air it looks like there's nothing there but around 25 blocks, the true Innamincka is silently sitting in the vast Strzelecki/Outback region of South Australia with only a population of only 15 people.
Woomera
Photo: Thilver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woomera is a small Outback town in South Australia, situated 483 kilometres north of Adelaide. It is a military owned town and testing site with a current population of about 300.
Nilpena Ediacara National Park
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0.
Nilpena Ediacara National Park is a national park in the South Australian Outback. It's one of South Australia's newest national parks, only proclaimed in June 2021, but only opened in early 2023 when visitor facilities were built.
Marla
Marla is a service town in South Australia situated on the Stuart Highway at the junction with the northern end of the Oodnadatta Track.
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park is in the Outback region of South Australia. The park is huge and has an area of 13,488.37 km2, about the size of several tiny European countries, but with very little human impacts.
Quorn
Photo: Peterdownunder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quorn is a small town and railhead in the Flinders Ranges region in the north of South Australia, 39 kilometres northeast of Port Augusta. Situated on the traditional lands of the Nukunu people, the town now lies within the Flinders Ranges Council local government area.
Marree
Photo: Peterdownunder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Marree is a tiny little town in the South Australian outback. Founded in the mid-1800s when springs were discovered in the area, it boomed with the introduction of the railway in 1883.
Lyndhurst
Photo: ogwen, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Lyndhurst is a small town in Outback South Australia. For the purposes of this article, this also includes the places in nearby small towns, which are part of Greater Lyndhurst.
Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park
Photo: Tandrew22, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park is a South Australian national park in the Outback. It was established in November 2021 with an area of 3,600,000 ha, making it Australia's largest national park, even bigger than Kakadu, Denali, Belgium, Wales, or Massachusetts and four times larger than Yellowstone.
William Creek
William Creek, in the Outback region of the Australian state of South Australia, is an isolated township with a population of fewer than 20. It is located about half-way along the Oodnadatta Track, 210 km north-west of Marree and 166 km east of Coober Pedy.
Protected areas of the Nullarbor
Photo: Cathcartw, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The protected areas of the Nullarbor include Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area, Nullarbor National Park and Nullarbor Regional Reserve in the Nullarbor of Outback South Australia.
Arkaroola
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Arkaroola or Arkaroola Station is a very small town located in the Northern Flinders Ranges about 130 km from Leigh Creek, in South Australia.
Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park
Photo: Itsonlyme, Public domain.
Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park is a South Australian national park in Outback South Australia, part of the Flinders Ranges. It is on the tentative list for world heritage along with Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and Nilpena Ediacara National Park.
Photo: Pavel Špindler, CC BY 3.0.
Photo: Faj2323, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Outback
- Description: remote and isolated region of South Australia
- Also known as: “Outback South Australia” and “South Australian outback”
- Location: South Australia, Australia, Oceania
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude of center
-29° or 29° southLongitude of center
135° eastWikidata ID
Q14228363
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
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Satellite Map
Discover Outback from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
“Outback” goes by many names.
- Slovenian: “Outback South Australia”
South Australia: Must-Visit Destinations
Delve into Adelaide, Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park, Kangaroo Island, and City and North Adelaide.
Explore These Curated Destinations
Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Outback”. Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.