The best camping near Daly Waters
This crossroads town offers scenic camping for road-tripping campers.
The best camping near Daly Waters guide
Where to go
Larrimah
About an hour’s drive north of Daly Springs, Larrimah is a good spot to break the journey north if you need to. Look out for Larrimah caravan parks offering powered and unpowered sites, plus other more private campgrounds on the outskirts of town.
Mataranka
Less than two hours drive north of Daly Waters on the Stuart Highway, Mataranka is an ideal base for exploring the small Elsey National Park. Campers wanting to freshen up after a long time in the desert will love the park’s crystal-clear thermal pools: Mataranka Thermal Pool and Bitter Springs Thermal Pools. Campers can stay a short distance from these pools or base themselves at campsites in Mataranka village itself.
Katherine
About three hours’ drive north of Daly Waters on the Stuart Highway, the town of Katherine is another handy stopover point on Northern Territory road trips with a few more facilities and attractions. On the border between the Outback and the tropical north, campers have access to a range of landscapes and environments with caravan parks and tent campsites to choose from. Katherine campsites make for convenient bases for trips into Nitmiluk National Park, Kakadu National Park, and Litchfield National Park.
When to go
At the northern edge of the dry, interior outback desert before reaching the tropical north, Daly Waters has an arid climate. That means hot temperatures in the dry season (April to October) and uncomfortably humid conditions in the wet season (November to March). Roads are often closed during the wet season because of flooding, so this isn’t the best time to plan a road trip through the Top End, which is the most common reason to be passing through Daly Waters.