Willow Springs Station

Willow Springs Station is a working sheep station on the eastern side of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and the base for Skytrek, a self-guided 4WD route across the property. The current route is about 80 km and takes roughly seven hours with stops, so this is a full-day outing rather than a quick scenic detour. You need an experienced driver and a low-range 4WD; AWD vehicles can’t complete it. I’d choose Skytrek if you want a long drive through station country. If you’re looking for an easy park drive or a short stop, it’s the wrong fit.

The route moves through red-gum-lined creeks, native-pine and black-oak groves, bluebush plains and rugged valleys. The self-guiding map points out shepherd-hut ruins, ochre cliffs, natural springs, windmills, mustering yards and the station’s original Willow Springs waterhole. That variety gives the drive more to do than simply cover ground. Upalinna Lookout is one of the big stops, with a panoramic view toward Wilpena Pound and the surrounding Flinders ranges.

Willow Springs was once known as Appealinna. Joseph Wills took up the property in 1856, and the Reynolds family bought the station in 1952. Skytrek was built in 1995 as a 60 km track; in 2012 its route changed so it stayed entirely on Willow Springs Station. The current route is longer, at about 80 km, so old references to 60 km describe the original track.

The homestead is about 3 km off Flinders Ranges Way, and the last stretch is narrow and winding. The station itself is described as 2WD-accessible year-round, but that doesn’t mean the Skytrek route is: the track needs low range and an experienced driver. Cottages and shearers’ quarters are available if you’d like to stay on the property. Check the operator’s current route information before setting out, since the drive takes most of the day.