Central Valley Campground 1

Overview

About Central Valley Campground 1

Why stop

Genuine red-earth bush setting with a designated fire pit
Remote Central Valley base for self-sufficient 4WD campers

Heads up

No water, showers or power
Rough high-clearance-4WD approach with locked-gate logistics

Central Valley Campground 1 is the first of three separate Central Valley campgrounds, sitting beside the East Reynolds River area at the end of Track 1. It is a genuine remote bush camp: red earth underfoot, dry tropical woodland of eucalypts and fan palms around you, and a designated metal fire pit ringed with rock edging and a log rail at the campsite. You need to be fully self-sufficient, which is the whole appeal for people who want to camp well away from the sealed-road parts of the park.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop here

Map

Where it is

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Full map

CampgroundCentral Valley Campground 1-13.23356, 130.83962

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

Usual access is May to November. Outside that window, access depends on weather and road conditions, so check the current state of the track before committing to the drive. Even within the usual season, conditions on the unsealed road and Track 1 can change after rain.

Getting there

The area is roughly 142 km southwest of Darwin. From inside the park, follow Litchfield Park Road, turn onto the Lost City track, continue past the key-access point along the unsealed road heading towards the Escarpment Lookout, then take Track 1 in to Campground 1. A high-clearance 4WD is required and AWD vehicles are not recommended. Access is through a locked gate and you need the access key, and your booking permits direct access to Campgrounds 1, 2 and 3 only.

3 active Litchfield alerts

CautionReynolds River Track: deep water crossingsThe Reynolds River Track is open to 4WDs only, but rough conditions and water crossings about 500–600 mm deep require care.Official details
ClosureTabletop Track closedThe Tabletop Track is closed because an Excess Heat Warning is in effect and there is no accessible drinking water. - Permit access only; do not plan an unpermitted walk on the track.Official details

See all 3 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Litchfield Tour Guide

Your drive to Central Valley Campground 1, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Litchfield National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

More about Central Valley Campground 1

What to expect10 unpowered, drive-in designated sites, set up for high-clearance 4WD vehicles.

10 unpowered, drive-in designated sites, set up for high-clearance 4WD vehicles.
4WD camper trailers are permitted; caravans and hybrid caravans are not.
Pit toilets are provided. There are no showers and no water supplied at any Central Valley campground.
Small fires are allowed only in the designated fireplaces. Firewood can be brought in or collected along the road into Central Valley, but not in the campground and surrounds.
Generators are not permitted.
Listed facilities are information signs and public toilets, and listed activities are camping, 4WD and swimming, with swimming in designated areas only.

PreparationBooking and payment in advance are required to enter, and you also need an NT Parks Visitor…

Booking and payment in advance are required to enter, and you also need an NT Parks Visitor Pass. Carry all your own drinking water, cooking water and washing water, plus a way to manage rubbish and waste. Rules allow stays of up to 14 nights, a maximum of 6 people per site, and one vehicle and trailer per site, so plan group size and vehicle numbers before you book. Recovery gear, spare tyres and a first aid kit are sensible on tracks like this.

Honest drawbacksThere is no water, no shower and no power, and the pit toilets are the only fixed comfort.

There is no water, no shower and no power, and the pit toilets are the only fixed comfort. The locked gate and key system means spontaneous arrivals are not possible, and the rough, unsealed approach rules out caravans, hybrids and lower-clearance vehicles. Firewood collection is restricted to the road in, so gather as you drive rather than expecting to find it at camp. If you want facilities, easy access or a generator, choose a different campground in the park.