The driving route from Darwin to Katherine via Kakadu and Nitmiluk national parks is a popular one.

But it does require a little planning ahead – including knowing where to pitch your tent. We did the hard work for you: here are the best campsites from Darwin to Kakadu and Katherine.

Warm nights, bright stars, and the rush of nearby waterfalls – camping in the Top End is paradisiacal fare for summer-loving campers.

From May to September, the tropical dry season, rain is off the agenda; and that means camping without a tent fly and enjoying open access to the skies. With the city lights in your rear view mirror, set out from Darwin and explore these idyllic NT campsites.

1. Best places to camp from Darwin to Kakadu (Jabiru)

Mary River

The Arnhem Highway, linking Darwin with the gateway town to Kakadu National Park, carries you across five of the Top End’s eight rivers. Mary River National Park sits roughly at the halfway point along this journey.

Camp at Couzen’s Lookout, where sunset views stretch across a river system teeming with birdlife, crocs, paperbark trees and lotus flowers.

Cost: $3.30 per adult, per night
Facilities: campsite only, but the nearby Shady Camp has toilets and showers
4WD required: yes

Ubirr

One kilometre north of Jabiru you’ll pass the turn-off to Ubirr, one of the most evocative rock art sites in Kakadu.

Merl Campground sits three kilometres from the main rock formations, and is a great base for bushwalking along the East Alligator River and seeing the sun descend over the stone country of Arnhem Land.

Cost: $15 per adult, per night
Facilities: toilets, showers and picnic tables
4WD required: no

2. Best places to camp from Kakadu (Jabiru) to Pine Creek

Maguk

Travel south along the highway to visit Maguk, a larger swimming hole tucked behind a rolling trail of rocks and black wattle.

The campsite is set in a quiet nook, one kilometre shy of the pools. After you’ve plunged inside Maguk’s sparkling emerald waters, follow the walking trail leading to a serene series of rock pools set above the main swimming zone.

Cost: $6 per adult, per night
Facilities: pit toilets and picnic tables4
WD required: yes

3. Best campsites Pine Creek to Nitmiluk (Katherine)

Discovery Parks Katherine

Lean into a smorgasbord of amenities at Discovery Parks Katherine, located about a 10-minute drive north-east of the local Woolworths and main life source (aka, the pub). New cabins with split-system air conditioning are up for grabs, as are budget-friendly rooms and campsites, and if you visit after April 2025, you’ll also find an additional spread of new cabins. Meanwhile, a swimming pool, barbecue, laundry, kiosk and wi-fi should sort out every one of you.

Umbrawarra Gorge

At this stunning and secluded gorge, red cliffs rise above a small sandy beach. The water here is crystal clear – but be sure to visit early in the dry to see the nearby creek flow (and keep an eye out for rock art on the gorge walls, too).

The Umbrawarra Gorge campsite – close to a tin mine site from the early 1900s – is small and sits one-kilometre back from the waterhole. Take the picturesque walking trail to the gorge early in the morning to maximise your tranquillity levels.

Cost: $3.30 per adult, per night

Facilities: barbeque and toilet

4WD required: yes

Nitmiluk National Park

Camp beside a cavernous gorge at Smitt Rock in Nitmiluk National Park, where red-tailed black cockatoos soar in the sky and a rambling track leads to a swimmable pool.

This is another of the Top End’s most jaw-dropping sites, but you’ll need to devote serious puff to getting here – namely, a 24-kilometre return walk along Nitmiluk’s Southern Walks trail.

Cost: $3.30 per adult, per night

Facilities: toilet only

4WD required: no

4. Best campsites Nitmiluk (Katherine) to Darwin

Douglas River Esplanade Conservation Area

Travel along the Stuart Highway and take the scenic route north of Hayes Creek, following Oolloo Road until you reach Douglas River Esplanade Conservation Area.

A top pick for families with young kids, these shallow thermal hot springs feature quiet pools tucked inside a thicket of wattle and melaleuca trees.

Stroll along the river and picnic on the sandy banks. Nine campsites nudge the surrounding bushland, and a small store sells supplies.

Cost: $6.60 per adult, per night

Facilities: toilet only

4WD required: yes

Litchfield National Park

One hundred and forty kilometres further north lies Litchfield, home to an abundance of achingly pretty waterfalls and swimming holes. The most iconic of these is Wangi Falls.

Its campground has all the comforts, including wi-fi. Take the two-kilometre loop walk past a colony of fruit bats for views of the sparkling green lower pools, then pull out your swimwear and lounge beneath the twin falls.

Near to the smaller of these streams you’ll find a plunge pool thought to be a traditional fertility site for Litchfield’s Aboriginal people. Other waterholes with camping facilities worth a look in Litchfield include Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole.

Cost: $6.60 per adult, per night

Facilities: showers, toilets, cooking facilities and barbecues

4WD required: no

For more information on things to do in the NT, visit our Ultimate guide to the NT page and the official Northern Territory website.