Unofficial guide · verify with NPWS SA / parks.sa.gov.au

Mount Remarkable National ParkUnofficial operator’s manual

Black Range Trek

Area: Mambray Creek

Guide updated · verify live track status with NPWS SA

Demanding trek from Mambray Creek to Melrose through the Black Range and over Mount Remarkable. Steep terrain, views of the Mambray catchment, Alligator Gorge basin and Black Range. Carry a topographic map. Bush camps must be booked; hike-in sites close in fire-danger season (usually 1 Nov–30 Apr) and cannot be booked online.

Do not pair: Do not add extra side gorges “while you are there.”

Turnaround: If you start and conditions fail, reverse to the trailhead you left. There is no mid-trek shuttle.

  • Assuming online camping booking covers backpack sites (it does not).
  • Starting in November because the weather still “feels like spring.”
  • Hard trek (official listing)
  • Allow 2 days one way
  • 26 km one way (official)
  • Effort: hard
  • Best for: Experienced overnight walkers outside fire-danger season

Distance, grade, time and open/closed status change — verify on parks.sa.gov.au (Mount Remarkable National Park) and current closures/alerts before you go. Alligator Gorge sections and Ali Lookout have carried post-fire restrictions.

Official NPWS SA info (verify status)
Willochra Plain from Spring Creek Mine Road, Mount Remarkable National Park, facing north

Black Range Trek — Willochra Plain from Spring Creek Mine Road

Donama · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where you start

Mambray Creek or Melrose (via the Summit Hike)

One-way: organise a car shuffle or a pickup. Overnight only outside fire-danger season with booked walk-in camps (phone Yorke and Mid North Office — not the online vehicle-camp system).

How to get there

  1. West start: Mambray Creek via Highway 1. East start: Melrose summit trailhead.
  2. No public through-road. You need a plan for the far end.

How to do it (step by step)

  1. Confirm fire-danger season dates and whether backpack sites are open. If they are closed, this trek as an overnight is off the menu — do not freelance a bush camp.
  2. Book walk-in sites by contacting NPWS SA Yorke and Mid North Office on (08) 8841 3400 (as published). They cannot be booked online.
  3. Carry topographic maps, PLB, extra water, and tell a responsible person your plan. Follow Heysen Trail notes where the route coincides — Heysen Trail also closes in fire-danger season.

What to expect

Official: 26 km one way, recommended as a 2-day hike. Mambray Creek to Melrose via Black Range and the summit. Steep, remote, self-sufficient. Harder than Hidden Gorge, and you carry the camp.

How the days work

Overnight hikes are not permitted during fire-danger season, usually 1 November to 30 April. Hike-in campsites close then. The 11 walk-in sites are tents only, no facilities, not bookable online — phone the Yorke and Mid North Office. Vehicle campgrounds (Mambray, Baroota) are a different system.

Carry a topographic map. Official advice: discuss plans with a responsible person. Avenza offline maps help but do not replace a charged PLB in this terrain.

Hazards

Two days of steep country, heat, and patchy coverage. Whole park closes on Catastrophic fire-danger days and may close on Extreme days. Do not treat a “mostly open” fire-recovery map as permission to overnight in season.

Start/finish and bail-outs

Ends are Mambray Creek and Melrose. You need a shuffle. If you abort day one, reverse to the start. There is no public road through the park to shortcut the range.

Packing list (jacket, grip, water) lives on the gear hub, not as a shop list on every walk. Pairing and a shorter option: plan your visit · Summit hike notes.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on NPWS SA before you drive.

Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Open in Google MapsGet directions

Extra tips

  • Treat this as a two-day walk, not a single 26 km push.
  • Vehicle entry still applies. Camping fees are separate.

Area guide: Mambray Creek

Nearby stays (optional)

After the walk plan is solid: Melrose / Wilmington / Port Pirie beds if you still need them. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Official NPWS SA camping, vehicle entry and government bookings are never affiliated. Guided tours live on the Tours hub.

Nearby stays

Melrose · Wilmington · Port Pirie and other gateways

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Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park vehicle entry fees and official NPWS SA camping bookings are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy

Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park vehicle entry fees and official NPWS SA camping bookings are never affiliated. Disclosure · Tours hub