Best National Parks in Australia

Australia is home to a huge array of incredible national parks. Thanks to our diverse ecological landscapes, every park has something different on offer.

Whether you’re into stargazing, adventure experiences, or wildlife spotting, there’s something for you in our national parks – sometimes all within the same park!

Here’s our round up of the best national parks around Australia that you won’t find on other lists.

Warrumbungle National Park, NSW

Best feature: Australia’s first Dark Sky park

Where to stay: Camp in the park or stay at the closest town, Coonabarabran

For the dreamers and adventurers among us, Warrumbungle National Park is the ultimate place to be. Not only can you hike for days, you can also camp out under the stars for a captivating and pristine view of our galaxy that you won't find anywhere else.

The night sky filled with bright stars over the dark sky park in the Warrumbungles. Credit: Destination NSW

Mungo National Park, NSW

Best feature: The site of the oldest human remains found on the Australian continent

Where to stay: Stay on site in the park or at NRMA Mildura Riverside Holiday Park

Mungo National Park is known for its sweeping rock vistas, truly giving you the feeling of being in another world. As well as visiting the site of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, literally walk in the footsteps of Australia's first nations people with the 20,000 preserved footprints.

A scenic sand formation (lunette) in the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Mungo National Park. Credit: Destination NSW

Croajingolong National Park, VIC

Best feature: Australia's best flat-water canoeing

Where to stay: Camp in the park

Most of our national parks offer incredible hiking adventures, if you’re more at home in the water, Croajingolong National Park is the place to be. Explore the remote coast of east Victoria in canoes, kayaks, or boats. You can even fish here.

If that’s not for you, don’t fear, the park offers a range of dry land, accessible areas as well as the ones you need to get your sea legs for.

Canoeing in Croajingolong National Park. Credit: Parks Victoria

Coorong National Park, SA

Best feature: Bird watching with over 200 species of bird

Where to stay: Camp in one of the parks’ many campgrounds

Coorong National Park is a birdwatcher's paradise. Grab those binoculars and see how many species you can spot of over 200 that have been recorded in the park.

The area is an important breeding ground for pelicans, and is an oasis for ducks, swans, cormorants, terns, grebes and migratory birds from places as far as Siberia, Alaska, Japan and China.

Pelicans in Coorong National Park. Credit: THP Creative

Mt Etna Caves National Park, QLD

Best feature: Limestone caves

Where to stay: NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park

You may not find Mt Etna Caves National Parks on a lot of ‘best of’ lists but it is one of the few places you can go caving in Queensland.

Cool temperatures inside the caves mean this can be a year-round activity. And if you want to get up close and personal with the cave’s natural inhabitants, you can take the Bat Cleft tour which take you into the home of 80 per cent of Australia's breeding population of little bent-wing bats.

Capricorn Caves, Mt Etna Caves National Park. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Springbrook National Park, QLD

Best feature: Park of the prehistoric Gondwana Rainforest

Where to stay: Camp in the park or stay in Brisbane

Travel back in time in Springbrook National Park that forms a quarter of the Gondwana Rainforests, a UNESCO Heritage listed site.

This is your chance to experience the earth before the continents divided. Take in ancient waterfalls, primordial creeks, prehistoric plants, and a naturally formed bridge, all as you wander through and wonder at this incredible landscape.

 Warrie Circuit, Springbrook National Park. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Douglas-Apsley National Park, TAS

Best feature: Crystal clear swimmable waterholes

Where to stay: Free camping in the park or sleep in style at Freycinet Lodge

The perfect place to cool off (and to take an Instagram photo that will rack up the likes) is in the waterholes at Douglas-Apsley National Park. Pristine and crystal clear, you can float away all your worries in these secluded Tasmanian baths.

The park contains one of the only uncleared dry forests on the entire island, so you’ll likely stumble across some endangered fauna on your exploration. Remember to let them be in their own home and only admire from a distance.

Apsley Gorge. Credit: Pete Harmsen

Elsey National Park, NT

Best feature: Thermal pools

Where to stay: Camp on site or stay in Katherine

Unlike other countries, Australia is not known for its natural thermal pools, so the chance to take a delightfully warm plunge surrounded by towering rainforests in Elsey National Park can't be passed up.

There’s also a host of hikes that will take you to the pools, picnic spots, dams, falls, and even a World War II Aboriginal Army Camp. Natural and man-made history abounds in this national park 120km south of Katherine.

Diving at Bitter Springs, Elsey National Park. Credit: Tourism NT/Geoffrey Reid

Kalbarri National Park, WA

Best feature: Kalbarri Skywalk

Where to stay: Stay in town at Kalbarri

There’s plenty to see and do in Kalbarri National Park in Western Australia. From stunning hiking trails that take you past glowing ponds, to the coastal scenery with its secluded beach caves, but the standout is the Kalbarri Skywalk overlooking Murchison River gorge.

While teetering over a 100 metre drop, take in the feeling of walking on air while you learn about the formation of the gorge and the local Nanda Aboriginal people.

D'Guy Charters, Kalbarri National Park. Credit: Tourism Western Australia

Cape Le Grand National Park, WA

Best feature: Coastal scenery

Where to stay: Camp in the park or stay in Esperance

Australia is all about the coast and the beaches and Western Australia has some amazing ones on offer. Even better, experience it within the protected boundaries of a national park.

At Cape le Grand National Park you can share those lovely coastal views with our native wildlife, plus swim, snorkel, surf, and scuba dive to your heart's content.

Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park. Credit: Tourism Western Australia