Rapid Bay

Rapid Bay is around 2 hours from Adelaide – just follow the signs to Cape Jervis (where the Kangaroo Island ferry arrives & departs), and before you reach Deep Creek, on the right is the turn off to this coastal retreat. It sits on the eastern shore of St Vincent's Gulf and is worth a visit if you want to see this pretty inlet.

The campground is situated right alongside the picturesque Bay, with its amazing water.

For updates on when Rapid Bay is open - please check their Facebook page. In 2020 there have been closures of this campsite.

View from the beach to the campground

Campgrounds

It’s really a large grassed field, with no designated sites. You cannot camp on the beach (pictured here).

All sites are unpowered, and shade is around the perimeter only – and sparse - so in warm weather, imperative you bring some sort of shelter.

Upon arrival, choose a site, and the campsite manager (a caretaker) will come and collect the small fee per night to stay there. Around $9 per adult.

Toilets are available but no hot showers. In peak time, this one block of toilets gets a lot of use. It would not be pleasant.
Water is available.
There is no booking system and no way of knowing availability, you just turn up.
No campfires/metal drums allowed at any time

This is a very pretty spot to stay in terms of the clear water (not the camping area) and very popular with caravans (as many places in nearby Deep Creek Conservation Park are not suitable for them).

If you are looking for solitude and privacy, in school holidays and peak times, you will not find it here.

As shade is limited, it's a bit like being on a big oval as you don't have trees or scrub to divide your campsite from another persons'. For those who do like isolation when camping, if you are not prepared for the set up of this campsite, then you would be in for a shock. People do squeeze into any available space if its busy so you may have neighbours closer than you think (or want). You do need to be prepared for this close proximity.

As there is no power, generators are used by many there, and you could be unlucky enough to strike someone who has no courtesy with these machines. I have heard reports of very noisy campers at night, who have disregarded everyone else around them to party on throughout the night. The time you are meant to turn off the generator is 10pm.

Dogs are allowed, but must be kept on a leash at all times (a reader who visited on October Long Weekend found dogs that were unleashed wandering around, and attacked her dog - which was leashed). This is obviously a problem, and management needs to monitor campers to ensure they keep the sites safe for everyone.

As bush campers this place was not really for us. Some people love it - and that is great if it suits you. We are more the sort to want to get away from it all when camping, so having campers very close by, and with late arrivals through the night plus lack of courtesy when camping, it wasn't the sort of camping location to soak in nature and a bit of serenity.

Campground

Outside of peak times, this would be a great spot to do some fishing and swimming in the Bay which is considered a safe beach but gets quite deep quickly. To find out more about how this beach is rated, read Beach Safe which gives an overview of this Bay

Want to see more photos of this camping ground?
– check out this site

If you find this campground too busy for you, we suggest you to check out another camping area close by - Deep Creek Conservation Park. Find out more about that location here.

Please note with Rapid Bay - First in, first served camping.

Go Camping Australia cannot advise you of number of spaces available, nor book you into this campground. We have no affiliation with any campground.

Rapid Bay, SA (not Queensland!!)

Rapid Bay Jetty