Mount Crawford Forest Guide
Red gums near Williamstown, about an hour from Adelaide — book Chalk’s, or picnic and keep driving.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not ForestrySA · Content reviewed 24 Sep 2026
Can you camp, can the dog come, and what should you check before you leave. Alerts are on ForestrySA. The CFS runs the fire ban. This page cannot tell you if the forest is open today.
- Chalk’s · booked
- 1 April – 30 November
- 35 sites
- Rocky Paddock closed
- Picnic fires first-come
- Not a national park
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
ForestrySA forest reserve
The short version
Mount Crawford Forest is a ForestrySA reserve in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, near Williamstown, about an hour from Adelaide. ForestrySA calls it Mount Crawford Forest. It is a working forest, not a national park. Camping at Chalk’s is booked and paid, 1 April to 30 November. Picnic fire pits stay first-come. Rocky Paddock Campground is closed for the rest of the 2026 season. This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Check ForestrySA alerts and the CFS the morning you go.
What kind of forest day?
Camp at Chalk’s
35 sites · red gums · book first
The camp to book. Season 1 April to 30 November. Arrive after 12pm. Rainwater is not for drinking.
Book the camp
Paid ForestrySA permit · not first-come
Book on ForestrySA before any town link. If Friday is full, sleep in Williamstown, Lyndoch, Birdwood or Gawler.
Sailors Gully picnic
Table and fire pit · not a camp
2022 brochure: eucalypts, a small creek, about 3 km from the information centre. Do not sleep there.
I typed free camping
Wrong search
This is a booked forest reserve near the Barossa, not a free pad and not a national park.
Best for
A booked red-gum camp in season, a picnic fire pit at Sailors Gully, or a Heysen through-walk with the map already downloaded.
Skip if
You wanted a free first-come pad, a national park in the Barossa, Rocky Paddock in 2026, or a forest camp in December, January, February or March.
Featured
Chalk’s Campground
Basic bush camping in red gums, a short drive from the information centre on Warren Road. 35 sites. Book and pay. Not independently walked.
- Season 1 April – 30 November
- Arrive after 12pm · leave before 11am
- Fees per vehicle · maximum 10 people
- Hybrid toilet with disability access · rainwater not for drinking
How long
ForestrySA names the places. They do not give walking times.
Half day
Sailors Gully or Tower picnic. Tower had no vehicle access on the 2022 brochure. Carry water.
Full day
Heysen section or Jenkins, with the ForestrySA map. Gravel-ride distances are on their 2025 sheet. We do not add a walking time.
Overnight
Booked Chalk’s, in season only. Town bed if you did not book.
Walks named here
Heysen Trail
Named trackThe Heysen Trail passes through Mount Crawford Forest. ForestrySA does not give a length for the bit inside the forest. It is a through-walk, looked after with the Department for Environment and Water and the Friends of the Heysen Trail.
- Starts
- Use the ForestrySA walking map and the Friends of the Heysen Trail map
- Distance / grade
- Named by ForestrySA. No kilometre on their walking page.
View guide →
Jenkins
Named trackForestrySA names the Jenkins Nature Trail. The walking page also says Jenkins Scrub Walking Trail. They do not give a grade, length, or time.
- Starts
- Mount Crawford walking map — trailhead as printed, not guessed
- Distance / grade
- Named by ForestrySA. No grade or kilometres on their pages.
View guide →
Questions people actually ask
Is this free camping in the Adelaide Hills?
No. Mount Crawford Forest is a ForestrySA reserve. Chalk’s Campground is booked and paid, and only from 1 April to 30 November. Picnic fire pits are the first-come bit. A campsite used for the day still needs an online booking. You typed free camping →
Is this a Barossa national park?
No. The official name is Mount Crawford Forest. Para Wirra Conservation Park is next door, with National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia fees. This guide does not book that park. Para Wirra Conservation Park
Can I still use Rocky Paddock?
No. ForestrySA says Rocky Paddock Campground is closed for the remainder of the 2026 camping season. Do not go there for a site or a toilet. Book Chalk’s. Closure note →
Can I bring a dog?
Dogs are allowed with rules. On a lead no longer than 3 metres in campgrounds, picnic areas and on-lead trails. Not in any Native Forest Reserve. ForestrySA dogs page
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not ForestrySA.
Mount Crawford Forest Guide
Mount Crawford Forest Guide downloads
Printable planner and itineraries with the site name on them. Packing, Chalk’s booking Plan B, half day, full day, overnight. ForestrySA and CFS links on every file.
- Planner — packing, last towns, dogs, fires, Chalk’s booking Plan B
- Itineraries — half day picnic, full day on the Heysen, overnight at Chalk’s
- Forest mark + www.mountcrawfordforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Mount Crawford Forest guide is in that network. Not government. Not ForestrySA. Not a national-park directory.
Browse state forests → stateforestguide.com.au
Sister state forests
Camp rules, fees, dogs and fire dates were checked on ForestrySA on 24 Sep 2026: camping, Chalk’s, fees, Rocky Paddock, Rocky Creek, dogs, contact, walking, and forest access. Picnic names and the information-centre hours come from the August 2022 east brochure. Ride distances come from ForestrySA’s January 2025 gravel sheet. Closures change. This page cannot tell you if the forest is open today.
Not independently walked. Season, bookings, harvest closures and total fire bans change. Check ForestrySA alerts and the CFS the morning you go.