Litchfield National Park Visitor Guide
Located near Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia, Litchfield National Park is a captivating natural gem full of waterfalls, forests, wildlife, and more. For travellers exploring the remote regions of the Outback in Australia, Litchfield National Park offers the chance to witness Australia's native flora and fauna in a pristine and protected environment.
For those wondering how to visit Litchfield National Park, including travel, accommodation, and more, our Australian travel experts have put together a detailed visitor guide! This gorgeous national park does require a bit of planning and preparation, and we’re hoping to make that process easier for travellers.
Here is a complete visitor guide to Litchfield National Park, a beloved haven of biodiversity and natural beauty in Australia’s Top End!
Complete Visitors Guide to Litchfield National Park, NT
Whether you’re wondering when to visit Litchfield, how to get there, or how long to stay, we’ve got you covered with our detailed visitors guide to Litchfield National Park. This oasis of swimming holes and diverse ecosystems in Australia’s Top End is actually very affordable and accessible to visit. It’s time to start planning your epic adventure into the Northern Territory!
Where is Litchfield National Park?
Litchfield National Park is conveniently located about 120km southwest of Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory in Australia. Surrounded by remote country roads and vast Outback landscapes, it’s a scenic journey into the national park. Whether you’re road-tripping around the Outback, flying into Darwin and hiring a car, or booking a guided tour, Litchfield National Park is super accessible!
How to get to Litchfield National Park
The best way to get to Litchfield National Park is to fly into Darwin and then plan your road transport from there. Darwin International Airport hosts flights to and from elsewhere in Australia and around the world every day! Once you arrive in Darwin, you may want to spend a day or two relaxing in the city before venturing out to the national parks.
When planning your trip to Litchfield National Park from Darwin, you can choose to either hire a vehicle or join a guided tour. You can easily explore the park on your own without a guide if you want a bit of freedom and flexibility. Or you can gain additional knowledge from a local guide and enjoy a social atmosphere on a tour.
Darwin and Litchfield National Park are located in Australia’s Top End, meaning they are quite far from other Australian destinations. The only way you would visit Litchfield National Park without flying into Darwin first is if you’re tackling a massive cross-country road trip around Australia’s Outback! But for the majority of travellers in Australia with a limited time frame, your best bet is flying into Darwin and then renting a car or booking a tour to Litchfield National Park.
Do you need a 4WD for Litchfield National Park?
You don’t need a 4WD to visit Litchfield National Park! A 2WD vehicle is fine for exploring most of the hotspots in the park, but a 4WD gives you access to more remote and rugged trails. A 4WD may also be safer for exploring the park if the weather is especially rainy. So if you plan to visit the park for a few days, or you’re visiting in the rainy season, consider a 4WD. If you’re just doing a day trip and you don’t plan to venture down the more treacherous trails, a 2WD will do the job.
What is the closest town to Litchfield National Park?
Batchelor is the closest town to Litchfield National Park! This small, rural township is just a 15-minute drive from the national park, making it the ideal base for your adventure. Batchelor has a few nice accommodation options as well as a general store and fuel stations where you can stock up on supplies before heading into the park.
Batchelor is a very small town though, so if you’re wondering about the closest city to Litchfield National Park, it’s Darwin! It’s about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive from Darwin to Litchfield National Park.
Best Time To Visit Litchfield National Park
Litchfield National Park is beautiful year-round, but the best time to visit is during the dry season of May to October. The dry season means clearer skies and smoother tracks for driving through the park. Though the Top End of Australia has a tropical climate and is hot year-round, the winter months of June, July, and August will also see slightly cooler temperatures.
If you do choose to visit Litchfield National Park in the wet season, which is November to April, you can still have a great time! Wet season means more impressive waterfalls thanks to increased rainfall. Just make sure you pack a rain jacket! Wet season is also when flights to Darwin are the cheapest. But some roads, campsites, and attractions in the national park may be closed due to extreme weather, so if you want to explore the park fully, the best time to visit is from May to October.
How long do you need at Litchfield National Park?
Though many travellers visit Litchfield National Park as a day trip from Darwin, 2-3 days here is ideal for exploring the park more in-depth! You can just explore the park in one day, as it is just a quick and easy drive from Darwin. Many travellers are also short on time, in which case a day trip is totally doable. But if you have 2 or 3 days to spare, definitely take advantage of that and stay overnight in the area so you have more time to uncover all the gems of Litchfield National Park!
Do I need a pass to get into Litchfield National Park?
You don’t need a permit to enter Litchfield National Park, and it’s also free to enter! That makes it one of the most affordable and convenient national parks to visit in the Australian Outback.
If you are spending the night in Litchfield National Park, you will have to pay a nightly camping fee. Be sure to book your campground ahead of time and have your pass displayed on your vehicle (we’ll give more details about camping in the park shortly).
Also, some multi-day walking trails in the Northern Territory require you to register online and pay a small fee. This includes the Tabletop Track in Litchfield National Park, a 39km circuit that takes 3-5 days. So unless you’re camping or hiking the Tabletop Track, it’s completely free to explore Litchfield National Park in the Northern Territory.
Where To Stay In Litchfield National Park
If you are lucky enough to have a few days to spare, spending the night in Litchfield National Park gives you an immersive experience in the enchanting Australian Outback. When it comes to accommodation in Litchfield National Park, your two options are camping or booking a night at a resort or holiday park. Here is a quick rundown of the accommodation options in the national park.
Camping
Litchfield National Park is home to some gorgeous wilderness campgrounds that offer different levels of modern amenities. You have to book your campgrounds in advance on the NT National Parks website, and most of them cost around $10 - $20 per adult per night. You can’t pay on arrival, so make sure you take the time to research and choose your campsite ahead of time.
Some campgrounds have basic amenities like toilets and rubbish bins, whereas others are more sophisticated and have BBQs, picnic tables, and more. It’s a good idea to research each campground before booking because some sites have seasonal closures and restrictions on which types of vehicles and generators can enter.
These Litchfield National Park campsites are accessible via 2WD:
- Wangi Falls
- Central Valley
- Walker Creek
- Florence Falls
These Litchfield National Park campsites are accessible via 4WD only:
- Surprise Creek Falls
- Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)
You can also camp outside a designated campsite if you want a secluded bush camping experience! But you have to get a permit on the NT National Parks website, and there will be no facilities.
Resorts and other accommodations
If you’re looking for a bit more comfort during your stay, you can book accommodation at a resort or holiday park. There are a few hotels, safari camps, resorts, and tourist parks on the outskirts of Litchfield National Park and in the town of Batchelor! But it is a pretty remote part of Australia and there isn’t a huge number of options, so just make sure to book your accommodation a few months in advance to ensure everything doesn’t sell out. Otherwise, you can just stay in Darwin and visit the park as a day trip!
What is the difference between Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park?
The main differences between Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park are the sizes and costs to visit. Kakadu is one of the country’s most well-known parks. It’s famous for being the second-largest national park in Australia after the Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert National Park in South Australia. At 19,816 km², Kakadu National Park is significantly larger than Litchfield National Park which is only 1,500 km².
Kakadu National Park also has an entry fee whereas Litchfield does not. The fees to enter Kakadu National Park are $25 per adult in the rainy season (Nov - May) and $40 for adults in the dry season (May - Oct).
Both national parks are absolutely stunning and both are under 2 hours from Darwin by car. Because Kakadu is so huge, it has more to offer in terms of natural and cultural attractions. But Litchfield is more accessible since it’s free and can be fully explored in just a few days. You definitely won’t regret a visit to either park while visiting Australia’s Top End!
Is Litchfield National Park Worth Visiting?
Litchfield National Park in Australia’s breathtaking Northern Territory is definitely worth visiting because it’s a magical wilderness area that is very accessible for travellers! At just 1.5 hours from Darwin, this majestic oasis of waterfalls and hiking trails makes a convenient day trip from the city. For adventure-seekers who want to camp overnight, the park has a wide range of campsites available.
Plus, entry to the park is free and you don’t need a 4WD, making it ideal for budget travellers! Whether you’re renting a car in Darwin or booking a tour, Litchfield National Park is the perfect place to connect with nature in the Australian Outback.
