Campground bookings for Channel Point Coastal Reserve

To visit Channel Point Coastal Reserve, you must have a permit even if you don't stay overnight.

Due to seasonal changes, you can usually only access the reserve from May to November.

Access outside these months is subject to weather so you should check road conditions before you travel.

How to get there

You can visit by road or boat.

The reserve is about 240km southwest of Darwin.

By road, you can travel to the reserve via Litchfield National Park:

  • from the town of Batchelor or
  • via Cox Peninsula and Litchfield Park roads.

Once you're in Litchfield National Park, turn west off the sealed Park Road just north of Wangi Falls.

You must then travel 67km along the Marindja, Labelle/Twin Hills, unsealed road to the reserve.

Seasonal road closures do occur.

Before you book

Before you book, read the rules and guidelines for safety, comfort and permits in parks and reserves.

Booking rules

Before you visit, you must make sure you're aware of the following conditions:

  • no more than 10 vehicles can visit the reserve at once - there are 10 campsites with each site suitable for 5 people (adults and children)
  • stay up to 14 nights
  • make a reservation 6 months in advance of the month you wish to visit
  • a permit only allows direct access to, from, and into the reserve
  • you must return from a visit to the reserve before you can book another trip.

If your group is from a club, association, school group or non-profit organisation, you must have 'all risks' public liability insurance of more than $10 million.

Activities that are not allowed

This booking does not allow for commercial photography or filming on park.

Read more about permits on park.

Aboriginal land rules

You must not enter Aboriginal land, or waters over Aboriginal land including the Bulgul Community and Peron Islands without a Northern Land Council (NLC) permit. Go to the NLC website to get permit.

There is a penalty of $1,000 if you break this rule.

How to book

Read below to find out how to book, collect your access key, when you can arrive and camping rules.

You must book online and pay the camping fees.

This is a category A campground.

Find out how to use the parks booking system.

If you are ready, book now.

Your booking confirmation, camping tag and visitor permit will be emailed to you.

The gate to the campground is locked. You will need a key to access. Read below about how to collect and return the access key.

Collect your access key 4 working days before the start of your booking.

Where to collect

Collect the access key from Parks and Wildlife offices in Millner or Katherine.

You can collect or return a key in Katherine only by prior arrangement.

How to pay

To collect the access key you will need to:

  • show the booking confirmation
  • pay $250 deposit with a credit card
  • provide photo identification, such as:
    • drivers licence
    • Passport or
    • NT Evidence of Age card.

You will also need to sign a form agreeing to pay $250 if the key is not returned, or returned damaged.

This information will be kept until key is returned to the office.

You must return the key to get your deposit back. Return the key:

  • before 4pm
  • no later than day 4 after your booking departure date.

Your credit card will be charged $250 if:

  • key is not returned, or
  • returned damaged.

You can arrive at the campsite after 12 noon on the day of your booking arrival date.

When you must leave

You must leave on your booking departure date by 11.00am.

This will allow campers to easily pass in and out of the campground.

Your group must follow the rules below when visiting the reserve.

Camping rules

When visiting the reserve, remember these camping rules:

  • move into a campsite after 12 noon on the day you arrive
  • move out of your campsite before 11am on the day your'e leaving
  • small camp fires are only allowed in designated fireplaces in the picnic site
  • you must not have a camp fire at your campsite
  • use your own gas stove for cooking at your campsite
  • use a torch when walking at night as there is a cliff edge close to the campground
  • you can run a generator but you must turn it off between 10pm and 6am.

Rules for vehicles, boats and fishing

You should follow these rules when you are entering the reserve, in the reserve and leaving the reserve:

  • before you enter, clean your vehicle to prevent the spread of weeds or cane toads
  • your vehicle must be well maintained and equipped
  • motorbikes, trail bikes, quad bikes and similar vehicles are not allowed
  • don't bury fish waste but return it to deep waters or take it away.

There is a hard surface boat ramp but you usually need a tide over 3.5m to launch safely.

Local tides are 20-30 minutes earlier than Darwin tides with a range of 8m.

Leave all gates outside the reserve as you found them. If a gate is open when you come to it, leave it open. If it's closed, close it behind you.

Lock the main gate to the reserve behind you.

What you can't bring

You must not bring any of the following into the park:

  • pets including dogs - guide dogs are allowed
  • firearms or ammunition
  • explosives
  • hunting bows or crossbows
  • any weapon
  • animal poison or bait
  • nets, traps and firearms - crab pots, cast nets and hand spears are allowed.

The camping area is on the beach cliffs, 500 metres from the boat ramp.

There are 10 unpowered drive-through camping sites for vehicles towing boat trailers.

Toilets and showers are near the campground.

There is a bore water tap at the boat ramp.

Use water sparingly and turn the tap off after use.

Emergency contacts

Rangers patrol the area but are not stationed at the reserve.

The nearest health centre is 145km away at Batchelor. You contact them by calling 08 8976 0011.

You can also contact emergency services:

  • with a satellite phone
  • via marine VHF channel 16
  • via rangers using the emergency call device (ECD) in the boat ramp car park.

Last updated: 01 March 2022

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