Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area

A cap, not a walking permit

Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area sits inside the Lincoln National Park visitor system. Parks SA limits access to 15 vehicles a day to keep the wilderness quality. Book vehicle entry and camping, then follow the booking instructions to collect a key from the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre (60 Tasman Terrace).

This is an access control, not a day-walk permit for the rest of Lincoln National Park. Stamford Hill does not need this key. Tailgating a key-holder through the gate is not a plan.

Flinders named the cove in 1802 for crew lost in Thorny Passage. That history is a plaque and a place name — not a reason to skip the booking.

Key pickup (VERIFY hours)

Official Memory Cove fees tab (re-checked 13 Sep 2026): $50 cash deposit for the key; arrange pickup in business hours on (08) 8683 3544. The Lincoln park page lists the Port Lincoln VIC on 1300 788 378. Follow the instructions on your booking. This site does not publish government emails.

If you cannot collect the key in business hours, you do not have a Memory Cove day. Reverse to Stamford Hill.

Fees — three numbers, not one (VERIFY live)

Official Memory Cove page (checked 13 Sep 2026): vehicle entry $14.40 per vehicle; camping $34.10 per night. Lincoln National Park general camping is listed from $23.10 per night. Do not merge those numbers.

A 2-month or 12-month multi-park pass can cover vehicle entry into Lincoln including Memory Cove — camping is not included. The $50 key deposit is a deposit, not a third camping tariff — still VERIFY live.

4WD, five sites, no fires

Parks SA: ~50 km from Port Lincoln; Wanna access gate about 19 km from the cove; 4WD required at times; caravans not permitted. Five booked campsites. Toilets and non-potable water at the campground. Bring drinking water. Pack out rubbish.

Wood fires, solid fuel and generators are prohibited throughout the year at Memory Cove (including beaches to low water mark). Gas/liquid fuel fires only except on total fire-ban days. Park closed Catastrophic; may close Extreme.

When the cap is full

Fifteen vehicles is a hard cap. If it is booked, Stamford Hill and September Beach still exist on sealed roads. That is the Plan B — not hovering at the gate.

Day-visit vs overnight: Parks SA describes both, but vehicle entry still needs to be booked and a key collected. Confirm the live booking product on parks.sa.gov.au.

Highlights at a glance

• White-sand bay and headlands
• Five booked campsites; toilets and non-potable water at the campground
• 15 vehicles a day access cap
• Named by Matthew Flinders, 1802, for crew lost in Thorny Passage

Walks nearby

Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Parks SA before you go.

Itineraries that use this area

Full day including VIC key pickup

Memory Cove day (book + key)

Parks SA: 15 vehicles a day. Book vehicle entry and camping, collect the key from Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre, then 4WD to the locked gate. Vehicle $14.40 + camping $34.10/night (checked 13 Sep 2026 — VERIFY). No fires or generators.

Map

Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

FAQ — Memory Cove

Explore next

Pick the next park face — do not stack Memory Cove, Wanna dunes and Stamford Hill because the first hour felt easy.

• Stamford HillSealed-road day visitor country: Stamford Hill (Flinders Monument), Surfleet Cove and granite Boston Bay. The honest first Lincoln National Park hour — not Memory Cove and not the Sleaford dunes.
• DoningtonPeninsula granite, lighthouse, white-sand September Beach and the Donington Loop. Sealed-road camping and one of the park’s better full-day shapes.
• Wanna dunesSouthern Ocean side: wind-sculpted sand, limestone cliffs, red-marker 4WD track, whale lookouts May–October. Not a sedan afternoon from Stamford Hill.
• Taylor’s LandingEastern Jussieu Peninsula: boat ramp, allocated campsites, secluded beaches and Investigator Trail junctions toward Pillie and MacLaren Point.
• Entrance / PillieThe front door: Proper Bay Road main entrance, Pillie Lake, Sleaford Mere links and inland mallee. Where sedan days start — and where dune parties must return while the Sleaford gate is blocked.
• Plan your visitFees split · how long · fire · comms
• WalksStamford Hill, Donington, Investigator
• StayOfficial camping · Port Lincoln beds