Ranger Tips: Naracoorte Caves National Park

10 Aug. 2026
5 min read

Come along as Senior Ranger Brian Robins guides us through the best the area has to offer with tips and tricks to make the most of your experience.

Naracoorte Caves National Park is located roughly 350 km south-east of Adelaide, in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.

There’s so much to explore both above and below ground in the park. From learning about the cave’s critically endangered residents, the southern bent-wing bat. To exploring the incredible fossil records that date back several ice ages, including the arrival of humans in the area.

There’s a reason why Naracoorte Caves National Park is South Australia's only World Heritage site. It is also one of only eleven fossil sites globally, listed as a World Heritage site.

Senior Ranger Brian Robins has provided his top tips for exploring this iconic park.

Best-kept secret?

I think the best kept secret at Naracoorte Caves National Park is the emergence of the southern bent-wing bat from Bat Cave in the early evening during the warmer months of the year. Bat Cave is one of only three maternity sites for the species and has close to 30,000 bats present in the cave over summer. In the evening thousands of bats emerge from the cave within a short period of time which makes for quite an impressive experience. The Bat Cave entrance can be viewed from the very accessible Roof Top Loop Walk, making this an experience suitable for everyone.

How many days should visitors spend at the park?

While the tours are scheduled so visitors can do all available guided experiences back-to-back in half a day, we recommend setting aside a full day to enjoy all the different activities the park has to offer.

What is involved with the cave tours?

Guides at Naracoorte Caves conduct three different guided tours at the park. These include the Alexandra Cave, Victoria Fossil Cave and the Blanche Cave & Bat Observation Centre tours, although the Blanche Cave & Bat Observation Centre tour is run seasonally based on what the bats are doing. Each tour focuses on different aspects of the caves, from fossils to geology and everything in between.

Two self-guided options are also available, with Stick-Tomato Cave being the only self-guided cave on the park and the diorama in the Wonambi Fossil Centre showing what the Naracoorte area looked like 200,000 years ago based on the fossil research undertaken in the caves. Bookings for these tours can be made online or over the counter in the Wonambi Visitor Centre.

The park also offers some specialty tours, including adventure caving where you crawl through sections of the cave, but these must be booked directly with staff at the park prior to visiting as there are a few important pieces of information we must pass on to groups interested in these tours.

Best way to experience the caves with kids?

The Alexandra Cave is popular as it is 30 minutes long and covers most topics that can be discussed in the caves. While each tour is suitable for all ages, the Victoria Fossil Cave and Blanche Cave & Bat Observation Centre tours do involve being seated for 20 to 30 minutes so may not be suitable for energetic children. If they are interested in learning more about fossils or bats then these are still great tours to take part in and we recommend discussing what might be the most suitable option for you with Naracoorte Caves staff.

Activities within the park, outside of the caves?

The fantastic Fossil Hunters Playground is located in the main visitor precinct adjacent the Wonambi Visitor Centre and provides an opportunity for children to explore in a nature play setting. The Caves Café also provides park visitors with an opportunity to purchase food, drink and souvenirs during their visit. The great thing with Naracoorte Caves National Park is that entry to the park itself is free, so the café and playground can be enjoyed by everyone even if they aren’t taking part in a cave tour.

Your favourite tour?

My favourite cave tour is Alexandra Cave. The cave has some quite spectacular decoration, particularly towards the end of the tour where my favourite spot in the cave is.

Best time to visit?

The best time of the year to visit and enjoy the full range of options at the park is when the bats are active between mid-September and late April each year. In saying that, visiting the park during winter is still worth it as the Alexandra and Victoria Fossil Caves remain at around 17 degrees all year round, so feel nice and warm even if it is a bit cold outside.

How do I get involved in volunteering within the park?

Naracoorte Caves National Park has a wonderful Friends group that is active around the park and help with a range of tasks. If you are interested in volunteering at the park or joining the Friends of Naracoorte Caves, check out their website for contact details or forward any enquiries onto staff at Naracoorte Caves who can pass it on to the group.