Stevenson Track
14.5 km
distance
1h 45m
Contour time
2.4
avg score
Unsealed
surface
Scenery
South Australia
The Stuart Range runs north of Coober Pedy in one of Australia's most remote and extreme environments. The opal mining...
Road quality
2.4 RQS
Every segment scored on 40+ data signals.
Accessibility
Fully sealed
Best in 4WD modified. Peak season: Winter-Spring (Apr-Sep).
7-day forecast
True outback SA track requiring expedition-level preparation. The Stuart Range hinterland is genuinely remote - Coober Pedy is the nearest town and distances between potential help are extreme. Excellent track for experienced remote operators only.
Scored 2.4/10 by Contour's road quality algorithm across curviness, surface, elevation and traffic. Best suited for 4wd modified drivers.
The road
Stevenson Track is a 14.5-kilometre outback track in the Stuart Range hinterland north of Coober Pedy - genuine central Australian desert driving that requires expedition-level preparation. The surface alternates between gibber plain and clay pan, and the landscape is as alien as anything on the Australian mainland. Coober Pedy is the nearest town and sets the tone. The underground homes, churches and bars were dug to escape surface temperatures that regularly exceed 50 degrees in summer. The opal fields are the largest in the world and the landscape has served as a film set for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The Stevenson Track takes you beyond the mining claims into the back-country where the gibber desert is unbroken. The remoteness is real. Distances between potential help are extreme, satellite communications are mandatory, and the minimum water carry is 30 litres per person. Summer is not an option. The dry season from April to September is the only sensible window, and even then the gibber can produce tyre damage on the sharp surface stones. Inform SA Police of your intended route before departing. The silence and scale of the central desert are the reward - this is one of the most isolated and quiet places accessible by 4WD in Australia. The Breakaways Conservation Park north of Coober Pedy is worth the short sealed-road detour for the eroded mesa landscape.
Stevenson Track is a 14.5-kilometre outback track in the Stuart Range hinterland north of Coober Pedy - genuine central Australian desert driving that requires expedition-level preparation.
Why this road
The region
The Stuart Range runs north of Coober Pedy in one of Australia's most remote and extreme environments. The opal mining country around Coober Pedy is famous for its underground homes (dug to escape the heat), the largest opal field in the world and a landscape so alien that it has been used as a film set for post-apocalyptic movies. The Stevenson Track takes you into the back-country away from the mining claims and into pure gibber desert.
Before you go
Fuel in Coober Pedy. All remote SA travel requirements apply. Do not travel this track without a satellite communicator and minimum 30L water per person. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 50°C on the gibber plain. Dry season only. Inform SA Police of your intended route before departing.
See a routing error?
Flag itWorth stopping for
Coober Pedy opal mines and underground homes
The underground lifestyle of Coober Pedy is extraordinary - underground churches, homes and bars built to escape the heat, plus mine tours showing active opal recovery.
Breakaways Conservation Park
The eroded mesa landscape north of Coober Pedy featured in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - accessible on a short sealed road loop.
Route
Start
Stuart Range region
End
Stevenson Track north
Gallery
More roads like this
