Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre (South) is part of Australia's largest salt lake system, located approximately 750 kilometres north of Adelaide in outback South Australia. The lake sits at 15.2 metres below sea level, making it the lowest point on the Australian continent. It stretches roughly 144 kilometres by 77 kilometres and was formed approximately 200 million years ago. Under dry conditions, the lake presents a vast, glittering expanse of crystallised salt. When flooded, it transforms dramatically, with waterbirds arriving in large numbers, fish appearing in channels, and wildflowers covering surrounding floodplains. As water begins to evaporate, the lake takes on a pink hue caused by pigment-producing salt-tolerant algae.

Paddlers planning a trip to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre should be aware that boating on the lake is not permitted under the current national park management plan. Recreational activities including swimming, driving off designated tracks, boating, and landing aircraft are all restricted. A new management plan adopted in early 2025 additionally banned walking on the lake bed. Access to the lake for commercial filming, scientific research, and commercial tours may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to a permit and determination of cultural appropriateness by the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation, who hold native title over most of the lake.

The lake is a sacred site for the Arabana people, and the national park is managed in partnership with Arabana and Dieri communities. Visitors are encouraged to view the lake from designated visitor nodes or from the air, with scenic flights being a common way to experience the lake.

Reaching the park requires a four-wheel drive vehicle via unsealed public access routes through pastoral stations. The Halligan Bay Point Public Access Route and associated campground close annually from 1 December to 15 March due to extreme summer heat, which can exceed 50 degrees Celsius. Autumn and winter are the recommended visiting periods. Travellers must carry reserves of fuel, water, and food, travel in convoy, and check current track conditions via the Desert Parks Bulletin before departure.

The lake fills to capacity only approximately three times every 160 years, with smaller partial floods occurring more frequently — roughly a 1.5-metre flood every three years and a larger four-metre flood approximately every decade.