Madigan’s
Camp sites are references to explorer and geologist Cecil Thomas Madigan who, leading a party of nine men made an epic crossing of the North
Simpson Desert, by camels, in 1939. Madigan took 35 days to make his west/east crossing. Note that the Madigan Camps are not necessarily indicative of good
camp sites for travellers, but are historical points from C.T. Madigan 1939 Expedition.Madigan's Blazed Tree is still intact and is reportedly quite healthy, some 70 years after Madigan had been here. The Blaze itself has completely grown over however.You will find a bizarre array of star pickets with plaques attached from many previous
Madigan Line 4WD expedition groups. See if you can find the one's from 1984 and 1985 by "Smith & Co" (their expedition was in the era pre-GPS).
Note that camps 18-24 are on private pastoral land so you must head south on the
Hay River Track from here and pick up the QAA line to
Birdsville.