Your Guide To Camping In Victoria’s National Parks

Victoria packs a remarkable amount of natural diversity into Australia’s smallest mainland state. The Great Ocean Road, the Grampians, Wilsons Promontory, the High Country, the Murray River, and the Gippsland Lakes all offer national park camping within a few hours of Melbourne. Parks Victoria manages the system and has been progressively moving campgrounds to online booking.

Booking System

Bookings are made through parks.vic.gov.au. Most popular campgrounds require online booking. Some smaller, remote campgrounds are still first-come, first-served, but the trend is toward booking everywhere. Phone bookings: 13 1963.

Booking windows vary by campground. Popular sites (Wilsons Promontory, Great Otway, Grampians) open bookings several months ahead and fill quickly during summer and school holidays.

Fees

Victoria does not charge a general park entry fee for most national parks (unlike NSW). Camping fees are per site per night and vary by facility level: basic/bush camps $0-15/night, standard campgrounds $20-35/night, well-equipped campgrounds $30-50/night. Some basic camps in state forests remain free.

There’s no annual camping pass, but the absence of park entry fees means your only cost is the camping fee itself.

Top Campgrounds For Big Lappers

Wilsons Promontory (Tidal River): Victoria’s most iconic national park. Large campground with excellent facilities. Books out months ahead in summer.

Grampians (Halls Gap area): Several campgrounds near the Grampians ranges. Spectacular walking country.

Great Otway National Park: Rainforest camping along the Great Ocean Road. Blanket Bay and Aire River are standouts.

Murray River parks: Multiple campgrounds along the Murray, many free or low-cost. Excellent for fishing and water-based activities.

Mitchell River National Park: Gippsland gem with river camping and gorge walks. Less crowded than coastal parks.

Caravan-Specific Notes

Wilsons Promontory Tidal River accepts caravans but sites are limited and book out fast. Many Grampians campgrounds suit caravans. State forest camps along the Murray are generally spacious and caravan-friendly. Check maximum vehicle lengths on the Parks Victoria website before booking. Generators are banned in most parks. Pets are not permitted in national parks but are allowed in some state forests.