Victoria Top 10 Free Camps

Victoria Top 10 Free Camps

There are so many amazing camps around Victoria, and here we are going to show you our favourite Victoria Top 10 free campgrounds. 

Mt Franklin Reserve

Mt Franklin Reserve is a lovely free campground inside an extinct volcano crater. It is located approximately 120 kilometres from Melbourne and 12 kilometres from Daylesford.

The camping area consists of a large, central lawn area, suitable for tents, surrounded by cleared camping areas with picnic tables and fire pits. It is suitable for motorhomes, caravans, camper trailers and tents.

The rim of the volcano is covered with conifer forest, and inside the crater are lovely ornamental trees, including Silver Birch, White Poplar, Sycamore and Californian Redwoods. There is a 1.7-kilometre walking track around the rim of the volcano.

Four long drop toilets and a small rainwater tank are located close to the entrance of the campground. This is not a very big campground, and it can get very busy on long weekends and holidays.

More Information

• Dogs are allowed, please keep them on a leash and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed in fire pits as long as there is no fire ban.

• We had good Telstra phone and internet when we stayed.

• There are four long drop toilets.

• No rubbish bins available, so please take rubbish with you.

  
  

Green Hill Lake

Green Hill Lake is a fantastic free bush campground around the edge of a huge lake. It is located approximately 200 kilometres from Melbourne and 4 kilometres from Ararat.

The campground consists of plenty of lake-front sites and even more areas in the surrounding bush, and it is suitable for motorhomes, caravans, camper trailers and tents.

There are several amenities blocks with flushing toilets, and the first amenities block has warm showers for $2 for approximately 4 minutes.

It is Free to camp here, and the campground operates on a first-come, first-served system with no bookings available. However, there are donation boxes at the front of each amenities block, and your donation helps the volunteers to upgrade and maintain the campground.  If you stay more than 5 nights, you need to apply for a permit from the council; there is no cost.

Green Hill Lake reserve also has a boat ramp, playground, picnic tables, walking tracks, BBQs, and you can purchase wood for fires.

More Information

• Dogs are allowed, please keep them on a leash and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed in fire pits as long as there is no fire ban.

• We had good Telstra phone and internet when we stayed.

• It has flushing toilets and warm showers are available for $2.

• There are lots of rubbish bins available, drinking water and a dump point.

  
  

Pioneer Bridges

Pioneer Bridges is a beautiful bush campground on the Ovens River in Victoria’s High Country. It is located approximately 260 kilometres from Melbourne and 20 kilometres from Beechworth. 

Pioneer Bridges campground is a small campground that is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans, Camper Trailers and Tents. The camping surface is mainly hard-packed dirt with some grassy areas.

The lovely Ovens River runs through the campground, and there are several camping spots on the riverbank. There is a sandy area near the river that is easily accessible for swimming, fishing or launching your kayak.

There are only a few riverfront spots available, but there are more camping areas in the bush back from the river. Parks Victoria maintains Pioneer Bridges, and it is FREE to camp here.

There is a long drop toilet in the middle of the campground. There are picnic tables and fire pits scattered around the camping area and several rubbish bins.

More Information

• Pioneer Briges Campground is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• We had good Telstra mobile coverage when we stayed.

• A Long Drop Toilet is available; you will need to provide your own toilet paper.

• Bins are available.

  
  

Aysons Reserve

Aysons Reserve is a great bush camping area along the Campaspe River. It is approximately 185 kilometres from Melbourne and 12 kilometres from Rochester.

The campground is along the road that runs near the Campaspe River and also in the grassy area behind. You can’t camp between the bollards and the river. It is quite a large area with plenty of flat camping spots that are suitable for motorhomes, caravans, camper trailers and tents.

The Campaspe River has a boat ramp, plenty of swimming spots, and is popular for fishing and birdwatching. 

There is a toilet block with flushing toilets (bring your own toilet paper) and a dump point available. Non-potable water is available.

Aysons Reserve is maintained by the Campaspe Shire Council, and it is free to stay. You will need an online permit if you want to stay longer than three days and two nights. It is easy to apply online, and there is no charge.

More Information

• Aysons Reserve Campground is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• We had good Telstra mobile coverage when we stayed.

• Flushing toilets are available; you will need to provide your own toilet paper and there is a dump point near the toilets.

• Bins are available.

  
  

Brown Brothers RV Park

There is a fantastic free RV Camping area directly across the road from Brown Brothers winery in Milawa. Milawa is a gourmet region located approximately 255 kilometres from Melbourne.

Situated across the road from Brown Brothers' cellar door near one of their car parks is a camping area that is suitable for self-contained motorhomes and caravans.

There is a large flat grassed area, and you can also park on the edge of the bitumen carpark if it has been raining and the grassy area is muddy. You can stay for free for up to 72 hours.

More Information

• Brown Brothers Campground is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• We had good Telstra mobile coverage when we stayed.

• There are skip bins for your rubbish.

• Tents are not allowed; you need to be fully self-sufficient as

• There are no toilets.

Brown Brothers & Milawa Gourmet Region

The iconic Brown Brothers Winery is one of Australia’s most loved and long-established family wineries. The cellar door is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and offers tastings of more than 60 different wines from bubbly Proseccos to hearty Shirazs. They also have a restaurant that offers a daily grazing menu for lunch and beautiful gardens to wander around and enjoy.

Milawa is renowned as one of Victoria’s gourmet regions, a haven for food lovers with artisan producers, wineries, and a cheese factory.

It's a short drive from the Brown Brothers RV Park to the Milawa Bread and Kitchen and the Milawa Cheese Factory. Milawa Bread and Kitchen and the Milawa Cheese Company are both open daily.

We bought a selection of products and enjoyed a lovely cheese platter and a bottle of Brown Brothers Merlot.

Lake Lonsdale

Lake Lonsdale has several bush campgrounds around the lake, and our favourite is Flat Rock. It is located approximately 250 kilometres from Melbourne and 20 kilometres from The Grampians.

Flat Rock is a lovely, large free campground on the edge of Lake Lonsdale, with fantastic views of the surrounding Grampians ranges, including Mount Williams and Mount Stapleton.

The road to Flat Rock Campground from Stawell is fully sealed, and the dirt road into the campground is easily accessible for Motorhomes and 2WD vehicles.

There are numerous camping spots with views of the lake, as well as additional camping areas in the bush, away from the lake. This campground is maintained by GWM Water, and camping is not allowed within 20 metres of the water's edge. 

Lake Lonsdale is a popular spot for swimming, water skiing, boating, fishing and camping.

There are two long-drop toilets, a skip bin, and several fire pits located around the camping areas.

Flat Rock Campground at Lake Lonsdale is a large camping area that is suitable for Motorhomes, caravans, Big Rigs, Camper Trailers and Tents.

More Information

• Lake Lonsdale is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• We had good Telstra mobile coverage when we stayed.

• Two Long Drop Toilets are available

• Skip Bin on site for rubbish

  
  

Smoko Campground

Smoko Campground is a great bush camping spot on the Ovens River in Victoria’s High Country. It is located at the end of Miley Lane at Smoko, approximately 17 kilometres south of Bright and 10 kilometres north of Harrietville along the Great Alpine Road. It is located approximately 340 kilometres from Melbourne.

The camping surface is mainly hard-packed dirt with some grassy areas.

The beautiful Ovens River runs through the campground, and there is a day-use area for everyone to enjoy, with picnic tables and access to the river for swimming. The Ovens River is a popular spot for trout fishing. There are only a few riverfront spots available, but there are plenty of places to camp in the bush back from the river.

Parks Victoria maintains Smoko Campground, and it is FREE to camp here. There is a one long drop toilet towards the back of the campground. There are fire pits scattered around the camping area and several picnic tables in the day-use area.

Smoko campground is a large campground that is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans, Camper Trailers and Tents.

More Information

• Smoko Campground is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• The camping spots are easily accessible for motorhomes.

• We had good Telstra mobile coverage when we stayed.

• A Long Drop Toilet is available; you will need to provide your own toilet paper.

Stony Creek Fish Farm

Four kilometres from Smoko Campground is the Stony Creek Fish Farm, which has a great cafe, and you can catch your own salmon and trout. It is open Friday to Monday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

It's free to try and catch a fish, and Stony Creek provides bait and fishing lines, and then you pay per kilogram for every fish you catch. We caught two lovely brook trout, they gutted and cleaned them for us, and we took them back to camp and cooked them for dinner.

Plantation Campground

Plantation Campground is a scenic campground nestled in an old Radiata Pine Plantation on the eastern edge of the Mount Difficult Range in the Grampians. It is located approximately 260 kilometres from Melbourne and about 10 kilometres from Halls Gap.

The access road from Halls Gap is an unsealed gravel road, but we had no problems driving to the campground in our 2WD Motorhome.

It is a large free bush camp with plenty of flat campsites, picnic tables, fire pits, drop toilets and bucket showers. There is also several taps with untreated creek water, which is not suitable for drinking.

The Plantation Campground is managed by Parks Victoria, and there is an information board and a donation box if you would like to donate.

You’ll find plenty of wildlife around Plantation Campground, especially in the early mornings and late afternoons. Eastern grey kangaroos are regular visitors, grazing quietly around the sites.

Plantation Campground is a great base to explore The Grampians, and the camping area is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans,  Camper Trailers and Tents.

More Information

• Plantation Campground is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• There is very limited Telstra coverage.

• Long Drop Toilets &

• Bucket Showers.

Taylors Lake

Taylors Lake is a popular camping and fishing spot in the Wimmera region in western Victoria. It is located approximately 290 kilometres from Melbourne and 20 kilometres from Horsham.

Access to the campground is along a sealed road, and the campground surface is hard-packed dirt with some grassy areas.

There are plenty of places to camp, by the Lake, you can camp in a lovely bush setting surrounded by trees. Alternatively, there’s a large, flat open area behind the toilet block with no trees, providing plenty of room to spread out.

This Free campground is maintained by GWM Water, and camping is not allowed within 20 metres of the water's edge. There are long drop toilets and a skip bin at the entrance to the campground. Picnic tables and fire pits are scattered through the bush camping area and along the edge of the lake.

Taylors Lake is a popular spot for water skiing, fishing, boating and swimming in the warmer months. There is a boat ramp near the camping area.

The camping area is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans, Big Rigs, Camper Trailers and Tents. We had some beautiful sunrises over the lake when we stayed.

More Information

• Taylors Lake is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• We had good Telstra coverage when we stayed.

• Long Drop Toilets are available.

• There is a skip bin by the toilets.

Greens Lake

Greens Lake is a fantastic campground with plenty of lakeside sites and good amenities. It is located approximately 195 kilometres from Melbourne and 22 kilometres from Rochester in central Victoria.

Access to Greens Lake is along a sealed road except for the last several kilometres, which are gravel. We had no problems driving in with our 2WD Motorhome.

There is a huge area along the edge of the lake to camp, and plenty more spots in the bush. It can get pretty windy along the lakefront, so keep an eye on your awning.

This Free campground is maintained by GWM Water, and there is a 7-day limit for camping. Greens Lake is closed every year for 24 hours over the New Year's period, to ensure public safety. During this time, Greens Lake will not be accessible for camping or any recreational activities.

There are toilets, hot showers and a dump point at the entrance to the campground. A covered BBQ area is near the toilets, and there are several picnic tables scattered around. No bins are available, so please take your rubbish with you.

It is a popular spot for camping, skiing, fishing and swimming in the warmer months. There is an easy-to-access boat ramp near the camping area.

The huge camping area is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans, Big Rigs, Camper Trailers and Tents.

More Information

• Greens Lake is dog-friendly, just keep your dogs on a lead and clean up after them.

• Fires are allowed as long as there is no Fire Ban.

• We had good Telstra coverage when we stayed.

• Toilets and Hot Showers are available.

• There is a Dump Point near the toilets.