20 Best Free Camping Spots in Victoria (2WD Accessible)

Camping is a favourite pastime in Victoria. With so many national parks, a beautiful coastline, and dense inland rainforest, we have plenty of nature to explore. While it might feel like anything to do with the outdoors is getting expensive these days, we’re still quite spoiled with access to free camping spots in Victoria.

Whether you want to explore the Grampians National Park or the Great Ocean Road, or tuck yourself away and enjoy a secluded spot amongst the forest of the Yarra Ranges or Tarra Valley, there’s plenty of free camps available that are 2WD accessible.

After living out of my van for the past few years, I’m always on the lookout for free camping spots that have decent facilities for a comfortable stay. In this post, I’m going to round up the best free camping spots in Victoria from my experience, so you can still get out into nature on a budget.

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Best Free Camps in Victoria

Looking for a weekend away on a budget? These are my favourite free camping spots in Victoria that are all accessible by 2WD and conventional vehicles. Almost all of them also have basic facilities, including toilets, so they’re perfect for camping newbies and families alike.

If you’re looking for more camping in the state, check out my post on the 15 Best (Paid) Campgrounds in Victoria.

Before heading off camping for the weekend, brush up on Leave No Trace Principles and How to Respect the Outdoors.

1. Ninety Mile Beach/Shoreline Drive Camping

• Location: Many campsites along Shoreline Drive running parallel to Ninety Mile Beach in East Gippsland
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, and bins provided
• Need to bring: Drinking water and food
• Good to know: The nearest main town is Sale, about a half an hour drive away, so be prepared with most supplies before setting up camp, although there are basic general stores in Golden Beach and Seaspray
• Dog-friendly: Camping sections 1-6 are dog-friendly, the rest are no dogs allowed
• Phone signal: Yes

One of the best free camping areas in Victoria, you’ll find hundreds of sites along Ninety Mile Beach between Seaspray and Golden Beach. Divided into almost 20 sections along Shoreline Drive, each section has a cluster of bush camping sites of all different shapes and sizes.

Not all sections are the same. The first 1-6 camping sections closer to Golden Beach are the only dog-friendly areas, plus some sections don’t have any facilities while others have long drop toilets.

However, each camping area has direct access to 90 Mile Beach, where you can go for a walk or fish. Shoreline Drive Campground Section 9 is usually my pick, but it’s worth driving into a few different areas to find something to suit your setup. Arrive very early if you’re planning on staying over a long weekend.

2. Snowy River Roadside Rest Areas

• Location: Along the Snowy River on Marlo Road between Orbost and Marlo
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, picnic tables and some bins, but no toilet facilities
• Need to bring: Fully self-sufficient
• Good to know: This is only suitable for vans and caravans, no tents allowed
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Mostly used for an overnight stay or stopover while exploring Gippsland, there are several camping spots along the Snowy River between Orbost and Marlo. You’ll see pullover areas and picnic areas scattered off the side of Marlo Road.

These camping spots are only ideal for caravans and vans that are self-sufficient, as there are no facilities whatsoever. Please respect the area and the river, and take all your rubbish with you.

3. The Quarries Reserve Campground and Blue Pool Campground

• Location: Freestone Creek Road in Briagolong, about 22 km north of Maffra
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, toilet, fire pits, and bins
• Need to bring: Drinking water, fire wood (no fire wood collection allowed onsite), and food
• Good to know: The Quarries is a donation-based camping spot just south of Blue Pool, but the walk-in camp at Blue Pool is free and will be open in time for summer
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Limited/weak

On the bank of the Freestone Creek at the base of the Victorian High Country, you have a couple of camping options in Briagolong. The original and most well-known is at Blue Pool, the iconic natural swimming hole in the creek.

Unfortunately, the original campground was destroyed by fire and has been rebuilt. The walk-in only camping site will be open in time for summer 2023. There will be 12 walk-in campsites available, each with their own fire pit and picnic table, but you’ll need to be prepared to hike in to the camping area from the carpark.

Alternatively, just a few kilometres down the road, you’ll find the donation-based The Quarries Reserve. This bush camp on the banks of the river offers sites for caravans and vans. However, donations are requested to be dropped at the General Store or Briagolong Hotel by campers.

4. Log Crossing Campground and Picnic Area

• Location: Colquhoun Regional Park accessed via Uncle Road in Kalimna West, just 12km north of Lakes Entrance
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilet, picnic tables, fire pits, and non-potable water
• Need to bring: Drinking water and food
• Good to know: There is a 24 hour limit at this spot, so it’s ideal for a weekend or stopover on your way along the Gippsland coast but no longer
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: No

One of my favourite little free camp finds on my Melbourne to Sydney road trip, this small picnic area and campground is a pretty spot amongst the forest outside of Lakes Entrance. While there is a time limit, it makes for a convenient overnight stay if you want to explore around Lakes Entrance, where caravan parks are otherwise quite expensive.

There are technically two camping areas, the first small spot is on the corner of Uncle Road and the Log Crossing Picnic Area road. But I recommend driving up to the proper picnic area, where you’ll find a parking area with a toilet. There’s only enough room for a couple of caravans and vans, but it’s never been overly busy when I’ve visited during autumn (summer weekends would be a different story).

Uncle Road is a dirt road, but is easily accessible by 2WD.

5. Cann River Rainforest Campground

• Location: Princes Highway in Cann River, East Gippsland
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, toilet block, cold showers, bins provided, potable town water and dump point
• Good to know: Although sites are still marked with power outlets from when it operated as a caravan park, none of these work, so you can simply drive in and set up anywhere
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

A convenient stop on a Melbourne to Sydney road trip, this old caravan park turned free camp in Cann River is a nice place to spend a weekend. Located in the small town of Cann River, this grassy campground is on the banks of the river and surrounded by a beautiful forest.

It still looks like a basic caravan park, but there’s currently no caretakers so feel free to pull in and pick whatever spot you like. Although, the council does come around every morning to clean the toilets and bins out.

At the back of the campground, there is a nice loop walk through the forest which is a great opportunity to stretch the legs and keep an eye out for lyrebirds.

6. Toorongo Falls Campground

• Location: Toorongo Valley Road, just 5.5 km from the town of Noojee
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food and firewood
• Good to know: Sites are unmarked although roughly assumed to be around the firepits, so be considerate of others when setting up and give people enough space to get their vehicles in and out of the campground
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: No (you can get phone signal up at the waterfalls or down the road just a couple of kilometres)

Toorongo Falls Reserve is one of the most beautiful places to head for a weekend trip from Melbourne (or it’s close enough for a day trip too). Located amongst the secluded bush outside of Noojee in West Gippsland, this is definitely one of the best free camping spots in Victoria.

For this reason, it’s often crowded on weekends and in school holidays, but is otherwise a very peaceful place outside of these busy times. The campground is divided into a few sections, with fire pits marking out rough sites.

The campsites are suitable for both tent and vehicle-based camping, including large caravans and vans. Fires are allowed, but bring your own wood to avoid collecting in the forest reserve around the falls.

Don’t skip the walk along the river up to the day visitor carpark, from where you can access both Toorongo Falls and Amphitheatre Falls on a loop trail. Plus, Noojee has other great things to do and see, which you can read in my day trip guide below.

Read more: Day Trip to Noojee in West Gippsland

7. Andersons Mill Camping

• Location: Anderson Mill Road, just 5km south of Marysville
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilet, fire pits and basic horse stables
• Need to bring: Drinking water, firewood (although kindling can be collected easily around the camp) and toilet paper
• Good to know: Can get very busy and noisy on a Saturday night but is otherwise very popular with families, horse riders, and mountain bikers
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

A bit of a hidden gem, but this is a free camping spot that is very convenient for exploring Marysville and the surrounds. Andersons Mill Campground is just outside of town in the state forest area.

It’s not overly large, but there’s flat ground amongst the trees to set up either a camper trailer, van or caravan. The access road known as Anderson Mill Road is a dirt road but generally kept in good 2WD condition (heavy rains in winter may affect this though).

The convenience of camping here though is its access to so many amazing things to do around it. From the mountain biking and hiking trails up at Lake Mountain to admiring the view from Steavenson Falls or exploring the secluded cascades of Lady Talbot Drive, you can easily spend a weekend there or longer.

8. Sheepyard Flat Campsite

• Location: Howqua Track in the Howqua Hills, around 37km southeast of Mansfield
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food, toilet paper and fire wood (collection is possible, but can be difficult to find especially in summer)
• Good to know: The campground is technically divided into north and south, although Sheepyard North is generally the most preferred, otherwise there are other camping areas along the river if it gets too busy
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: No

Located on the Howqua River at the base of the towering peaks of the High Country, Sheepyard Flat Campsite is one of the most popular free camping spots in Victoria. It’s a great base for hiking, fishing, horse riding and 4WD adventures into the Howqua Hills and surrounding countryside.

The campground offers flat ground along the river, while you can also drive further to the left and camp at Davon’s Flat, Pickerings Flat and Tunnel Bend Flat, all free camping spots. For 4×4 drivers, you can head to the right from Sheepyard and camp at Frys Flat instead (occasionally accessible for 2WD vehicles, but it depends on recent road works).

To access Sheepyard Flat, turnoff at Merrijig onto Howqua Track and follow this dirt road for 17km to reach the camping area. The road is generally kept in good condition, but it can become corrugated.

9. Smoko Campground

• Location: Off the Great Alpine Road between Harrietville and Bright, about 9km from Harrietville
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilet and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, fire wood, and food
• Good to know: There are no rubbish bins provided, so please carry all your rubbish with you and use the bins provided in Harrietville or Bright
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Easily one of my favourite camping spots in the High Country, purely because of its convenient location, I’ve spent lots of time at Smoko over the last few years in my van. Being around halfway between Harrietville and Bright, it’s a great spot to explore this part of Victoria on a budget.

The large camping area is amongst the trees on the bank of the Ovens River just off the Great Alpine Road. There’s no designated sites, with lots of flat ground suitable for tent, trailer and caravan based camping. 

The Bright-Harrietville Great Valley Trail runs right through the camping area, meaning you can also jump on the path with your bike or go for a walk. Otherwise, the river offers a cooling retreat on hot summer days, especially after hiking up Mount Feathertop or spending the day exploring Bright.

Read more: 22 Best Things to Do in Bright

10. Edi Cutting Campground

• Location: Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, just 4 km north of King Valley
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, fire wood, and food
• Good to know: The best access point for 2WD vehicles is from the northern end closer to Edi, as occasionally after heavy rains the road connecting the two camping sections in the southern half can be rough and flooded
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Another great base for exploring the Victorian High Country, Edi Cutting is a picturesque spot between Wangaratta and Whitfield. Just off the side of the main road along the banks of the King River, there’s almost a kilometre long stretch of camping spots on beautiful grass and under towering gum trees.

As far as free camping spots in Victoria goes, this is definitely one of the prettiest. You can cool off in the river or drive down to exploring the wineries of the King Valley or drive up to the foodie destination of Milawa.

While it can get busy, I’ve always managed to find a spot here even on weekends in summer. The flat ground offers plenty of choices for all different camping setups.

11. Mountain Creek Campground

• Location: Mountain Creek Road, 12km east of Mount Beauty township
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food, and firewood
• Good to know: This campground is best for tent-based camping, as there are only a few flat parking spots suitable for small-medium vans
• Dog-friendly: No
• Phone signal: Weak Telstra signal, no Optus signal

This small free campground outside of Mount Beauty is a popular spot for hikers to stay before or after exploring the Mount Bogong and Falls Creek area. The shady camping and parking area is located along Mountain Creek Road, at the base of Victoria’s highest peak, Mount Bogong.

It doubles as a day parking area for those attempting to hike Mount Bogong, as well as, a campground for those wanting to stay the night. For hikers, it’s conveniently located close to the trailhead for Staircase Spur up to the summit, which can be completed in a long day hike or overnight hike.

I’ve left my van at Mountain Creek for four days while completing the loop hike around Mount Bogong, and it was perfectly safe to do so. Plus, it was nice and refreshing to be able to jump into the river next to the campground when I got back.

12. Wellington River Camping (Licola)

• Location: Along Tamboritha Road as it heads north of Licola township
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food, and firewood
• Good to know: There are no designated sites within each camping section along the river, so it operates on a first come first served basis, I recommend driving in and checking out a few sections as it can be difficult to judge from the road what each spot looks like
• Dog-friendly: No
• Phone signal: No

A beautiful way to enjoy the seclusion of the Victorian High Country without having to go off-road on 4×4 tracks, these camping areas along the Wellington River are a little bit of a hidden gem.

As you hit the last sealed stretch of Tamboritha Road as it leaves Licola and heads up into the Alpine National Park, you’ll see several camping areas on either side of the road amongst the bush. There are roughly 13 numbered camping areas, each with their own name, offering facilities such as toilets, fire places and picnic tables. Each section has enough room for a couple of groups or more, depending on size.

Being on the banks of the Wellington River, it’s the best place to relax in summer and cool off in the river. Snakes are very common along here though, so be careful on hot days.

From any of the camps, it makes for a great base to explore some hikes in the Alpine National Park within a short drive away, including Mount Howitt and Bryce’s Gorge, or Lake Tali Karng. Otherwise, for those with a 4×4 you can drive up to The Pinnacles Lookout for the day.

13. Beauchamp Falls Campground

• Location: Beauchamp Falls Road in Beech Forest, part of the Otways
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food and firewood
• Good to know: While not a huge campground, it’s been recently renovated with large gravel areas for camping big enough for caravans and large motorhomes
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Beauchamp Falls Campground is one of the few remaining free camping areas on the Great Ocean Road. While it requires a detour into the Otways of Beech Forest, this small campground is perfectly located for exploring some of the incredible waterfalls and walks in the region.

The exposed campground overlooks the expansive pine plantations covering the hills, with some shade closer to the day parking area. The road into the campground is an unsealed road but can easily be accessed by a 2WD vehicle and caravan.

From the campground you should definitely head off on the short walk to Beauchamp Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Otways. Then, a short drive from the camp is also Hopetoun Falls, The Redwoods Otways, and Triplet Falls.

Read more: 9 Best Waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road

14. Stevensons Falls Campground

• Location: Accessed via the unsealed Upper Gellibrand Road off the Forrest-Apollo Bay Road, about 30km north of the Great Ocean Road
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food, and firewood
• Good to know: A secluded and peaceful camping spot amongst the redwood forest of the Otways, the nearest shops/phone signal are in Forrest or Apollo Bay
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: No

Another fantastic free camping spot in Victoria, this campground is located very close to Stevensons Falls in the Otways off the Great Ocean Road. With plenty of flat ground scattered throughout the towering Californian redwood trees, it’s the perfect place to switch off without phone signal.

From the campground, you can follow the flat walking trail to the falls, which are an impressive wide cascade into the Gellibrand River.

This campground is a popular spot and is often quite full on weekends, but there’s usually quite a bit of room to squeeze another van or car. Try to be respectful to the land and people around you though, it’s not uncommon for rangers to come by and patrol.

15. Sawpit Campground

• Location: Boyers Road, just 5 minutes off the Princes Highway and 20km from Portland
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables
• Need to bring: Drinking water and food
• Good to know: It doesn’t always look like the most inviting campground, with some people staying for a while, but I’ve felt safe camping there several times, especially for it’s convenient location close to Portland
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Just off the A1 in Mount Clay State Forest, this bush camp and visitor area is a short drive from the coastal town of Portland. There’s plenty of room amongst the bush to camp, with toilets and fire pits for a weekend in nature.

The campground is surrounded by mountain biking tracks which are popular on weekends with kids and families. You can also hit the 1.5 km return easy walk to Whalers Lookout, which overlooks Portland and the coast.

16. Plantation Campground

• Location: Mount Zero Road, 10km north of Halls Gap
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, bucket shower cubicles, non-potable water, fire pits, and picnic tables
• Need to bring: Drinking water or water filter, food and firewood
• Good to know: There is plenty of room here, but on weekends in school holidays expect it to fill up pretty quickly, alternatives are the national park campgrounds not far away but they cost from $15.60 per night
• Dog-friendly: Yes (but they cannot go into the national park)
• Phone signal: No

Undoubtedly one of the best free camping spots in Victoria, Plantation Campground is an absolute gem. Set amongst pine plantations on the eastern side of the Grampians National Park, it’s the perfect base for exploring Halls Gap and the northern Grampians.

There’s plenty of space for over 30 groups, with flat ground suitable for tents, caravans and RVs of all sizes. The road accessing the camp is a dirt road but is generally in good condition, although sometimes corrugated.

I stayed here for days while exploring the many hikes of the Grampians; Briggs Bluff, Mount Difficult, and Beehive Falls just to the north, or Venus Baths, The Pinnacles and Boronia Peak just south of the camp around Halls Gap.

Read more: Ultimate Travel Guide to the Grampians National Park

17. Meredith Park Camping

• Location: On the shore of Lake Colac just 10km north of Colac town
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, flushing toilets, town water, picnic tables and fire pits
• Need to bring: Food and firewood
• Good to know: The campsites on the edge of the lake can get extremely windy, which can make it a little unpleasant to sit outside or set up camp, but otherwise it can be a peaceful place on a still day
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Meredith Park on the northern side of Lake Colac has a free campsite, including a picnic area, flushing toilets and fireplaces. There’s plenty of room on the grassy bank of the lake, which offers a nice chance to relax and enjoy some fishing (mostly red fin and carp only).

The campground is council run and has a limit of 24 hours for free. If you want to stay longer, you need to ask permission and obtain a permit for up to 28 days maximum.

Lake Colac is a nice stop on the northern side of the Otways, inland from the Great Ocean Road or while travelling on the Princes Highway from Melbourne to Adelaide.

18. Mount Franklin Reserve Camping

• Location: Mount Franklin Reserve off the Midland Highway, about 12.5 km north of Daylesford
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, toilets, fire pits, non-potable water, and picnic tables
• Need to bring: Firewood, toilet paper and food
• Good to know: A beautiful bush camping area that has a convenient location, however, it is extremely busy on weekends especially in summer
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Yes

Mount Franklin or Lalgambuk is a small volcanic crater that has been turned into a pretty park area for picnics or basic camping amongst huge conifers and deciduous trees. The camping is on a large, attractive grassy area perfect for short-stay camping for caravans, vans and tents.

Being close to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, it’s an ideal budget camping spot compared to other options closer to town. With plenty of sightseeing in the Macedon Ranges, you can easily spend a weekend or longer at this pretty spot.

19. Lerderderg Campground

• Location: Upper Chadwick Track, about 32km from Macedon
• Facilities: Unpowered camping, non-flush toilets, picnic tables and fire pits
• Need to bring: Drinking water, food and firewood
• Good to know: One of the few campgrounds in the northern half of the state park that is accessible for 2WD, it’s a nice dog-friendly escape around the Macedon Ranges and Daylesford area
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: No

On the northern side of Lerderderg State Park, this secluded campground is a nice escape into the serenity of the Aussie bush. While it takes a decent drive on a dirt road to reach it, the campground is 2WD accessible unless there’s been recent heavy rains.

However, for exploring much of the surrounding park area you’ll need a 4WD, so the campground can be busy with 4×4 drivers on weekends. Still for a dog-friendly campground, it offers a nice quiet place to wake to the song of native birds and enjoy a bushwalk.

20. Murray River Camping, Cobram and Yarrawonga

• Location: Scattered along the Murray River and accessed via dirt roads
• Facilities: Unpowered camping
• Need to bring: Self-sufficient including, drinking water, food, firewood, portable toilet or trowel, and table and chairs
• Good to know: As most of the camping along the Murray River is unregulated and unofficial, you must be fully self-sufficient and leave no trace, including taking all your rubbish out with you
• Dog-friendly: Yes
• Phone signal: Depends on exact camping location

There is sporadic free camping all along the Murray River in both Victoria and New South Wales. However, a lot of the best spots are clustered around Cobram and Yarrawonga. There are literally hundreds of spots accessed via dirt roads, although many are 2WD accessible, you’ll have to be careful as some can get boggy after heavy rain.

Of all the free camping areas, a few of the most popular are Little Toms Beach just outside of Cobram, Cobram Regional Park where you’ll find Scotts Beach, Forges Beach just outside of Yarrawonga, and Yarrawonga Common. Check out Wikicamps for more specifics.

In summer, most of the best spots are taken, but if you have a small camping setup like a van you can usually find somewhere along the river to camp. Just remember with no facilities, you must carry all waste out with you.

Tips for Free Camping in Victoria

• Always remember to leave no trace and carry all your rubbish and waste out with you, free camps are becoming harder to find so if we look after the ones we have it’s less likely that they will be shut down
• If you want to find more free camps or read comments from other campers on these camping spots, check out the Wikicamps app
• Keep an eye on the Vic Emergency app or website for fire danger or other incidents nearby
• If you’re going to be outside of phone signal range, then make sure someone knows where you are and how long you’re planning on staying
• Despite most of these locations have toilets available, you should remember to carry toilet paper just in case, as sometimes the rangers don’t get around every week to check and refill
• Be respectful to all other campers and wildlife in the area by reducing loud noise and providing enough space for everyone to enjoy the camping area

Camping Essentials to Pack

• Head torch: As soon as the sun sets, you’ll be needing a good quality head torch to help find your way around the campground at night. Black Diamond is USB rechargeable too.
• Camp chair: Kick back and relax at the end of the day with a comfortable chair. This Helinox camp chair is a lightweight option that packs away easily.
• Gas cooker: Cooking up quality meals while camping makes the experience so much more enjoyable. I recommend a JetBoil stove which is super portable and boils water rapidly.
• Portable solar panel: If you’re camping at an unpowered site, a small solar panel can come in handy when trying to charge your devices off the grid. This BioLite Panel is easily packable and powerful enough to charge phones and tablets.
• Water filter: Many national park campgrounds only have rainwater which often requires filtration. I carry the Sawyer Squeeze Filter with me, as it’s easy to use and filters water instantly.
• Sleeping bag: A good sleeping bag is essential to keep you warm, dry and comfortable while camping out. Sea to Summit make some incredible down options, with the Spark III a staple for many different adventures.

Want to Explore More of Victoria?

• 8 Best Road Trips in Victoria
• Ultimate Road Trip Guide to the Great Ocean Road
• Complete Guide to the Silo Art Trail in North West Victoria
• Ultimate Melbourne to Sydney Road Trip Itinerary
• Ultimate 1 Week Melbourne to Adelaide Road Trip Itinerary

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