15,500+ Campsites Verified By Aussie Campers Over 30 Years
15,500+ Campsites Verified By Aussie Campers Over 30 Years
Camps Australia Wide
Victoria might be the smallest mainland state, but it punches above its weight for a free camp. You can pull up beside the Murray River up north, tuck into the High Country around Omeo and Dinner Plain, or follow the coast from the Great Ocean Road to Ninety Mile Beach. The trick is knowing which spots are worth it, and that is where we come in. We have been on the road checking camps since 1992, so every site below is one our team has seen for itself.
Free camping near Colbinabbin, central Victoria
Below is a preview of the free and low-cost campsites we rate across Victoria, grouped by region and by season, with the facilities, stay limits and access notes you actually need. When you are ready to map out the whole trip, the Camps Australia Wide App and our CAMPS 13 and CAMPSPendium 2 guides put every Personally Checked site, with GPS coordinates and offline maps, in your pocket.
Six Victorian camps we have stayed at and rate. Every one is listed in the Camps Australia Wide App, where you will find exact coordinates, current conditions and notes from fellow travellers.
Campaspe River, 8 km north-east of Elmore
Great Alpine Road near Omeo
Ninety Mile Beach, 10 km south of Woodside
Burrowye Bend, Gadds Bend & Jingellic Reserve
Victorian High Country, near Mount Hotham
Metung, East Gippsland Lakes
Victoria covers river country, alpine peaks and a long coastline, so timing matters. Head to the Murray in the cooler months, and follow the coast and the High Country through the warmer ones.
Victoria's cooler months are made for the Murray River and the northern plains, where mild days and quiet riverside camps beat the summer crowds. It is our favourite time to potter along the river.
We rate: Aysons Reserve at Elmore, the Murray River camps near Walwa, and Watts Bend near Mildura.
When summer arrives, swap the inland heat for the Gippsland coast and the Great Ocean Road, or climb into the High Country for cool alpine air and mountain creeks.
We rate: Reeves Beach on Ninety Mile Beach, Victoria Falls near Omeo, and JB Plain Hut at Dinner Plain.
Victoria splits into roughly six camping regions, each with its own character. Here is the lay of the land so you know what to expect, then jump into the Camps Australia Wide App to see every Personally Checked site in the area you are headed.
Riverside reserves and red-gum camps from Mildura and Walwa along the Murray.
Alpine huts, creeks and bush camps around Omeo, Dinner Plain and Mount Hotham.
River reserves and gold-rush history around Elmore, Bendigo and the Campaspe.
Lakes, forests and river camps around Metung, Orbost and the Snowy River.
Sheltered coastal reserves and surf beaches from Woodside to the Lakes.
Forest and coastal camps near Portland, the Otways and Victoria's wild west coast.
Fresh from our blog. These six update on their own as we publish new Victorian free camping stories, so the page never goes stale.
The Camps Australia Wide App finds Personally Checked free and low-cost sites near wherever you are, works offline when you lose coverage, and lets you filter for your setup, whether that is a tent, a camper or a big rig. It is $14.99 a year, and most travellers tell us it pays for itself on the first night.
Get the Camps Australia Wide AppPrefer a book on the dash? CAMPS 13 is our go-to for free and budget camping right around the country, CAMPSPendium 2 is the full state-by-state trip planner, and Caravan Parks 7 has the caravan and holiday parks. All personally checked, the same as the app.
Shop the print guidesNothing takes the shine off a morning like a fine you did not see coming, or a No Camping sign you missed in the dark. A few simple habits keep these spots open and free for the rest of us.
Victoria has loads of free and low-cost camps, from Murray River reserves and Goldfields river camps to High Country huts and Gippsland coastal reserves. Some of our favourites are Aysons Reserve near Elmore, Victoria Falls near Omeo, and Reeves Beach on Ninety Mile Beach. The easiest way to find one you can trust is the Camps Australia Wide App, where you can filter Personally Checked sites by price, facilities, pets and rig type.
It depends where you are headed. The Murray River and the northern plains are at their best in the cooler months from April to October, while the coast, Gippsland and the High Country come alive through spring and summer.
Most genuine free camps are first come, first served. National parks and state forests are the exception, where many sites now take a booking, especially in peak periods. We flag which sites need booking in the app, so you can sort it before you drive there.
Plenty are, especially along the Murray and in the state forests. National parks like the Alpine and the Great Otway usually do not allow dogs, though. Filter for pet friendly stays in the Camps Australia Wide App and check the conditions before you go.
We are a bit biased, but the Camps Australia Wide App is built around Personally Checked listings, with clear access notes, facilities, GPS coordinates and offline maps so it keeps working when reception drops out. You can filter by price, pets, vehicle type, facilities and connectivity to match how you actually travel, and save your favourites to build a trip.
Heading across the border? We have checked the free camps there too.
Wherever the road takes you across Victoria, we hope you find a cracking free camp and love it out there. For new sites as we check them, our free weekly newsletter is well worth a look.
Stay up to date with our free weekly email newsletter and get the latest travel tips, reviews and news straight to your inbox.
