best low cost or free campgrounds in Victoria for winter camping

see also:

• photography and camping main index page
• camp grounds in Victoria
• my favourite non-commercial camp grounds for tents in Victoria
• non-commercial camp grounds for tents within 2 hours of Melbourne
• non-commercial camp grounds for tents more than 4 hours from Melbourne
• keeping warm when camping or hiking
• hot tents (tents with wood stoves inside)
• Parks Victoria online booking site
• topographic maps
• https://www.4wdingaustralia.com/travel-victoria/free-camping-in-victoria/ - a few pics of some great free camps in Victoria
• Victoria's traffic conditions and road closures, road works
• Melbourne freeway travel times
• Vic emergency response incidents, flood warnings, etc
• Parks Victoria closures
• Parks Victoria Changed conditions and closures
• Vic State Forest closures
• Victorian seasonal road closures

• camping in Winter in Victoria is characterized by cold-mild days with long cold nights
• avoid taking tents with large sleeping areas as these will be almost impossible to keep the air reasonably warm unless you resort to a noisy diesel heater
  • small full fabric 4 season hiking tents or swags are a much better option

• very few campers around so you can usually get a good site and not be surrounded by lots of people (exception may be school holidays in popular camps)
• almost no insects around to pester you
• snakes are rarely a problem when hiking (but can be seen especially on sunny mornings when they try to warm up)
• less traffic
• you can usually have a nice camp fire in most camp grounds and you can cook up some nice Dutch oven dishes
• ideal time to have that wood stove in your hot tent
• great time for landscape photography as:
  • the winter sun is lower creating more aesthetic lighting, especially if you get some fog
  • the clouds tend to be more dramatic
  • there may still be some mushrooms around
  • there is usually more water running in waterfalls
• great time for star gazing or Milky Way photography as the Winter Milky Way is the bet by far
• it may be a good time to go looking for gold, if you have the gear as many of these sites are north of the ranges

• weather can change to cold winds with rain and in elevated alpine areas you may get snow
• roads may be closed seasonally or from severe rutting or just too slippery
• the days are short and the nights long - you have to be more organised otherwise time will run out
• if hiking to an overnight camp you will need to carry heavier, warmer gear and be prepared for the worst
• very few animals or birds to be seen

• area in Victoria where the weather forecast suggests will not have strong winds which will make your life miserable from wind chill and potentially make set up/pack up more difficult or damage your tent
  • perhaps avoid the south-west coast or Wilsons Prom if there is an Antarctic blast coming through in the next cold front!
  • if a strong cold front is forecast, perhaps head north of the ranges
  • if damaging winds are forecast, postpone your camping or head somewhere safer
• plenty of Winter sun on your tent to warm you up and help dry it out before packing up
• not too exposed to prevailing winds - 3-4m high shrubbery would be great
• preferably something to see or do without having to drive too far
• a nice ambient scenery would be great but these are hard to come by in Victoria for free camping
• relatively easy access where you will not struggle to get out by vehicle if the roads become wet and slippery
• ensure it is not in a valley where cold air sinks into when there is not much wind - these areas can get very foggy and have sub-zero temperatures which can be very uncomfortable
• some campers may with to camp in the snow but this is not an easy option in Victoria given most of the snow roads get closed over winter, so you will need to hike in for most of these options

• head north of the Great Dividing Range to get generally warmer days and more likely to be sunny and less affected by cold fronts but the nights could be colder if skies are clear and winds are minimal
  • Melville Caves campground, Kooyoora State Park - lovely views and walks, great for the Milky Way
  • Murray River camping - lots of options for a sunny spot on south side of the mighty Murray but access can be difficult in some areas after heavy rains
  • Ayson's Reserve Camping Ground - flush toilets, lots of winter sun options, nice river
  • Greens Lake Corop - not usually my favorite but its free, has hot showers and plenty of winter sun with sites on the west side of a lake
  • Newbridge Recreation Reserve camp ground $25/n hot showers, should be able to get a spot in the sun and its next to river and near a pub, shop
  • Broken Creek farm bush camp near Benalla $15/n hot showers, on a farm, can be quite busy on weekends as it also has flush toilets, camp kitchen and is close to Benalla
• head to the coast for warmer nights but usually more cloud and wind chill
  • unfortunately very few of these have nice sunny areas as most are surrounded by tall gums or hills, but then you may not get much winter sun along the coast anyway
  • you may have to try a commercial camp ground if you want sun, hot showers and the beaches
• head west to the Grampians for some lovely walks
  • Green Hill Lakes Camping Reserve, Ararat - hot showers, plenty of spots in the sun but wind can be an issue
  • camping in or near the Grampians - Plantation camp ground is my favorite and its free
• short drive from Melbourne
  • Leanganook camp ground Mount Alexander - flush toilets, might be able to get a sunny spot but be prepared for it being mainly under 10degC and down to zero overnight
  • probably avoid Mt Franklin reserve campground, near Daylesford as it will be very cold overnight - enough to freeze water in pipes as it is in a volcanic crater