Dargile camping ground, Heathcote-Graytown National Park

see also:

• non-commercial camp grounds for tents within 2 hours of Melbourne
• photography and camping main index page

• relatively small generally sloping camp ground in a forest environment but close to a relatively busy local gravel road
• 230m elevation; ~3km of good gravel road to access it;
• forest has a nice ambience with some local short walks;
• dogs not allowed;
• a few level caravan sites but most of the camping sites are sloping set amongst a fairly dense, dry eucalypt ironbark forest (presumably do not drop branches much)
• brick shelter in the day picnic section which has some nice big old trees; unusually, has a flourishing grove of Sandalwood (NSW rainforest)
• exposed to regular traffic on the gravel Plantation Tk

• 1.5hrs from NW suburbs or 2hrs from CBD via Heathcote

• Heathcote township
  • 11min/11km if you go south; 22min, 22km if you go north;
  • fantastic enormous bakery!
  • Valley of Liquid Ambers along the McIvor Creek
  • walk up to Viewing Rock Lookout
  • Pink Cliffs geological reserve
  • Mt Ida carpark and walk to lookout
  • great wineries throughout the region known for their lovely reds
• lovely rural drive through the granite hills of Tooborac and Pyalong, Pyalong trestle bridge
• Lake Eppalock fishing and boating and commercial caravan parks
• historic Graytown - gold mining, cemetery and remnants of the POW detention centre
• Whroo Balaclava historic gold mine
  • unfortunately can no longer access the tunnel
  • nearby:
    • Fontainebleau toilet and picnic ground
    • Green's camp ground (very small, free)
    • Rushworth historic township
• Nagambie major town 36min 48km east
  • Tahbilk Estate and Mitchelton wines
  • Goulburn Weir

• English's Bridge campground
  • 35min, 42km north on the Campaspe River
  • no toilets; dry weather road only;
• Ayson's Reserve Camping Ground
  • 39min/52km Nth large campground on the Campaspe River
• Major Creek, Mitchellstown
  • 40min/46km E
• Greens Lake Recreation Reserve campground, Corop
  • 44min/56km northeast
  • can have lots of toxic masculinity and large dogs
  • hot showers can be too hot!
  • NOT to be confused with Green Hill Lakes Camping Reserve, Ararat
• Green's camp near Whroo gold mine
  • 53min, 64km NE
  • small 7 camp sites; drop toilets; ground is hard to peg; nice walks; can be dusty;
• Leanganook camp ground Mount Alexander
  • 1hr/67km SW
  • south of Bendigo
• Whipstick
  • 1hr/68km NW
  • north of Bendigo
• Flat Rock Tallarook
  • 70min / 88km SE
• Murray River camp areas just over 1hr to the north
  • Will's Bech
  • Benarca campgrounds
  • Betts beach
  • see Echuca and surrounds
• Maldon Mt Tarrengower Butt's Reserve camp ground
  • 75min / 90km W
• Longwood Recreation Reserve camp ground
  • 78min/111km E
• Newbridge Recreation Reserve camp ground
  • 78min/89km W
• Mt Terrick Terrick picnic area
  • 83min / 110km NW via Elmore
  • very small camp area in nice forest with views
• Melville Caves campground, Kooyoora State Park
  • 102min/119km NW via Bendigo
• Murrindindi Scenic Reserve camping
  • 104min/136km SE
• Murray River / Gunbower Creek camping at Koondrook
  • 2hrs/168km NNW
• Edi Cutting, King Valley
  • 2hrs 25min E via Benalla