There are a few hidden gems in Victoria which have reopened ahead of Easter – away from the popular sites – with ample availability at campsites, as well as a range of day trips less than 2 hours from Melbourne:
Turpins Falls (day trip 1.5 hours from Melbourne):
- The popular Turpins Falls site reopened on Tuesday and features a new viewing platform, staircase, and walking track to provide safe access to the lookout, and an improved visitor experience.
- The site was closed in December 2020 following the injury of a visitor on the walking track.
- Turpins Falls is a popular waterfall within the Turpins Falls Scenic Reserve, Langley, approximately an hour and a half from Melbourne, 50 minutes from Bendigo, and 15 minutes from Kyneton.
- It is located on the Campaspe River and comprises of a car park, a grassed open area, a winding walking track down to the new lookout.
Mount Alexander Regional Park (1.5 hours north from Melbourne):
- The Leanganook Camping Area in Mount Alexander Regional Park will reopen today, following the fire which swept through the apple-growing region of Harcourt at the start of the year.
- Leanganook Campground and the Liyanganyuk Gathering Place were not affected by the January 2026 bushfire and are ready to welcome campers and picnickers to the area.
- Nestled in a natural bush setting, the campground has diverse animal, bird, and plant life under a canopy of Manna Gum, Messmate, Long-leaved, and Yellow Box trees.
- The site features a shelter, toilets, picnic tables, and fireplaces. Sites are unpowered, no bookings are required, and camping is free.
Grampians Peak Trail (3 hours northwest from Melbourne):
- Hikers can again traverse the full 164-kilometre Grampians Peaks Trail, stretching from Mount Zero (Mura Mura) in the north to Dunkeld in the south which was fully reopened earlier this year following the Grampians-Yarram Gap bushfire of December 2024.
- Five hike-in campgrounds along the Central and Southern sections of the Grampians Peaks Trail damaged by the bushfire have reopened to hikers following extensive repairs – the Barri Yalug, Duwul, Durd Durd, Yarram and Wannon sites.
- The hike-in campgrounds once again provide safe, low-impact facilities designed to support multi-day hiking while maintaining a remote, back-country experience.
Wyperfeld National Park (5 hours northwest from Melbourne):
- Nearly all of Wyperfeld National Park reopened last Friday following the January 9 fires, including the Casuarina Campground, a short walk to the Pondalowie Bay beach, and the Wonga Camping Area which is connected to 45 to 55 kilometres of walking tracks, ranging from short loops to multi-day excursions.
- The park had more than two-thirds of its expected annual rainfall in the last month and appears much as it does in early spring, following a wet winter.
- A green carpet of budding native grasses offers a verdant vista and gives visitors a glimpse into the future of this changing landscape.
- Camping is free throughout the park.
Thurra River Campground (7 hours east from Melbourne):
- A much-loved Gippsland camping spot is reopening from Good Friday, just in time for Easter school holidays with more than 30 campsites at Thurra River campground ready to accept visitors.
- New toilets have been built, with barbecue facilities and picnic tables to be installed after the school holidays – which will mark the completion of restoration work.
- Parks Victoria closed the campground in February to finish restoring amenities at the campground, which were destroyed in the 2019/20 bushfires. Following the bushfires, the campground was cut off when the Thurra River Bridge was irreparably damaged by floods in 2022.
- Access to the campground was restored when a new bridge opened in September last year.
- Following a huge effort to remove tons of debris left by the fires and overgrown vegetation, campers came back over Christmas – with evacuees from the fires among the first to return.
Other day trips from Melbourne:
- Top Parks Victoria sites near Melbourne include the forested Dandenong Ranges National Park, scenic Kinglake National Park, and coastal Mornington Peninsula National Park.
- Other top spots include Yarra Bend Park (inner city), Lerderderg State Park for rugged hikes, and Werribee Park for open spaces, all within 1-2 hours of the city.
To make a booking, visit the Parks Victoria website. The Victorian Government’s half price camping initiative means sites can be booked from as little as $16.40 per night.
Half-price camping was first introduced in 2019 as part of the $105.6 million Victoria’s Great Outdoors initiative, which included funding to create or upgrade 62 new camping grounds in parks and state forests. Since half-price camping was introduced, campers have saved more than $25 million in booking fees.
