Where’s the Best National Park in Victoria?

by Sue Williams (subscribe)

With a multitude of national parks across Victoria, ranging from coastal wilderness, to desert, rainforest and mountains, there's a huge range of environments to explore. So where exactly is Victoria's best national park?

If you're looking for a park by the coast, Wilson's Promontory in south-east Victoria is hard to beat, with miles of pristine beaches, camping by the beach at Tidal River, the quirky sand of Squeaky Beach that squeaks underneath your feet and an array of walking trails.

Closer to Melbourne, there's also the Mornington Peninsula National Park with lots of scenic headlands and sandy beaches.

There's yet more scenic coast in the state's south-west, in the Otway National Park . This park includes the stunning 12 Apostles and a lighthouse where you can stay overnight.

If you prefer to explore underwater, there's the Bunarong Marine Park south-east of Melbourne, where you can snorkel, scuba dive and ramble among the rockpools.



If mountains are more your thing, you can't go wrong with the Alpine National Park, north-east of Melbourne, with its stunning mountain views, the rocky peaks of Mt Feathertop and Mt Buffalo and the grassy high plains of Mt Bogong. There's a network of walking tracks, wildflowers in summer and mountain huts with a sense of history. Canoeing, cycling, horse-riding and fishing are also possible, along with cross-country and downhill skiing and snow-shoe walks in winter.

Other mountain-studded parks include the spectacular Cathedral Range east of Melbourne and, west of Melbourne, there's also panoramic views in the Grampians.

For anyone keen to explore a desert, you might like to try the Murray-Sunset National Park in the north-west corner of the state, where you can see red sand and pink lakes . (Yes, the lakes are really pink). This park is one of the most remote in the state so it pays to be well-prepared and self-sufficient when visiting.



For green, ferny rainforest, the Tarra Bulga National Park , south-east of Melbourne, tops the list. There are plenty of walking tracks through the giant Mountain Ash trees, lush fern gullies, mossy rocks and ancient myrtle beeches.

And if volcanoes are your passion, Mt Eccles National Park , in the west of the state, features a dormant volcano. There's a walking track around the crater's rim. This is Victoria's first co-managed national park - managed by Gunditjmara Traditional Owners and Parks Victoria.

If you have a favourite national park in Victoria, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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