Ready to discover the natural beauty of Greater Bendigo National Park? This rugged retreat into the wilderness can easily be found in central Victoria. Find yourself rewarded with landscapes that celebrate our native bushland and so close to a major regional town.

Greater Bendigo National Park is one of six Aboriginal Title parks in Central Victoria, jointly managed by the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria.

Visit the secluded bushland of Greater Bendigo National Park, and you’ll see there are more hidden treasures in the goldfields region than a few flakes and nuggets. This is the heart of a Box-Ironbark forest that once covered the landscape. Explore a protected pocket of native forest through the loop tracks and longer bushland trails that wind among the rugged slopes and trees of this park.

The ironbark, broombush mallee, Kamarooka mallee and grassy woodlands are a haven for woodland birds, so keen birdwatchers should bring their binoculars. Keep an eye out for a flash of colour through the trees as the little Swift Parrot is a frequent visitor in autumn.

Explore the Whipstick area of the park along the Flagstaff Loop Walk to get a taste of the old forest. Determined and well-prepared hikers, cyclists and trail-runners can go deeper into nature along the 65km Bendigo Bushland Trail that leads through the woodland and around the urban area of Bendigo.

See the remnants of gold rush history along the Old Tom Mine Walk, get a prospecting permit online and maybe even try your luck at some fossicking. Climb to the One Tree Hill Lookout for an epic, sweeping view over the expansive treetops, bushland and Bendigo landscape. There is no better place to catch a slow, spectacular sunset, so bring your picnic.

The adventure doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. Pitch your tent in the bushland retreat of Notley Campground. Fallen branches and dry scrub are important to the habitat of the animals that call this park home; be a thoughtful guest and pack some firewood to make use of the fireplaces for a rustic dinner or marshmallow-toasting. Then, fall asleep under the stars, and wake up to birdsong and the sounds of wildlife stirring in the trees around you.

Visit the Greater Bendigo National Park page to learn more and start planning your next road trip to regional Victoria.

Looking to go somewhere new and avoid the crowds? Visit Your Autumn Unseen Places for more inspiration on Victoria’s diverse parks.