Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

A path winds through a forested area. The sunlight hits the tree tops. A body of water in the background.

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Explore

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Tower Hill is home to some of Australia's best loved wildlife. Emus, kangaroos, koalas, swans, ducks and blue wrens all live inside this magnificent dormant volcano near the Great Ocean Road. Walk across wetlands, craters and bushland and learn how the park was exploited by early settlers before being restored by volunteers.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve sits in a large volcanic crater. It is one of Victoria's most fascinating and significant geological formations. Volcanic cone-shaped hills rise from the lakes. It's a short detour from the Great Ocean Road and offers ample walking opportunities for people of all abilities – from easy boardwalks to scenic climbs.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape. Parks Victoria respects the deep and continuing connection that Traditional Owners have to these lands and waters, and we recognise their ongoing role in caring for Country.

Things to do in the area

An Indigenous guide discusses traditional artifacts with a couple on a walking tour in front of the lake at Tower Hill.

Tower Hill Visitor Centre

Visit the Tower Hill Visitor Centre, designed by celebrated Australian architect Robin Boyd.

A woman teaching child how to throw a boomerang.

Worn Gundidj tours

Experience Tower Hill through an Indigenous lens with a guided bush and nature tour. Discover one of Victoria’s oldest dormant volcanos and experience some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife in their natural habitat.

A three year old boy leads his mum and younger brother through the forest near Grants Picnic Ground.

Family activities

Stash some supplies into a back pack and take the family out for a day trip and in only a short drive from Melbourne you can be surrounded by nature.

Three friends enjoy a picnic on the grass in front of the historic Wallace Hut.

Picnics

Head outdoors for lunch in the warmer months and enjoy a picnic in some of nature's most relaxing and inspiring settings.

A couple looks on at a Wombat on Wilsons Promontory National Park,

Wildlife viewing

Get up close and personal with some of Australia's shy native wildlife or look up to spot tree-dwelling mammals and flocks of colourful birds,

Tower Hill

This area is well known for its wildlife. Keep an eye out for:

Emus

Kangaroos

Koalas

Tours and adventure experiences in parks

One of the best ways you can get into nature is with a Licensed Tour Operator.

There are more than 400 Licensed Tour Operators across Victoria who are ready and waiting to help you experience and connect with Victoria’s spectacular parks and waterways.

Discover more than 60 different types of nature-based experiences including hiking, mountain biking, boating, four-wheel driving, indigenous culture tours, birdwatching, surfing, diving and so much more.

Licensed Tour Operators know all the best places to go and will plan and prepare your visit to ensure you are safe and can enjoy your nature-based adventure to the fullest.

Find a Licensed Tour Operator

How to get there

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Tower Hill Reserve is located 18 km west of Warrnambool and can be accessed from the Princes Highway.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

When you're there

Download the Tower Hill Reserve visitor guide for more information about the park and the experiences to be had within its borders.

Tower Hill Reserve Visitor Guide

Related Sites

When to go

If there has been good rainfall in spring, the ponds and wetlands will be brimming with native birds and amphibians.

Need to know

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Accessibility

Visiting a park can be more of a challenge for people with disabilities, however in Victoria there are a wide range of facilities to help people of all abilities enjoy our wonderful parks around the state.

Assistance dogs are welcome in Parks Victoria parks and reserves. Entry requirements apply for parks and reserves that are usually dog prohibited, such as national parks.

How we keep it special

Parks Victoria, Warrnambool City Council and Moyne Shire Council commissioned the Tower Hill Future Directions Strategy, delivered in August 2002, to guide the future direction of Tower Hill State Game Reserve.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is one of Victoria's most important ecological and geological sites formed by volcanic eruptions nearly 30,000 years ago. You can enjoy a range of self-guided walks through magnificent scenery and see some of Australia's most iconic wildlife in their natural habitat. Local tourism operators offer a unique eco-tourism experience where you can learn about wildlife, environmental conservation and sustainability, and local Aboriginal history.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. It is classified by the National Trust as a site of international significance for scientific reasons, including geology and re-vegetation work, and national significance for aesthetic and cultural reasons, including the historic and social aspects of the site. [source: Victorian Heritage Database Report]

Tower Hill Future Directions Strategy