Kurth Kiln Regional Park

18th century historic buildings in a bush setting

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Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Kurth Kiln Regional Park is part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape that includes the traditional Country of the the Wurundjeri Peoples. 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.

Escape the hustle and bustle at Kurth Kiln Regional Park located a short distance east of Melbourne. One of the closest bush camping opportunities to urban Melbourne, the park really is a breath of fresh air. Bring your dog, on a leash, and set up at one of the many free bush camping sites located in the park. There are tracks suitable for horse riding along with designated areas where horses can be loaded/unloaded safely.

Explore the park on foot or mountain bike ride discovering creeks, the historic huts and caretaker residence and Shiprock Falls.

The park's namesake Kurth Kiln was built in the second world war to make charcoal, developed and patented by Professor E. E. Kurth of the University of Tasmania. The charcoal was used in gas producer units attached to motor vehicles to produce combustible gas as an alternative to petrol during the Second World War.

In the late 1940s the Forests Commission bought 18 huts from the army and set them up beside Kurth Kiln to accommodate returned servicemen working in the forestry industry. Four of these huts remain along with the tall kiln and its iron chimney. It is a rare example of a relatively intact charcoal burning kiln and the only one of its type in Australia.

Rich in flora, the park is an oasis for rare plants including Long Pink-bells, Tall Astelia and Brickmakers Saw-sedge along with stunning Mountain Ash, stringybark and riparian forests.

With such a diverse plant life there is the welcomed attraction of many animals. Keep your eyes peeled for the many small and very active birds, the elusive swamp wallabies, inquisitive lace monitors and prickly echidnas during the day. At night you might hear or see koalas, yellow-bellied gliders, sugar gliders, greater gliders and large forest owls.

Things To Do

 
Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Camping

Camping is popular at both the Scout Loop and Magazine Camping Areas (east of the picnic ground and kiln). The camping areas offer convenient access to 36 designated sites in attractive natural settings with bush toilet facilities. There is also a communal camping area at Heritage Fence Camping Area. Campers are encouraged to bring their own firewood. Unload your horse at the Scout Loop camping area and set of on one of the many trails suitable for horse riding. There is also a small horse corral located in this area.
Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Heritage buildings

Visit the park's many heritage buildings - the park's namesake Kurth Kiln was built in the second world war to make charcoal which was then used in gas producer units attached to motor vehicles to produce combustible gas as an alternative to petrol during the Second World War. Four huts out of 18 purchased in the late 1940s by the the Forests Commission for returned servicemen also remain, along with the tall kiln and its iron chimney.
Family picnicking on the grass with trees in the background

Picnicking

There are several picnic grounds with fire places, toilets and tables for you to enjoy a moment in nature. Refer to park map for ideal locations. There is a large picnic area adjacent to the Kiln where there are several information boards to learn about the history of the park.
Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Walking

One of the best ways to explore the park is on foot. Strap on those walking boots, dress appropriately for the weather, carry some provisions and a good map and get out into the natural world. Kurth Kiln Regional Park is a great place for walking. There are many kilometres of tracks ranging from gentle circuits through to the more advanced, extended trails which can take you to the nearby Bunyip State Park and back.
Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Unique flora and fauna

The park has several plant communities ranging from Mountain Ash and riparian forests to shrubby foothill forest and swampy heathland. These support a rich flora and contain the rare plants Long Pink‐bells, Tall Astelia, Jungle Bristle‐fern and Brickmakers Saw‐sedge. Calling the park home are a large range of wildlife including wombats, swamp wallabies and echidnas. There is also a diverse mammal population, active mostly at night. They include brushtail and ringtail possums, yellowbellied gliders, sugar gliders and greater gliders. Bush rats and antechinus may be spotted scuttling around on the forest floor. Birdlife is active. Lookout for lyrebirds, honeyeaters, kookaburras, parrots, Yellow‐tailed Black Cockatoos, currawongs and butcherbirds.

Kurth Kiln Regional Park

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

Lace monitors
Koalas
Wombats
Powerful owls
Eastern Pygmy Possums
Echidnas
Platypus
Lyrebirds
Wallabies
Crimson Rosella
Antechinus
Wedge-tailed eagles

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

Kurth Kiln Regional Park

Kurth Kiln Regional Park is 65km east of Melbourne. Get there via Launching Place Road or Beenak Road, Gembrook. Kurth Kiln Picnic Ground and Camping Area is seven kilometres north of Gembrook.
Kurth Kiln Regional Park

When you're there

Download the Kurth Kiln Regional Park visitor guide for more information about the park and a map.

Get online and grab an interactive map from Avenza maps so that you don't get lost on the trails. Avenza maps are geolocated and don't require phone reception to work so you will always see the little blue dot that shows where you are while in the park.

Dogs are welcome in the park, but must be on a leash at all times.

Related Sites

When to go

A cool place to escape the city heat shaded by a dry sclerophyll mixed species forest of Messmate Stringybark, Yellow Box, Narrow-leaved Peppermint and Silvertop Ash.

Need to know

Kurth Kiln Regional Park

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.

 

Safety and visitor tips

  • Kurth Kiln Regional Park is in the Central fire district. Bushfire safety is a personal responsibility. Anyone entering parks and forests during the bushfire season needs to stay aware of forecast weather conditions. Check the Fire Danger Rating and for days of Total Fire Ban at www.emergency.vic.gov.au, on the VicEmergency smartphone app or call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226. No fires may be lit on Total Fire Ban days.
  • On Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating days this park will be closed for public safety. Advisory signs may be erected but do not expect an official warning. Check the latest conditions and for emergency assistance call Triple Zero (000). If there is a green emergency marker sign near you, read the information on the marker to the operator.
  • Dogs are welcome in the park, but must be on a leash at all times.
  • Fires must be in designated fireplaces and it is advisable to bring your own firewood.
  • You will need to bring your own drinking water as there is no potable water supply within the park.
  • Some campsites are suitable for caravans, campervans and motorhomes although travel to the park is along sections of gravel road.

Change of Conditions

Nature being nature, sometimes conditions can change at short notice. It’s a good idea to check this page ahead of your visit for any updates.

  • Notices Affecting Multiple Sites

    Temporary Bride Closure – Beenak Road, Kurth Kiln Regional Park

    Parks Victoria advises that the bridge on Beenak Road within the Day Visitor Area of Kurth Kiln Heritage Area is currently closed for safety reasons. At this stage there is no date set for re-opening the bridge.

    Park visitors and local residents are advised to use Soldiers Road, off Gembrook-Launching Place Road, or Beenak Road,Gembrook-Launching Place Road, to access the Kurth Kiln Picnic and Camping Areas

    We apologise for any inconvenience.

  • Shiprock Falls Picnic Area (Kurth Kiln Regional Park)

    Kurth Kiln Regional Park – Shiprock Falls Picnic Ground toilet closed

    The Shiprock Falls Picnic Ground toilet is closed until further notice due to vandalism.
     
    Please use toilet facilities located at the nearby Kurth Kiln Picnic Ground (see map). Kurth Kiln Picnic Ground can be accessed by travelling south along Gembrook – Launching Place Road and then west along Soldiers Road.
     
    We apologise for any inconvenience.

    Attachments: Shiprock Falls PG Closure of toilets (1,172KB)

  • Kurth Kiln Regional Park

    Operation Columbus Compliance Program

    Parks Victoria, in partnership with Victoria Police, have launched a dedicated compliance operation, Operation Columbus, targeting illegal activities within Bunyip State Park, Kurth Kiln Regional Park and surrounding areas.
     
    Illegal activities, particularly off-road four-wheel driving, damage to infrastructure and firewood collection are having devastating impacts on the natural and cultural values of these areas. Parks Victoria have a legal and moral obligation to conserve and protect these areas in line with the Crown Land Reserves (Metropolitan and Regional Parks) Regulations and the Forest Act.
     
    It is important when planning to visit a park that visitors are aware of the activities that are permitted and where there may be restrictions. For example, Kurth Kiln Regional Park has different regulations to nearby state forests and Bunyip State Park. Firewood collection, entering seasonally closed areas and driving off-road (leaving the road or track to drive on fuel breaks or through the bush) are not permitted.
     
    Operation Columbus will be continuing throughout the coming months, occurring on both weekends and weekdays. 
     

How we keep it special

The management and preservation of Kurth Kiln Regional Park is actively assisted by the voluntary community group Friends of Kurth Kiln. Regular working bees are held to maintain the heritage and natural values of the park.
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