Booking Information

Last updated: 9.00am on 15 July 2024

Get ready to plan your next trip into nature! Bookings for stays up to 1 March 2025 are currently open. For bookings after this date, view the release schedule.

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Making a booking

Bookings can be made online on the Parks Victoria bookings page.

When you're ready to book, ensure you have the following handy:

The name of your preferred campground, dates, and site – and a plan B and C in case they are already booked out
Personal details including name, address, phone number and email address
Your credit card details, a valid Visa or Mastercard, for payment
Your vehicle registration number

When you make a booking you will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. You can change and cancel your booking using the ‘manage booking’ link in the email.

If you need help making an online booking, view our simple video tutorial, 'How to book camping online'. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below for more detailed information.

If you need further assistance to make a booking call Parks Victoria on 13 1963.

To stay informed and discover new ways to get into nature subscribe to the ‘Outdoor Inspiration’ e-newsletter.

Booking system changes and improvements

Earlier this year we held community engagement on the booking system and received feedback from more than 3000 people. Based on this feedback, we are improving the process and booking system. More information on community engagement can be found below in the FAQs.

We’re implementing changes gradually after testing them to ensure the system can cope with high demand.

The immediate improvements to the system are:

Technology improvements to manage high traffic to the site and better privacy and security.
A better, more secure online booking ‘cart’.
Camping bookings will open four times a year, rather than once (view full schedule).
A more flexible cancellation and refund policy.
You can now cancel and change your booking details yourself by selecting “manage booking” in your confirmation email.
A maximum of three campsites (in the same campground) can be booked per transaction.
Camping booking confirmations (permits) no longer need to be printed and displayed during your stay.

Other important information

We encourage all campers to have a back-up plan for alternative dates or campgrounds. Some sites will book out quickly due to their popularity.
We will evaluate the booking opening process for peak summer period after this year and consider further changes.
We will progressively improve the booking system, so it is easier to make group bookings.
To get further updates on camping bookings, please subscribe to the Outdoor Inspiration e-newsletter and follow our social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

More information on the changes can be found below in the FAQs.

FAQs

How can I book?

Go to https://bookings.parks.vic.gov.au/book

We know that not everyone is confident online, or people may have differing levels of access to the internet. To provide more equitable access to booking, you can also call 13 1963 if you need further assistance to make a booking.
How has the booking system been improved?
Parks Victoria is committed to a fair and efficient booking system that is easy to use. We have improved the system due to challenges experienced last year and taken community feedback into consideration.

The immediate improvements to the system are:

Technology improvements to manage high traffic to the site and better privacy and security.

A more flexible cancellation and refund policy. For cancellations made 30 days or more prior to the first day of your trip a 100% refund applies. For cancellations made between 8 and 29 days before your stay a 50% refund applies. Cancellations made within 8 days of your arrival/start date are non-refundable.

You can also change your camping booking details up to 48 hours before the booking begins, or 7 days for accommodation bookings. This change aims to reduce empty campsites during peak times. When a booking is cancelled, the site is made available online for someone else to book.

Camping bookings will be released four times a year, rather than once.

A maximum of three campsites (in the same campground) can be booked per transaction. This gives more people the chance to book during peak periods.

A better, more secure online booking ‘cart’. Once selected, sites are held in the cart for 20 minutes for you to complete your booking.

Camping permits no longer need to be printed and displayed during your stay. However, make sure the car registration associated with your booking is correct.

Improved email communication so you receive better information well before you arrive.

Some further improvements need time to be developed and tested. Parks Victoria will continue to review and improve the system.
Can I change or cancel my booking?
We’ve updated the cancellation and refund policy making it more flexible. The new policy applies to all camping and accommodation bookings (new and existing) from 1 July 2024. You will receive:

100% refund: if you cancel 30 days or more before the first day of your trip.

50% refund: if you cancel 8 to 29 days before the first day of your trip.

Cancellations made within 8 days of your arrival/start date are non-refundable

You can also change your camping booking details up to 48 hours before the booking begins, or 7 days for accommodation bookings. No refund is available on these modified bookings.

This change aims to reduce empty campsites during peak times. When a booking is cancelled, the site is made available online for someone else to book.
How many campsites can I book at once?

Three. The number of campsites you can book per transaction has been reduced from 10 to 3 campsites (in the same campground). Overnight hikes and multi-day journeys do not have this limitation.
What are the minimum and maximum booking lengths?

Wilsons Promontory National Park - Tidal River Campground
Melbourne Cup 2024: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum/14 night maximum stay from Friday 20 Dec 2024 - Friday 24 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Fridays only)
Australia Day Long Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday 24 Jan)
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)
Melbourne Cup 2025: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)

Wilsons Promontory National Park - Wilsons Prom Accommodation
Melbourne Cup 2024: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: Cabins - 7 night minimum/maximum stay from Friday 20 Dec 2024 - Friday 24 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Fridays). Group Lodges, Huts and Units - 7 night minimum/maximum stay between Thursday 19 Dec 2024 - Thursday 23 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Thursdays)
Australia Day Long Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday 24 Jan) for Cabins. 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday 23 Jan) for Huts, Group Lodges and Units
Labour Day: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)
Melbourne Cup 2025: 4 night minimum stay arrival Friday)
All year: 2 night minimum stay for Just Inside The Gate and Tidal River Group Lodges
All year: 2 night minimum stay for Tidal River Cabins and Units for Saturday nights

Cape Conran Coastal Park - Banksia Bluff Campground
Melbourne Cup 2024: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum, 14 night maximum stay from Saturday 21 Dec 2024 – Saturday 25 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Saturday)
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)
Melbourne Cup 2025: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)

Great Otway National Park - Blanket Bay Campground and Johanna Beach Campground
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum, 14 night maximum stay from Saturday 21 Dec 2024 – Saturday 25 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Saturday)
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)

Discovery Bay Coastal Park - Lake Mombeong and Swan Lake campgrounds
Summer Peak Season 2 night minimum stay from Thursday 26 Dec 2024 to Saturday 4 Jan 2025
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum (arrival Thursday)

Lower Glenelg National Park - all campgrounds accessible by vehicle
Summer Peak Season: 2 night minimum stay from Thursday 26 Dec 2024 to Saturday 4 Jan 2025
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)

Corringle Foreshore Reserve campground
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)

Mount Buffalo National Park - Lake Catani Campground
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum, 14 night maximum stay from Saturday 28 Dec 2024 – Saturday 11 Jan 2025 (arrival/departure Saturday)

Buchan Caves Reserve - Buchan Caves Accommodation
2 night minimum stay all year round except Labour Day, Easter and Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: 3 and 4 night minimum stays depending on dates booked from Friday 20 Dec 2024 – Tuesday 28 Jan 2025. 3 night bookings arriving Tuesdays and departing Fridays. 4 night bookings arriving Fridays and departing Tuesdays.
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)

Point Nepean National Park – Point Nepean Discovery Tents
AFL Grand Final Weekend 2024: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Melbourne Cup Weekend 2024: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)
Summer Peak Season: 2 night minimum stay from Fri 20 Dec 2024 – Sun 2 Feb 2025
Labour Day Weekend: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)
Easter: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
AFL Grand Final Weekend 2025: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Melbourne Cup Weekend 2025: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)
Why do some campgrounds have a minimum booking length?

Some popular campgrounds have a minimum length stay in peak times, such as Christmas and Easter. This helps manage traffic at those sites, ensure safety of campers and provide a more enjoyable experience within the campground.
Do I need to print my booking confirmation (permit)?

You no longer have to print and/or display your Camping Booking Confirmation (permit) during your stay. However, make sure the car registration associated with your booking is correct. You can update your car registration at any time by 'manage booking' in your confirmation email.
How does the booking system work?

The booking system enables you to reserve any available bookable campsite online via the Parks Victoria website. For specific instructions on how to make a booking, visit How to book camping online.

Bookings will be released four times per year, for bookings approximately six months in advance. When bookings are first opened and there is high demand for popular periods, a pre-queue and waiting room system will be implemented to manage traffic to the booking system.

The pre-queue will be available 20 minutes prior to bookings opening. When bookings open at 10am, people will be randomly selected from the pre-queue to enter the waiting room (or directly into the booking system if demand is lower). As this is done randomly there is no advantage to being in the pre-queue for longer. Once in the waiting room people will be advised of their place in the line to book and their approximate wait time.
What details will I need to complete my booking?
To complete your booking you will need the following information:

Car registration – registration of the vehicle you will be travelling in. If you don’t know it at the time of booking you can select 'TBC' or 'Hire Car' and then you must add it later via the ‘Manage your booking’ link in your confirmation email

Personal details – name, address, phone number, email address

Credit card details – a valid Visa or Mastercard
Will there be a ballot for peak season?

No, ballots have not been reintroduced. Peak season will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The system has been improved to increase fairness by reducing the maximum number of campsites bookable (from 10 to 3). Parks Victoria will review the way peak season bookings are managed in future years.
Is there a waitlist for peak times if others cancel?

The system is live in real time, so if someone cancels a site or accommodation it becomes available immediately. We encourage you to continue checking the website for available sites and accommodation closer to your preferred travel dates.
When can I book for dates from 2 March 2025?
Bookings will be released four times per year, for bookings approximately six months in advance.

Bookings for the summer peak period open in July 2024 – see release schedule here.

Bookings for 2 March to 31 May 2025, will open 2 September 2024.

To stay informed with all that’s happening in Victoria’s national parks, including future camping releases, sign up for our ‘Outdoor Inspiration’ e-newsletter.
How have you responded to community feedback?
During last summer Parks Victoria held community engagement on the booking system and received feedback from more than 3,000 people. Based on this feedback, we are improving the process and booking system.

The key changes as a result of the feedback are:

Booking system technology improvements, such as cart reservations more reliably holding what’s in your basket, improved security, and a system to manage high traffic to the site. For example, the Virtual Waiting Room that was used when bookings were released last August and performed effectively.

A more flexible cancellation and refund policy. For cancellations made 30 days or more prior to the first day of your trip a 100% refund. For cancellations made between 7 and 29 days before your stay a 50% refund. You can also change your camping booking details up to 48 hours before the booking begins, or 7 days for accommodation bookings. This change aims to reduce empty campsites during peak times. When a booking is cancelled, the site is made available online for someone else to book.

A maximum of three campsites (in the same campground) can be booked per transaction. This gives more people the chance to book during peak periods.

Camping permits no longer need to be printed and displayed during your stay. However, make sure the car registration associated with your booking is correct.

Communications changes – so the information you receive prior to your stay is relevant and easier to understand.

Improving the booking system is an ongoing process. We will continue to listen and gather community feedback to make the booking system better.
How do I keep informed of future camping and accommodation booking releases?

To stay informed with all that’s happening in Victoria’s National Parks, including future camping releases, please sign up for the ‘Outdoor Inspiration’ e-newsletter and follow our social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

Parks where fees apply

Fees apply to campsites and accommodation at the following parks:

Related information

Fantastic alternatives to our busiest campgrounds

A tent set up on grass in a coastal landscape

Point Nepean Discovery Tents

Located within the historic Quarantine Station precinct, the pre-pitched Discovery Tents offer a unique opportunity to camp under canvas within the idyllic coastal Point Nepean National Park.

Jamieson Creek Campground

Set among coastal woodland and tall eucalypts, a short distance from Wye River, Jamieson Creek Campground is perfectly positioned to explore 4WD trails, Jamieson Creek walking track and nearby Cumberland River and Lorne trailheads. Enjoy panoramic views just meters from the campground looking out over the ocean and surrounding landscapes.