Bookings release schedule

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.

Camping in Parks Victoria’s paid campgrounds are free of charge until 30 June 2025.

During this time, bookings are still essential, even though there is no charge.

Fees will continue to apply for roofed accommodation like cabins and huts at Wilsons Promontory, the unique pre-pitched Discovery Tents at Point Nepean National Park, and remote hike-in campgrounds along the Grampians Peaks Trail.

From 1 July 2025, the Victorian Government will reintroduce half-price camping fees at 131 bookable campgrounds across the Parks Victoria estate for the next two years. Since half-price camping was introduced in 2019, campers have saved more than $25 million in booking fees. The return to half-price camping ensures more Victorians can get out into the great outdoors.

Bookings up to 30 June 2025 – Free camping initiative

Yes, we encourage you to do this if your plans change. This ensures campsites aren’t left empty and others can enjoy a free stay in nature. You can cancel or change your booking online right up to or during your stay. If you leave your booked site early, please cancel the remainder of your booking so others can enjoy the campsite. You can do this by clicking on 'manage my booking' in your confirmation email.

 

Bookings from 1 July 2025 - Half-price camping

From 1 July 2025, the Victorian Government will reintroduce half-price camping fees at Parks Victoria managed, bookable campgrounds and the following cancellation and refund policy will apply to all camping and accommodation bookings.

You will receive:

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

50% refund: if you cancel 7 to 29 days before the first day of your trip

No refund if you cancel less than 7 days before the first day of your trip. 

You can also change your camping booking details up to the time of arrival or 7 days before for accommodation bookings. No refund is available on these modified bookings.

These changes aim to reduce empty campsites during peak times. When a booking is cancelled, the site is made available online for someone else to book.

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 in the past and taken feedback from more than 3000 people into consideration.

These include:

• 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 release schedule).
• A more flexible cancellation and refund policy.
• You can now cancel and change your booking details yourself by selecting 'manage my booking' in your confirmation email.
• A ongoing maximum of 3 campsites (in the same campground) can be booked per transaction - and a reduced limit of 2 during the free camping period until 30 June 2025.
• Camping booking confirmations (permits) no longer need to be printed and displayed during your stay.
• We will progressively improve the booking system so it is easier to make group bookings.

Bookings up to 30 June 2025 – Free camping initiative

For the free camping period from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025, there is a maximum booking limit of two sites per campground in a single transaction to ensure more people can enjoy camping in nature during his time.

Bookings from 1 July 2025 - Half-price camping

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. 

The Victorian Government has confirmed half-price camping will return from 1 July 2025 and continue for the next two years. The announcement was made as part of the 2025-26 State Budget.

Half-price camping was first introduced in 2019 as part of the $105.6 million Victoria's Great Outdoors initiative, which included funding to create or upgrade 62 new camping grounds in parks and state forests. An additional $1.7 million went towards camping ground maintenance, repairs, and operating costs.

Since half-price camping was introduced, campers have saved more than $25 million in booking fees.

In 2024, the Premier and Minister for the Environment introduced the $9 million free camping initiative until 30 June 2025. This investment provided campers with free access to 131 bookable campgrounds managed by Parks Victoria across the state.

Both of these initiatives enabled more Victorians to experience the great outdoors while easing cost of living pressures

Wilsons Promontory National Park - Tidal River Campground
Melbourne Cup 2025: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum/14 night maximum stay from Friday 19 Dec 2025 - Friday 23 Jan 2026 (arrival/departure Fridays only)
Australia Day Long Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)
Melbourne Cup 2026: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)

Wilsons Promontory National Park - Wilsons Prom Accommodation
Melbourne Cup 2025: 4 night minimum stay  (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: Cabins - 7 night minimum/maximum stay from Friday 19 Dec 2025 - Friday 23 Jan 2026 (arrival/departure Fridays). Group Lodges, Huts and Units - 7 night minimum/maximum stay between Thursday 18 Dec 2025 - Thursday 22 Jan 2026 (arrival/departure Thursdays)
Australia Day Long Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday) for Cabins.  4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday) for Huts, Group Lodges and Units
Labour Day: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday) 
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday) 
Melbourne Cup 2026: 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 2025: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Summer Peak Season: 7 night minimum, 14 night maximum stay from Saturday 20 Dec 2025 – Saturday 24 Jan 2026 (arrival/departure Saturday)
Labour Day Weekend: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Easter: 4 night minimum stay (arrival Thursday)
Melbourne Cup 2026: 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 20 Dec 2025 – Saturday 24 Jan 2026 (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 25 Dec 2025 to Saturday 3 Jan 2026
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 25 Dec 2025 to Saturday 3 Jan 2026
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 27 Dec 2025 – Saturday 10 Jan 2026 (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 19 Dec 2025 – Tuesday 27 Jan 2026. 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 2025: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Melbourne Cup Weekend 2025: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)
Summer Peak Season: 2 night minimum stay from Fri 19 Dec 2025 – Sun 1 Feb 2026
Labour Day Weekend:  2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)
Easter: 3 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
AFL Grand Final Weekend 2026: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Friday)
Melbourne Cup Weekend 2026: 2 night minimum stay (arrival Saturday)

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.

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.

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.

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 

No, 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.

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.

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.