Big Hill Campground

Big Hill Campground is a small, mid-Otways camp in Great Otway National Park, tucked into cool temperate forest near Benwerrin. Just 13 sites — split between tent-only (sites 1–7) and camper-trailer/caravan-friendly (sites 8–13) — surrounded by 4WD tracks and serious mountain bike trails. The campground is a base for the Otways' inland adventure scene, and the catch is the access road: Big Hill Track is unsealed, narrow, and closes seasonally during wet winter months.

Getting there#

Location: Near the intersection of Big Hill Track and Lorne–Deans Marsh Road, Benwerrin, in the central Otway Ranges between Lorne and Apollo Bay.

Two practical approaches:

• From Lorne (~30 km, 45 minutes) — head inland from the Great Ocean Road on the Lorne–Erskine Falls Road, then north onto Big Hill Track. The track is unsealed and slow.
• From Deans Marsh (~25 km, 35 minutes) — south on the Deans Marsh–Lorne Road, then turn onto Big Hill Track from the north. Slightly easier surface.
• From Geelong allow about 1 hour 45 minutes via Deans Marsh.
• From Melbourne CBD allow about 2 hours 45 minutes via the Princes Freeway and the Great Ocean Road or Deans Marsh.

Big Hill Track is unsealed gravel and closes seasonally during wet winter months (typically June–October, but Parks Victoria assesses by condition rather than calendar). Always check the road status on the Parks Victoria Big Hill page and the Great Otway local closures before driving — the track can be impassable for towed vehicles even when it's open to standard 4WD.

Mobile reception is patchy throughout the Otways interior. Don't rely on real-time directions past Deans Marsh.

Sites and facilities#

13 unpowered sites, each accommodating up to 6 people:

• Sites 1–7: tent-only
• Sites 8–13: camper trailer and small caravan capable

Check-in is 2pm, check-out is 11am.

On site:

• Non-flushing toilets
• Shared fireplaces with low tables and seats
• Wood-fire barbecue
• Picnic tables

Bring with you:

• Drinking water and cooking water (no tap water on site)
• Firewood (collecting in the park is prohibited; bring your own)
• Fuel stove as backup for fire-restriction days
• Warm bedding — the Otway interior runs noticeably colder than the coast

Dogs are not permitted.

Nearest town and supplies#

The closest places to fuel up and grab supplies:

• Lorne (~30 km, 45 minutes) — full coastal town on the Great Ocean Road. Supermarket (small IGA), bakeries, multiple cafes, fuel, surf shops. The right place to do a real shop if you're approaching from the coast.
• Apollo Bay (~50 km, 1 hour) — bigger supply town further west on the Great Ocean Road. Larger supermarket, more options.
• Deans Marsh (~25 km, 35 minutes) — small village with a general store and pub. Useful for a forgotten-something run.
• Forrest (~25 km, 40 minutes north-west) — has a brewery, a cafe, and basic groceries. Bonus stop on the way in.

The pragmatic plan: do your full shop in Lorne or Geelong before heading inland. Once you're at Big Hill, the next supplies trip is at minimum 90 minutes round-trip on dirt roads.

What to do at Big Hill#

• Mountain biking — Big Hill is right in the middle of the Forrest MTB trail network (Australia's largest single-track network). The Forrest trails start about 25 km north-west and offer rides for all levels.
• 4WD driving — multiple tracks lead off Big Hill Track itself. Most require Otway-Forest experience and are seasonally closed.
• Horse riding — the Otways have an established horse-trail system; check Parks Victoria for current designated routes.
• Erskine Falls and Erskine River — about 15 minutes south, one of the iconic Otways waterfalls.
• Triplet Falls and the Otway Fly Treetop Adventures — bigger day-trip options south.
• Wildlife — koalas, swamp wallabies, lyrebirds (the Otways' lyrebirds are particularly active around dawn).

Best time to visit#

• Summer (December–February) is the obvious sweet spot for the Otways — long days, dry roads, peak coastal weather. Big Hill books out school holidays.
• Autumn (March–May) is excellent: cooler, less crowded, the rainforest looking its best. Watch for shoulder-season weather changes.
• Late spring (October–November) is good for biking and walking before the heat of summer arrives.
• Winter (June–August) is when Big Hill Track typically closes. The campground itself may stay technically open, but you can't reach it by vehicle when the road is closed. Check status before booking.

Camping fees#

Camping fee: roughly $28–$34 per site (6-person cap) under the Victorian Government's half-price camping subsidy; Parks Victoria prices dynamically by peak/off-peak. There's a $7 Parks Victoria booking fee per reservation. No separate vehicle entry fee applies to Great Otway National Park.

Fees change — confirm current pricing on the Parks Victoria booking page when you book. Confirm the access road is open before paying — refunds for closure-blocked bookings depend on Parks Victoria's cancellation policy at the time.

Can't get a booking?#

Big Hill's 13-site cap means popular weekends — especially summer school holidays and warm-weather long weekends — book out fast. Cancellations happen, particularly when winter forecasts roll in or when the access road is flagged as closing.

Set up a free CampWatch alert and we'll text you the moment a Big Hill site opens up. No app, no account — just your phone number.