Camping in Bendigo Loddon

This is goldfields country. Gold was found at Bendigo in 1851, the goldfield produced about 777 tonnes over the next century, and in 1869 the Welcome Stranger, the largest alluvial nugget ever found at more than 71 kilograms, turned up at Moliagul near Dunolly. Today the old gold towns sit among box-ironbark forest, lakes and the winding Loddon River.

Where is the best place to camp in Bendigo Loddon?

It depends whether you want a city, a gold town, a lake or the bush. Bendigo has the most choice and the most to do, about 150 km north-west of Melbourne. To the south, Maldon and Castlemaine are the old gold towns, and Maldon was named Australia's first notable town in 1966 for its intact 1850s streetscape. For bush camping, Greater Bendigo National Park has Notley, a large grassy camp that does not need booking, and in the Castlemaine diggings, the Vaughan Springs camp sits on the Loddon River. For water, Lake Eppalock and Lake Boort both have parks by the shore.

What is there to do in Bendigo Loddon with kids?

In Bendigo, the Joss House Temple and the Golden Dragon Museum are both in town, and the Discovery Science & Technology Centre is close by. In Maldon, the vintage machinery museum is a short walk from the caravan park, and Mount Tarrengower has a fire tower to look out from. The O'Keefe Rail Trail runs 50 km from Bendigo to Heathcote for walking and cycling, and Lake Eppalock is used for boating, sailing, canoeing, fishing and swimming.

• Boort Court House Historical Museum – Museums and history, Boort. Closest campground: Boort Lakes Holiday Park, under 1 km
• Daylesford Spa Country Railway – Museums and history, Daylesford. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, 21 km
• The Convent Daylesford – Museums and history, Daylesford. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, 21 km
• Kyneton Museum – Museums and history, Kyneton. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, 23 km
• Dunolly Museum – Museums and history, Dunolly. Closest campground: Dunolly Caravan Park, under 1 km
• East Loddon Historical Society – Museums and history, Mitiamo. Closest campground: Mt Terrick Terrick Camp Ground, under 1 km
• Powder Magazine – Museums and history, Heathcote. Closest campground: Queen's Meadow Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Maldon District Museum – Museums and history, Maldon. Closest campground: Maldon Caravan & Camping Park, under 1 km
• Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum – Museums and history, Maldon. Closest campground: Maldon Caravan & Camping Park, under 1 km
• Pyramid Hill & Districts Historical Museum – Museums and history, Pyramid Hill. Closest campground: Mt Terrick Terrick Camp Ground, 21 km
• Coach House Gallery & Museum – Museums and history, Wedderburn. Closest campground: Melville Caves Camping Ground - Kooyoora SP, 22 km
• Lee Medlyn Bottle Museum – Museums and history, Clunes. Closest campground: Paddys Ranges campgroud, 25 km
• Clunes Museum – Museums and history, Clunes. Closest campground: Paddys Ranges campgroud, 25 km
• Bendigo Joss House Temple – Museums and history, North Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 3 km
• Bendigo Steam Engine Museum – Museums and history, North Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 4 km
• Bendigo Tramways Depot and Workshop – Museums and history, Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 4 km
• Discovery Science & Technology Centre – Museums and history, Bendigo. Closest campground: Koolamurt Scout Camp, 4 km
• Golden Dragon Museum – Museums and history, Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 4 km
• Specimen Cottage – Museums and history, Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 4 km
• Bendigo RSL Museum – Museums and history, Bendigo. Closest campground: Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park, 5 km
• Mitiamo Swimming Pool – Swimming, Mitiamo. Closest campground: Mt Terrick Terrick Camp Ground, under 1 km
• Boort Swimming Pool – Swimming, Boort. Closest campground: Boort Lakes Holiday Park, under 1 km
• Peter Krenz Leisure Centre – Swimming, Eaglehawk. Closest campground: Myers Flat Rest Area, 3 km

What are the best walks and waterfalls in Bendigo Loddon?

In Greater Bendigo National Park, the Flagstaff Hill Loop is an easy walk with views over the mallee, and the Old Tom Mine Walk loops through the forest to an old mining site. From Vaughan Springs, a short walk along the Goldfields Track leads to the Central Springs Heritage Site, where the remains of a Chinese market garden can still be seen, and in Kooyoora State Park, Melville Caves sit among granite outcrops in the forest.

• Lake Boort – Swimming spot. Closest campground: Boort Lakes Holiday Park, 2 km
• Lake Eppalock – Swimming spot. Closest campground: Lake Eppalock Holiday Park, 4 km
• Melville Caves – Cave, Kooyoora State Park. Closest campground: Melville Caves Camping Ground - Kooyoora SP, under 1 km
• Glenluce Falls – Waterfall. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, 2 km
• Tarilta Falls – Waterfall. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, 7 km
• Flagstaff Hill Loop Walk – Walk, Greater Bendigo National Park. Closest campground: Shadbolt Camping Ground and Picnic Site, under 1 km
• walk to Central Springs Heritage Site – Walk, Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Closest campground: Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP, under 1 km
• Old Tom Mine Walk – Walk, Greater Bendigo National Park. Closest campground: Notley Picnic and Camping Area, under 1 km
• Long Rock Walking Track – Walk, Kooyoora State Park. Closest campground: Melville Caves Camping Ground - Kooyoora SP, under 1 km
• Viewing Point Rock – Lookout. Closest campground: Queen's Meadow Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Boort Scenic Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Boort Lakes Holiday Park, under 1 km
• Devils Cave – Lookout. Closest campground: Queen's Meadow Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Southern Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Melville Caves Camping Ground - Kooyoora SP, under 1 km
• One Tree Hill lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Koolamurt Scout Camp, 1 km
• Union Hill MIne Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Maldon Caravan & Camping Park, 1 km

When is the best time to go camping in Bendigo Loddon?

Spring is the pick: wildflowers in the Bendigo forest are best from August to October. Heathcote, in the shelter of the Mount Camel Range, runs two to three degrees cooler than Bendigo in summer.

Do you need to book campsites in Bendigo Loddon?

It depends on the camp. Notley in Greater Bendigo National Park does not need booking, but Melville Caves in Kooyoora State Park must be booked through Parks Victoria. Keep children on the tracks in the parks, because parts are old mining ground with uneven surfaces, tailings and unstable mineshafts, and note that dogs are not allowed at Vaughan Springs.

Are there powered sites in Bendigo Loddon?

Yes. 2 campgrounds here have powered sites confirmed: BIG4 Bendigo Park Lane Holiday Park and Boort Lakes Holiday Park. For the rest we are still confirming, so check with the park or holiday park before you book a powered site.

How far is Bendigo from Melbourne?

Bendigo is about 150 km north-west of Melbourne, Maldon about 141 km, Heathcote about 110 km north, and Boort, at the top of the region, about 251 km.

Facts from Wikipedia, "Bendigo" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Welcome Stranger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Maldon, Victoria" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "O'Keefe Rail Trail" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Lake Eppalock" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Parks Victoria, Greater Bendigo National Park, Parks Victoria, Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and Parks Victoria, Kooyoora State Park.

Map of campgrounds in Bendigo Loddon

34 campgrounds

• BIG4 Bendigo Park Lane Holiday Park — Junortoun, VIC. powered sites, tent sites
• Myers Flat Rest Area — Sailors Gully, VIC. caravan sites, tent sites
• Queen's Meadow Caravan Park — Heathcote, VIC. dump point, tent sites
• Waanyarra Recreation Site — Waanyarra, VIC. caravan sites, tent sites
• BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park — Castlemaine, VIC. wheelchair accessible
• Boort Lakes Holiday Park — Boort, VIC. powered sites
• 2nd Castlemaine Scout Camp — Fryerstown, VIC
• A-Line Holiday Village — Big Hill, VIC
• Bendigo Marong Caravan Park — Marong, VIC
• Big 4 Bendigo Ascot Holiday Park — White Hills, VIC
• Bridgewater on Loddon Tourist Park — Bridgewater on Loddon, VIC
• Camp site - Sign 562 at Leanganook Trk - Coliban Water Walk — Mandurang South, VIC
• Campground - Dargile camp area Heathcote-Graytown NP — Mount Camel, VIC
• Caravan Park — Maryborough, VIC
• Dunolly Caravan Park — Dunolly, VIC
• Gold Nugget Tourist Park — Epsom, VIC
• Inglewood Motel And Caravan Park — Inglewood, VIC
• Koolamurt Scout Camp — Spring Gully, VIC
• Laanecoorie Lakeside Park — Laanecoorie, VIC
• Laanecoorie River Reserve Camping Area — Laanecoorie, VIC
• Lake Eppalock Holiday Park — Kimbolton, VIC
• Lakeshore Caravan Park — Knowsley, VIC
• Loddon House Holiday Park — Baringhup, VIC
• Maldon Caravan & Camping Park — Maldon, VIC
• Mataranka Scout Camp — Dunolly, VIC
• Melville Caves Camping Ground - Kooyoora SP — Brenanah, VIC
• Moorabbee Lodge Caravan Park — Knowsley, VIC
• Mt Terrick Terrick Camp Ground — Mitiamo, VIC
• Notley Picnic and Camping Area — Whipstick, VIC
• Paddys Ranges campgroud — Adelaide Lead, VIC
• Shadbolt Camping Ground and Picnic Site — Woodvale, VIC
• The Butts Reserve — Maldon, VIC
• Upper Terrace Camping Ground at Vaughan Springs in CDNHP — Vaughan, VIC
• Welshmans Reef Caravan Park — Welshmans Reef, VIC

Region boundary: ABS ASGS Edition 3 Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0.