Camping in the Central Murray

The Central Murray is river country: paddle steamers at Echuca, sandy beaches on the bends around Cobram, and the largest river red gum forest of its kind in the world at Barmah. Camping here means choosing between a town with the shops close by and a quiet beach on the river itself.

Where is the best place to camp in the Central Murray?

Echuca is the biggest base, about 214 km north of Melbourne where the Campaspe meets the Murray, with holiday parks such as Discovery Parks Echuca and a river camp close to town. Around Cobram, the river bends are lined with bush camps like Scotts Beach, and Yarrawonga sits on Lake Mulwala. For forest camping, Barmah National Park has camps among the red gums, including The Gulf.

What is there to do in the Central Murray with kids?

In Echuca, a historic river port with the largest paddle steamer fleet in the world, the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre and the Holden Museum are a short walk from the town parks. Near Kyabram, the Kyabram Fauna Park is close to the caravan parks. At Cobram, Thompson's Beach is claimed to be the largest inland beach in Australia, and at Yarrawonga, Lake Mulwala is used for boating, kayaking and fishing.

• Kyabram Fauna Park – Animals, Kyabram. Closest campground: Kyabram Caravan and Tourist Park, 1 km
• Holden Museum – Museums and history, Echuca. Closest campground: NRMA Echuca Holiday Park, under 1 km
• Port of Echuca Discovery Centre – Museums and history, Echuca. Closest campground: NRMA Echuca Holiday Park, under 1 km
• Tocumwal Aviation Museum‎ – Museums and history, Tocumwal. Closest campground: Eastern Section Camping, 4 km
• Campaspe Run Rural Discovery Centre – Museums and history, Elmore. Closest campground: Aysons Reserve, 7 km
• The Foundry Arts Space – Museums and history, Echuca. Closest campground: NRMA Echuca Holiday Park, 1 km
• Yarrawonga Mulwala Pioneer Museum – Museums and history, Mulwala. Closest campground: Yarrawonga Holiday Park, 2 km
• Bullanginya Dreaming – Museums and history, Barooga. Closest campground: Horse-shoe Bend Camping, 2 km
• Rushworth Museum – Museums and history, Rushworth. Closest campground: Warranga Basin Caravan Park, 4 km
• The Great Aussie Beer Shed & Heritage Farm Museum – Museums and history, Echuca. Closest campground: Rich River Tourist Park, 4 km
• Katamatite Historical Society Museum – Museums and history, Katamatite. Closest campground: Camp Ground - Cemetery Bend at Dicks Island, Proposed Murray River Park, 14 km
• Barmah Forest Heritge and Education Centre – Museums and history, Nathalia. Closest campground: Wakiti Creek Resort, 18 km
• Nagambie Historical Society – Museums and history, Nagambie. Closest campground: Camp Ground, 19 km
• Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum – Museums and history, Tatura. Closest campground: Kyabram Caravan and Tourist Park, 20 km
• Wacky Bird Gallery – Museums and history, Corowa. Closest campground: Bundalong Holiday Resort, 21 km
• Federation Museum – Museums and history, Corowa. Closest campground: Bundalong Holiday Resort, 21 km
• Pyramid Hill & Districts Historical Museum – Museums and history, Pyramid Hill. Closest campground: Gunbower Caravan Park, 25 km
• Sporties Mini Golf – Play, Barooga. Closest campground: Horse-shoe Bend Camping, 2 km
• Numurkah Swimming Centre – Swimming, Numurkah. Closest campground: Numurkah Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Lockington District Swimming Pool – Swimming, Lockington. Closest campground: Lockington Travellers Rest, under 1 km
• Rushworth Pool – Swimming, Rushworth. Closest campground: Warranga Basin Caravan Park, 4 km
• Leitchville Memorial Swimming Pool – Swimming, Leitchville. Closest campground: Gunbower Caravan Park, 8 km
• Nathalia Memorial Pool – Swimming, Nathalia. Closest campground: Wakiti Creek Resort, 19 km
• Tatura Swimming complex – Swimming, Tatura. Closest campground: Kyabram Caravan and Tourist Park, 21 km
• Goornong Swimming Pool – Swimming, Goornong. Closest campground: Aysons Reserve, 23 km

What are the best walks and nature spots in the Central Murray?

Barmah National Park covers 285 square kilometres of river red gum floodplain and open freshwater marsh, part of the Ramsar-listed Barmah-Millewa Forest, and it is good for walking, canoeing, fishing and swimming, with egrets, bitterns and Murray cod to look out for.

• Aitchison’s Point – Lookout. Closest campground: Yarrawonga Holiday Park, 3 km

When is the best time to go camping in the Central Murray?

Summer brings the river swimming and the boats, but check river levels first: Echuca and the river camps can flood, and since dams went in upstream, Barmah's forest floods in summer and autumn rather than winter and spring.

Are there powered sites in the Central Murray?

Yes. 4 campgrounds here have powered sites confirmed, including Tongala Caravan Park, Lockington Travellers Rest and NRMA Echuca 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 Echuca from Melbourne?

Echuca is about 214 km north of Melbourne, Barmah about 225 km, Cobram about 246 km and Yarrawonga about 264 km north-east.

Facts from Wikipedia, "Echuca" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Barmah National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Cobram, Victoria" (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikipedia, "Yarrawonga" (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Map of campgrounds in the Central Murray

54 campgrounds

• Tongala Caravan Park — Tongala, VIC. caravan sites, laundry, powered sites, showers, tent sites, toilets, wifi
• Lockington Travellers Rest — Lockington, VIC. caravan sites, dump point, powered sites, showers, toilets
• NRMA Echuca Holiday Park — Echuca, VIC. dump point, powered sites, wifi
• Murray Glenn Lodge — Echuca, VIC. powered sites
• Murray River Hideaway Holiday Park — Strathmerton, VIC. toilets
• All the Rivers Run Caravan Park — Torrumbarry, VIC
• Aysons Reserve — Burnewang, VIC
• Barmah Bridge Caravan Park — Barmah, VIC
• Barmah Lakes Camp Ground 1 — Barmah, VIC
• Big Toms Bend Camping — Cobram, VIC
• Bruces Number One campground at RMR — Burramine, VIC
• Bundalong Holiday Resort — Bundalong, VIC
• Camp Ground — Whroo, VIC
• Camp Ground - Cemetery Bend at Dicks Island, Proposed Murray River Park — Cobram East, VIC
• Camp Ground - Dead River Bend at - Bourkes Bend, River Murray Reserve — Boosey, VIC
• Camping Ground - The Gulf - Barmah National Park — Yielima, VIC
• Camping Grounds - Cobrawonga Island No. 2 at River Murray Reserve — Cobram East, VIC
• Camping Grounds Bourkes Bend No1 Beach at River Murray Reserve — Burramine, VIC
• Christies Beach Campground — Echuca Village, VIC
• Cobram East Caravan Park — Cobram, VIC
• Cobram Willows Holiday Park — Cobram, VIC
• Davies Beach — Cobram, VIC
• Discovery Parks Echuca — Echuca Village, VIC
• Eastern Section Camping — Koonoomoo, VIC
• Greens Lake Camping Area — Corop, VIC
• Gunbower Caravan Park — Gunbower, VIC
• Horse-shoe Bend Camping — Cobram, VIC
• Ingenia Holiday Parks Murray Bend — Tocumwal, NSW
• Kyabram Caravan and Tourist Park — Kyabram, VIC
• Kyabram Western Gums Tourist Park — Kyabram, VIC
• Nevins Bend East Camping ground - RMR — Burramine, VIC
• Numurkah Caravan Park — Numurkah, VIC
• Oasis Caravan Park — Cobram, VIC
• RACV Resort Cobram — Cobram, VIC
• Rich River Tourist Park — Echuca, VIC
• River Bend Caravan Park — Lower Moira, VIC
• Riverlander Holiday Park — Echuca, VIC
• Rochester Riverside Holiday Park — Rochester, VIC
• Scotts Beach Camping — Cobram, VIC
• The gulf camping area. Eight picnic tables. Two steel post and cable fences. Two large signs. Six small signs. — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Torrumbarry Weir Holiday Park — Patho, VIC
• Ulupna Creek East camping ground - MRP — Mywee, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Ground - - Forges No 1 Camping Ground. — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Ground - Chinamans Bend Campsite. No facilities at site. — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Ground - Forges No 2. — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Ground - Sharps Beach — Burramine, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Ground - Zanettis Campground. — Burramine, VIC
• Visitor Facilities - Camping Grounds - Little Bruces Beach. — Burramine, VIC
• Wakiti Creek Resort — Kotupna, VIC
• Warranga Basin Caravan Park — Waranga Shores, VIC
• Wilsons Bend Camping Ground - MRP — Cobram, VIC
• Yarrawonga Holiday Park — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Yarrawonga Riverlands Tourist Park — Yarrawonga, VIC
• Yarrawonga Westside Caravan Park — Yarrawonga, VIC

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