Explore
Budj Bim National Park
Parks Victoria respects the deep and continuing connection that Gunditjmara Traditional Owners have to Budj Bim National Park, and we recognise their ongoing role in caring for Country.
We’re proud to work with Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation in the co-management of this Aboriginal cultural landscape.
Discover the rich cultural heritage of Budj Bim and the natural wonders of this ancient, volcanic landscape. Budj Bim National Park visitor area is home to a tranquil crater lake, lava canals and caves in a lush bushland setting. Enjoy a picnic, camp and walk among Manna Gums teeming with native wildlife.
A truly fascinating place, Budj Bim is one of several places in this area’s rich cultural landscape formed by powerful ancestral creation forces. Many visitors return to explore and relax in the tranquil surrounds. The wider Budj Bim Heritage Landscape dates back thousands of years and shows evidence of large, settled communities systematically farming and smoking eels for food and trade. The Heritage Landscape area is considered one of Victoria’s earliest and largest Indigenous aquaculture ventures, and has recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List recognised solely for its Aboriginal cultural values.
Budj Bim Campground is set among lava rock and tall, twisted Manna Gum trees. These are a favourite food source for koalas, so look up!
Explore the dramatic volcanic features of Budj Bim on foot. Walk through the lava flow canals, stroll around the crater's rim or follow the lake shoreline below. See the rocky walls, lava caves and canals on the four walking options and learn about the natural wonder of the creation forces.
Bring a mountain bike and cycle the Budj Bim Trail. Break up the journey and camp along the way at Allambie, Murphy’s Hut and Lake Gorrie.
Budj Bim is one of the world's finest examples of ancient aquaculture and engineering and now, thanks to laser mapping technology, new discoveries are revealing the sophisticated and sustainable engineering techniques used by Australia's Traditional Owners. Learn more from the video below.
As rivers, lakes and reservoirs are natural environments, you may encounter hazards. Follow our water safety advice to make sure your day out at Budj Bim National Park is a safe and enjoyable one.
Things to do in the area
Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre
Budj Bim Campground
Four wheel driving and trail bike riding
Lake Surprise
Wildlife and Nature
Tours and adventure experiences in parks
One of the best ways you can get into nature is with a Licensed Tour Operator.
There are more than 400 Licensed Tour Operators across Victoria who are ready and waiting to help you experience and connect with Victoria’s spectacular parks and waterways.
Discover more than 60 different types of nature-based experiences including hiking, mountain biking, boating, four-wheel driving, indigenous culture tours, birdwatching, surfing, diving and so much more.
Licensed Tour Operators know all the best places to go and will plan and prepare your visit to ensure you are safe and can enjoy your nature-based adventure to the fullest.
How to get there
Budj Bim National Park
When you're there
Need to know
Budj Bim National Park
Accessibility
Visiting a park can be more of a challenge for people with disabilities, however in Victoria there are a wide range of facilities to help people of all abilities enjoy our wonderful parks around the state.
Assistance dogs are welcome in Parks Victoria parks and reserves. Entry requirements apply for parks and reserves that are usually dog prohibited, such as national parks.
Change of Conditions
Nature being nature, sometimes conditions can change at short notice. It’s a good idea to check this page ahead of your visit for any updates.
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Notices Affecting Multiple Sites
Temporary Walking Track Closure
A large number of fallen trees caused by recent weather events have made the Lake Surprise and Lava Canal Walking tracks unsafe.
Plans are in place to re-open the walking tracks, however they will remain closed until it is safe to do so.
Visitor safety is our highest priority.
Parks Victoria apologises for any inconvenience. -
Budj Bim Picnic Area (Budj Bim National Park)
Gas BBQ's closed
The Budj Bim National Park picnic area provides gas BBQ's for visitor use.These BBQs are currently unavailable for use. -
Budj Bim Campground (Budj Bim National Park)
Budj Bim National Park. Northern toilet block in campground temporarily closed.
The small toilet block in the Budj Bim National Park campground is temporarily closed.The toilet block will re-open in late October, or earlier if demand requires.The main toilet and shower block will remain open.
How we keep it special
The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a unique place with universal heritage values that demonstrate how Gunditjmara people worked with the natural resources and environment of the Victorian south west region to establish a permanent place of human society over the past 30,000 years and beyond.
Management plan
The Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan is a strategic guide for managing and protecting over 130 parks, reserves and Indigenous Protected Areas in south-west Victoria, including Budj Bim National Park.
Koala population management
Protected within the Budj Bim World Heritage Listed area is Victoria's largest remaining Stony Rises Woodland community. This vegetation type is dominated by Manna Gum, the koala’s preferred food tree. To prevent over browsing and decline in the tree condition it is necessary to manage the koala population in and around the park. Many of the female koalas have been implanted with hormonal contraceptives and remain living in the park. Contraceptives act to slow koala reproduction and limit future browse pressure on the Manna Gums. The koala population and tree canopy condition are monitored to track progress toward Woodland recovery.