Grannys Flat Campground; magnificent High Country Camping
There are few words that can express how truly amazing the Victorian High Country is, but some of the places we visited certainly give you a good perspective. After spending 3 hours on the Jamieson-Licola Road, we were so excited and pleased to pull into Grannys Flat Campground, and to find that it is nothing short of sensational.
Where is Grannys Flat Campground?
Grannys Flat Campground is only 8km away from Jamieson, and 45km from Mansfield. It’s not too far off the Jamieson-Licola Road, and is easy enough to get to.
What amenities are there?
Grannys Flat has a couple of toilets, and a number of fire pits around the place. There are also a number of picnic tables, and people have built their own rock based fire places in a number of locations as well.
What’s the campground like?
Our dream campground in the Victorian High Country was something quiet, near a beautiful creek, and 4WD access only. Grannys Flat Campground ticks a number of boxes, with truly awesome camping on green, grassy areas right near the beautiful Jamieson river.
Whilst its fairly easy to get to, and does get very busy on the weekends and peak periods, its nice and quiet during the week, and we spent 3 amazing nights here.
This is certainly one of the more scenic campgrounds in the high country that we’ve been to, and we were super excited to pull up and see how good it is.
What does it cost?
Once again, Victoria leads the way in free camping. This is a managed campground, but it won’t cost you a cent to camp here, and that is beyond amazing, considering how fantastic it is.
See the vlog
Want to see this stunning part of the world on video? Here’s our vlog from the stay:
Is it 2WD and caravan accessible?
Technically, yes, you can take a 2WD vehicle here, and a caravan. However, I’m going to recommend that you do not. For starters, the track in is really narrow, and towing a big van in is going to be pushing the friendship, let alone what happens when you meet someone else.
We did bump into a vehicle coming out towing our Reconn R2, and had to reverse back a bit to allow them to swing around on the corner. You’d be in a world of trouble with a big van.
In terms of 2WD access, there are a couple of really steep hills to drive down, and then back up again, and with a bit of rain you’d be in for a risky departure. We did see a Toyota Hiace come down, and when I walked past he asked if there was another way out, as it was sketchy.
He was sensible, and realised that it was pushing the friendship, and when I suggested a lot more rain was coming they packed up and high tailed it out.
I’m not sure why there are no signs out, or more comments on Wikicamps, but I wouldn’t be taking a 2WD vehicle down here unless it had great tyres (not normal road tyres) and traction!
4WD Tracks nearby
Once again, Grannys Flat Campground is surrounded by endless amounts of great 4WD Tracks. The Gallows 4WD track leaves from the campground itself, and then you can cross the river and continue up another track, with the Jamieson Lookout Track, and a huge number of other alternatives nearby.
Fishing at Grannys Flat and Gallows
I’ve spent a lot less time fishing lately than I used to, but a mate said to me ‘you can’t go to the high country without catching a trout’, and I thought I’d give it a whirl. My first few attempts at different locations after buying a one month fishing license would have been funny to watch, with nothing but trees and snags getting caught.
I did however, manage to catch a teeny redfin at Grannys Flat near the 4WD crossing, and had another strike further along. There are fish around, but I’m pretty useless, and only do it to have a bit of fun. It’s certainly a magic place to flick around, and Gallows Campground has some ripper spots to fish from too.
How would we rate Grannys Flat Campground?
I’m sure if you went on the weekend you would have a different experience, but we had a huge grassy area to ourselves for 3 days, with no one camped within a hundred metres of us. We were right above the truly magical river, with views that were absolutely unreal, and we had easy access to the water down some steps that had been cut into the dirt.
We got a lot of rain (and knew it was coming), and really enjoyed sitting under the awning and watching it fall. One day it rained fairly consistently for more than 6 hours, and the next we got hammered badly for about 30 minutes, which put our fire out and ended our dinner cooking, but it was epic to watch.
So far, this is one of the better camp sites that we’ve been to in the Victorian High Country, and we’d be more than happy to come back and spend more time here. If you are chasing more amazing camp sites in Victoria, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy.
