Woods Point Campground; amazing Snowy River Free Camping

If you are looking for a fantastic camp site between Sydney and Melbourne that isn’t far off the coast, Woods Point is up there with the better options. We’ve had the privilege of camping at more places all over Australia than I can honestly remember these days, and it takes a lot for us to rave about one. Woods Point though, comfortably ticks the boxes, and I’d recommend you come here in a heartbeat.

Want more free camp sites in Victoria? We’ve got you covered!

Woods Point Camping is an amazing opportunity
It takes a lot for us to rave about a camp site, but Woods Point is a ripper

Where is Woods Point?

You’ll find this place roughly 30 minutes north of Orbost, on the snowy river. There’s a couple of different ways you can get to Woods Point, with the Cherry Tree Track being an extra 10km in length.

Driving into Woods Point Campground
Driving into Woods Point Campground from Orbost

Do you need a 4WD?

No, you don’t, but it’s a gravel road, with some fairly steep sections both up and down and a bit of clearance doesn’t hurt. If you haven’t done much of this I’m going to say its very steep, but its certainly nothing on much of the Victorian High Country. Some of the gravel is quite ‘thick’, and whilst I can’t see rain making it hugely slippery, its worth considering when you go, as some 2WD vehicles (no doubt front wheel drive ones) would have a hard time.

That said, I did see a Micra, and Lancer at the bottom, along with a normal small sized school bus, so its doable.

Woods Point on the way out
A 4WD is ideal, but you can get other vehicles in

Can you take a Caravan in?

Yes, and a lot of people do. However, you want to drive in low range, and use engine braking properly down the hills or you could be in trouble very quickly. There are also a number of places where the road isn’t wide enough for two vehicles to pass, so someone is going to be reversing if you meet another vehicle.

We came in via Garnets Track which was pretty decent, and has a number of places you could pass for most of the road (except for a small section a couple of kilometres long).

Great views from Woods Point Campground
You’d get a caravan into a lot of the spots here

What’s at Woods Point?

This camp ground is mostly under the shade of big trees, with lots of level, grassy camping areas. All of them look out towards the beach, and the stunning Snowy river. You really cannot ask for a nicer camp site, especially with the sites right on the grass overlooking the water.

There are drop toilets that are maintained by the Rangers, and they do a great job.

Toilets at Woods Point
There’s toilets, amazing views and a beautiful river

What does it cost to camp?

This place is completely and utterly free, and it easily competes with camp sites that we’ve paid a lot more to stay at.

Woods Point camping
You don’t pay a cent to camp here, and its better than many paid national park sites

Swimming in the Snowy River

The swimming in the river here is fantastic. It’s a sandy entrance, with warm water that gets cooler as you get out. On a 37 degree day, we spent most of our time in the water, and thoroughly loved it.

I would imagine that the water could get quite cold at times, but it was a magic temperature when we visited.

It’s worth noting that there are some logs and rocks in the river (as you’d expect) and that the water flows quite quickly in the deeper sections. This is fine if you are a competent swimmer, but you could easily get caught out if you aren’t (so stick to the shallow sections if that’s the case!).

The Snowy River sign
The Snowy River can move quickly, so be careful in the water

It does get busy

I will mention that when we stayed, it was the middle of the week, and there were less than 4 other vehicles there camped up. On the weekends though, or school holidays this place is very busy, and no doubt would have a different atmosphere.

There is a Woods Point Overflow camping area on the way in (which looked pretty decent too!), to allow for the extra people, but have a good think about when you’re visiting, and what you might expect when you arrive!

Stunning camping in Victoria
It can get busy here, but go mid week and its quiet and amazing

This is a ripper Camp site in Victoria

We love Victoria. It’s amazing on so many levels, but this camp site ticks all the boxes for us. It’s away from the crowds, a bit off road, free, has magic swimming and stunning views. What more could you ask for?

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