Pitch a tent in the Upper Murray
SPRING is in the air and the weather is slowly starting to warm up, making it the perfect time to pack a tent (or load up the caravan if that’s your thing) and discover somewhere new.
Located in North East Victoria, the Upper Murray is host to many sprawling State and Regional Parks which are perfect for campers, bushwalkers, twitters and gravel riders.
It’s been a rough first half of 2020 for Upper Murray communities, with bushfires ravaging a large amount of the region over the summer months. However, some of the area’s parks were lucky to be unaffected by the fires, and are open and ready to be explored.
Mount Lawson State Park
Mount Lawson State Park is known for its steep slopes and prominent rocky bluffs. You can choose to set up camp next to Koetong Creek or The Kurrajongs, which both have basic visitor facilities.
Mount Lawson Summit boasts outstanding views north over the Murray River, and south to the Victorian Alps. While you are there, take the Summit Loop Nature Trail, a short 1km circuit walk that meanders over and around interesting rocky outcrops.
You can also get your legs moving along the 1.5km return Conic Range Walking Track to Conic Rocks, with fantastic views over the northern sections of the park from among giant granite boulders.
A visit to the park would not be complete without a visit to ‘The Spa’, an interesting rock chute and swimming hole located at the end of a 4km return walk along Koetong Creek.
For those looking for a more challenging walk, the Flaggy Creek Gorge Walking Track is a 14km return walk to waterfalls and rock pools within the gorge and panoramic views from ‘Valley Views’ after 1.5km.
Mount Granya State Park
Mount Granya State Park to the west of Mount Lawson is characterised by steep forested slopes that rise dramatically above Lake Hume and surrounding valleys. Campers often set up close to basic visitor facilities at Cotton Tree Creek Campground.
Cotton Tree Creek Campground features a rustic old log hut built by the Granya Scout Group in 1937, which is perfect for exploring with the kids.
The 10.4km return Mount Granya Walk Track links Cotton Tree Creek Campground to Mount Granya Summit via the magnificent Granya Falls, with impressive views from the George’s Creek Lookout. Once at the top, the Lyrebird Loop Nature Trail is a short 400m return walk which wanders around the Mount Granya Summit, where lyrebirds can often be seen or heard.
If you’re heading out on four wheels, caravan-friendly Tallangatta is located to the south of these parks, and has a dump station available.