Strachans Campground

Overview

About Strachans Campground

Why stop

Secluded woodland camp beside the Glenelg headwaters

Heads up

Basic facilities and untreated water require self-sufficiency

Map

Where it is

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Full map

CampgroundStrachans Campground-37.37600, 142.28220

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

For the most comfortable stay, choose the milder months and arrive with enough daylight to set up and look around the clearing. Early morning is quiet and gives the trees soft light; late afternoon brings warmer colour across the eucalyptus trunks and the campsite. Spring is especially appealing for native flowers in the wider park. Summer can be hot and fire conditions can change, so check restrictions before travelling and never assume a fire is permitted.

Access and preparation

All sites need to be booked in advance. The approach is on an unsealed road that is generally suitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles, but it is not a quick paved pull-in. Allow extra time for the final approach, especially if conditions are wet, and arrive prepared for a self-sufficient bush camp. Keep the campground's small footprint in mind when choosing gear and storing food.

5 active Grampians alerts

ClosureStrachans Campground closed for upgradesMentions this placeStrachans Campground is closed to visitors from 13 April through 29 October 2026 while major upgrade works are completed. - Do not plan to camp at Strachans during this closure.Official details
ClosureBushfire-damaged walks and picnic area remain closedThe Fortress, Red Gum, Billimina, Chimney Pots and Brownings Loop walks, plus Mafeking Picnic Area, remain closed because of track or site damage from the 2024/25 summer bushfires.Official details

See all 5 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Grampians Tour Guide

Your drive to Strachans Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grampians National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Strachans: A Picnic by the Glenelg Headwaters

0:00 / 0:21

“The approach to Strachans Campground is ahead, and there's a separate day visitor area if you'd like a picnic without staying overnight.”

Plays as you drive up to Strachans Campground in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.

More about Strachans Campground

Why stay hereStrachans Campground is a small, secluded base in the south-western Grampians, set on the site…

Strachans Campground is a small, secluded base in the south-western Grampians, set on the site of a former timber mill beside the headwaters of the Glenelg River. It is a good choice when you want a quieter night in the bush rather than a polished holiday park or a busy Halls Gap base. The surrounding Victoria Range and Victoria Valley give campers access to bushwalking, four-wheel driving and rock climbing.

What to expectThere are eight unpowered sites: six vehicle-based sites for caravans, campervans, camper…

There are eight unpowered sites: six vehicle-based sites for caravans, campervans, camper trailers or tents, plus two tent-only sites with nearby vehicle parking. Each site has its own fireplace, while the tent-only sites also have picnic tables. A separate day visitor area has a fireplace and picnic table. The small scale is the draw here, but it also means the campground can feel quiet and basic rather than activity-filled.

Facilities are deliberately limited. There is a pit toilet, and only a limited supply of untreated tank water. Do not treat that water as drinking water: bring your own potable supply, along with food, a headlamp, warm layers and firewood. Use the provided fireplaces and follow local fire restrictions. Pack out what you bring.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Grampians

All Grampians wildlife maps

157 sightingsShort-beaked EchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

37 sightingsPowerful OwlMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

59 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map

24 sightingsEastern Brown SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting map

10 sightingsTiger SnakeMost seen around noonSighting map

29 sightingsRed-bellied Black SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grampians. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.