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Aire River East Campground in Great Otway National Park

Campground · Great Otway National Park

Aire River East Campground

An unpowered estuary camp for paddling, koalas and quiet bush nights.

Type
Campground
Nearest trail
0.4 km
Audio stories
5 nearby
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
  • Parking
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Aire River: A Picnic by the Wetlands

Overview

About Aire River East Campground

Aire River East Campground is a small drive-in camp on the eastern bank of the Aire River estuary, below the Otway Ranges near Hordern Vale. It’s a simple, unpowered riverside stay, best if you want grassy pitches, paddling access and a shaded bush setting more than campground services.

Why stop

  • Calm estuary access in a shaded bush setting

Heads up

  • Pitch sizes vary; bring water and plan to pack waste out

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundAire River East Campground-38.80020, 143.48187
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Plan your stop

Before you go

3 active Great Otway alerts

  • ClosureSeasonal campsite closures at Aire RiverMentions Aire River, referenced in this guideSeasonal closures remain in effect at Aire River through 30 October 2026; do not use the closed sites. - Aire River East: all sites are closed from 29 May to 30 October 2026 and reopen 31 October.Official details
  • ClosureWye Road closed after storm and flood damageWye Road is closed until further notice because recent storm and flood damage requires road maintenance and repair works; plan around the closure.Official details
See all 3 alerts
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Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Great Otway Tour Guide

Your drive to Aire River East Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Otway 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.

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Recorded for this place

Aire River: A Picnic by the Wetlands
0:00 / 0:27
“Up ahead is the Aire River day visitor area, a west-bank picnic stop beside Aire River West Campground. Stop here for a riverside break rather than a major sightseeing detour.”

Plays as you drive up to Aire River East Campground in the Parkwolf Great Otway Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

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  • 252 audio storiesacross Great Otway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Koala, Grey Kangaroo, Echidna, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 83 trails, 79 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Guide

More about Aire River East Campground

Choose a pitchThe 20 grassy sites are unpowered and accommodate up to six people each.

The 20 grassy sites are unpowered and accommodate up to six people each. The campground map marks some as tent-only and some as tent-or-caravan; pitches vary, so check the map before booking a caravan site. Campers report that some of the first numbered pitches are particularly tight.

Get set upExpect basic shared drop toilets and picnic tables.

Expect basic shared drop toilets and picnic tables. Bookings are required year-round, and solid-fuel fires aren’t allowed. Bring drinking water and plan to pack rubbish out: recent campers report no dependable water supply or bins.

On the waterThe calm estuary is well suited to kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, with access…

The calm estuary is well suited to kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, with access points along the bank. The Aire is a Heritage River, and the campsite’s appeal is the river setting as much as the overnight stop.

Wildlife and tradeoffsKeep an eye in the trees for koalas; campers often report seeing them around the campground.

Keep an eye in the trees for koalas; campers often report seeing them around the campground. Possums and kookaburras turn up too. The tradeoffs are basic facilities, variable site sizes and biting insects reported by visitors.

campingestuarypaddlingkoalaswildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife in Great Otway

All Great Otway wildlife maps
Koala204 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGrey Kangaroo35 sightingsGrey KangarooMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapEchidna109 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapKookaburra58 sightingsKookaburraMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSwamp Wallaby97 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapBrushtail Possum20 sightingsBrushtail PossumMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

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

Keep exploring

Near Aire River East Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateAire River Escarpment Lookout Walk4 km · 2 hr · 0.4 km awayA short climb from river estuary to ocean views.ModerateAire River to Johanna Beach14 km · 5.3 hr · 0.4 km awayCliff views, Castle Cove fossils and a beach finish.ModerateGreat Ocean Walk: Aire River to Castle Cove6 km · 2.5 hr · 0.5 km awayRiver-mouth views reward the climb to Castle Cove.ModerateCastle Cove to Johanna Beach6.3 km · 2.5 hr · 5.1 km awayClifftop heath gives way to Johanna’s tide-dependent beach finish.ModerateCape Otway to Aire River10 km · 3.8 hr · 6.6 km awayCoastal heath, cliff-top views and a river finishEasyMaits Rest Rainforest Walk0.8 km · 30 min · 8 km awayA brief 800-metre loop through giant beech and tree ferns.ModeratePoint Franklin and Crayfish Bay Walk1.5 km · 40 min · 8 km awayA short Point Franklin loop to Crayfish Bay’s grottos and rock pools.

More stops nearby

Picnic area · 0.5 km awayAire River Day Visitor AreaA riverside picnic stop framed by low Otway hills and wetlands.Campground · 0.5 km awayAire River West CampgroundA roomy riverside base for caravans, groups and walkers.Campground · 0.5 km awayAire River Hike-in CampgroundA booked bushland camp for walkers taking the coastal route.Beach · 2.7 km awayStation BeachA wild coastal walk to a spring-fed cliff, not a swim.Campground · 4.5 km awayBimbi ParkCamp beneath manna gums for a chance at koalas overhead.Sight · 4.7 km awayRainbow FallsA spring-fed cascade threads an algae-streaked cliff above Station Beach.Sight · 5.1 km awayCastle Cove LookoutPause above the cove, then take the stairs for the beach.Sight · 6.1 km awayCape Otway CemeteryA cemetery walk puts the lightstation's isolation in view.

Parkwolf’s Great Otway ranking

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  4. 4Triplet FallsSight
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