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Aire River Hike-in Campground in Great Otway National Park

Campground · Great Otway National Park

Aire River Hike-in Campground

A booked bushland camp for walkers taking the coastal route.

Type
Campground
Nearest trail
0.1 km
Audio stories
5 nearby
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Aire River: A Picnic by the Wetlands

Overview

About Aire River Hike-in Campground

Why stop

  • A three-guest cap suits a small walking party.

Heads up

  • Hike-in access and untreated, seasonally variable tank water take planning.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundAire River Hike-in Campground-38.80153, 143.47620
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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
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.

Great Otway Tour Guide

Your drive to Aire River Hike-in 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 Hike-in Campground in the Parkwolf Great Otway Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Tiny Leaves on a Sheoak
  • The Cracks That Shape a Cliff
  • An Eagle Riding Rising Air
  • One Breeding Season for an Antechinus
  • 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 Hike-in Campground

A booked stop on the routeThe Aire River Hike-in Campground is an official overnight site on the Great Ocean Walk,…

The Aire River Hike-in Campground is an official overnight site on the Great Ocean Walk, reached on foot and booked as part of a walking itinerary. It is unpowered, with a maximum of three guests per site. This is for walkers following the route, not a drive-in campground; Aire River East and West are separate nearby camps.

Bring a water planGreat Ocean Walk's hike-in camps are simple bush sites, with tent pads, a basic shelter and…

Great Ocean Walk's hike-in camps are simple bush sites, with tent pads, a basic shelter and composting toilets. Rainwater tanks are untreated, and levels can be low in summer or dry years. Check current water information and carry enough additional water for the route rather than relying on the tank alone.

Fit it into the walkThe Cape Otway-to-Aire River stage is about 9.6 km, passing coastal heath and river landscapes.

The Cape Otway-to-Aire River stage is about 9.6 km, passing coastal heath and river landscapes. Book the site through the managing authority and plan food and supplies before setting out; this is an overnight stop on the walk, not a place to drive up for services.

campinghikingcoastalovernight

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 Hike-in Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateAire River to Johanna Beach14 km · 5.3 hr · 0.1 km awayCliff views, Castle Cove fossils and a beach finish.ModerateGreat Ocean Walk: Aire River to Castle Cove6 km · 2.5 hr · 0.1 km awayRiver-mouth views reward the climb to Castle Cove.ModerateAire River Escarpment Lookout Walk4 km · 2 hr · 0.2 km awayA short climb from river estuary to ocean views.ModerateCastle Cove to Johanna Beach6.3 km · 2.5 hr · 4.7 km awayClifftop heath gives way to Johanna’s tide-dependent beach finish.ModerateCape Otway to Aire River10 km · 3.8 hr · 6.7 km awayCoastal heath, cliff-top views and a river finish

More stops nearby

Picnic area · At the trailheadAire River Day Visitor AreaA riverside picnic stop framed by low Otway hills and wetlands.Campground · At the trailheadAire River West CampgroundA roomy riverside base for caravans, groups and walkers.Campground · 0.5 km awayAire River East CampgroundAn unpowered estuary camp for paddling, koalas and quiet bush nights.Beach · 2.5 km awayStation BeachA wild coastal walk to a spring-fed cliff, not a swim.Sight · 4.7 km awayRainbow FallsA spring-fed cascade threads an algae-streaked cliff above Station Beach.Campground · 4.7 km awayBimbi ParkCamp beneath manna gums for a chance at koalas overhead.Sight · 4.7 km awayCastle Cove LookoutPause above the cove, then take the stairs for the beach.Sight · 6.2 km awayCape Otway CemeteryA cemetery walk puts the lightstation's isolation in view.

Parkwolf’s Great Otway ranking

Top sights in Great Otway

All 79 places
  1. 1Cape Otway LightstationSight
  2. 2Erskine FallsSight
  3. 3Hopetoun FallsSight
  4. 4Triplet FallsSight
  5. 5Aire Valley RedwoodsSight
  6. 6Lake ElizabethSight

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