Campground · Great Otway National Park
A booked ridge camp with a broad Johanna Beach outlook.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Otway Tour Guide
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.
See the Great Otway audio tourRecorded for this place
Johanna Beach: Surf and Open Coast“You're approaching the Johanna Beach access, for a long, open shore with rolling green hills behind the surf. Follow the marked beach path by the drive-in campground for a walk on the sand.”
Plays as you drive up to Johanna Beach Hike-in Campground in the Parkwolf Great Otway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Johanna Beach Hike-in Campground is an unpowered overnight stop on the Great Ocean Walk, set on a ridge above the coast. It is for walkers, not vehicle camping: reach the upper site on foot, with a steep uphill climb from the lower Johanna Beach day-use area. Book the hike-in site before setting off. The nearby drive-in campground is separate and does not reach the tent area. Each booked site is listed for up to three people.
Casuarinas line the ridge, with Johanna Beach and the Southern Ocean on one side and rural farmland inland. The coast-facing sites make the view the reason to stay; that exposed outlook can come with wind and the sound of surf, while tree-sheltered spots trade some of the view for quiet. It is a memorable overnight stop if you are walking the Great Ocean Walk and like a dramatic coastal setting.
The camp has a basic toilet, a small open-sided cooking shelter with a table, and rainwater tanks. Tank water is untreated, so treat it before drinking and carry extra in warm weather. Pack provisions for the overnight walk and arrange them before the uphill approach.
Wildlife
204 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
35 sightingsGrey KangarooMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
109 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
58 sightingsKookaburraMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
97 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
20 sightingsBrushtail PossumMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Otway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingJohanna Beach to Ryans Den14 km · 5.5 hr · 0.9 km awayA long coastal traverse with a river lookout and hike-in finish.ModerateJohanna Beach to Milanesia Beach10.4 km · 3.5 hr · 0.9 km awayA hilltop sea view and a remote beach reached on foot.
ChallengingMilanesia Beach to Ryan’s Den6.4 km · 2.5 hr · 4.4 km awayA hard coastal walk from Milanesia Beach to Ryan’s DenModerateMilanesia Beach Walk3.4 km · 1.5 hr · 4.4 km awayA steep coastal track drops to a quiet beach, then climbs back.
ModerateCastle Cove to Johanna Beach6.3 km · 2.5 hr · 5.6 km awayClifftop heath gives way to Johanna’s tide-dependent beach finish.
ModerateMadsen’s Track Nature Walk1.4 km · 35 min · 6.7 km awayA ferny rainforest circuit past Anne’s Cascades and the Big Tree.
ChallengingRyan’s Den to Devil’s Kitchen13 km · 5.3 hr · 8 km awayRugged Great Ocean Walk stage with cliff views and tide-bound anchors.
Campground · 0.9 km awayJohanna Beach CampgroundTwenty-five unpowered sites behind dunes near Johanna Beach.
Beach · 2 km awayJohanna BeachA west-facing surf coast for long views, with rips to respect.Beach · 4.9 km awayMilanesia BeachA long, tide-timed beach crossing on the Great Ocean Walk.
Sight · 5.6 km awayCastle Cove LookoutPause above the cove, then take the stairs for the beach.
Picnic area · 6.7 km awayMelba Gully Day Visitor AreaA short rainforest loop doubles as a glow-worm walk after dark.
Campground · 8 km awayRyans Den Hike-in CampgroundA quiet ridge camp with ocean views between long coastal stages.Parkwolf’s Great Otway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
