Big Hill Campground

Big Hill is a 13-site forest campground for people who want a simple Otways base, not a serviced coastal holiday park. It gives you toilets, picnic furniture, fireplaces and immediate forest atmosphere; it does not give you drinking water, showers, power, bins or a dog-friendly stay. Choose it for a quiet setup and a waterfall or forest day. Skip it if your comfort threshold depends on hot washing facilities or a precisely documented caravan pad.

Which site is best for your setup?#

The official Big Hill site map is essential because the old rule of thumb “1-7 tents, 8-13 caravans” is wrong. The map marks each of the 13 sites by equipment category, and tent-only and caravan/campervan choices are interspersed.

Use the live booking filter for your exact equipment, then cross-check the resulting number on the map. The map does not publish pitch dimensions, slope, shade or a quietness ranking. A caravan owner should confirm fit with Parks Victoria before paying; a tent camper choosing among eligible sites should inspect drainage, overhead hazards and distance to the toilet on arrival rather than trusting a generic “best site”.

The campground is an open shared clearing. If privacy matters most, Big Hill's small scale is helpful, but it cannot guarantee separation. Public traveller reports say voices and vehicle activity can carry across the clearing, so choose it for forest access rather than seclusion between hedges.

Arrival: distinguish camp access from the closure point#

Approach from Deans Marsh–Lorne Road. The official map places the campground about 55m along Big Hill Track from the road junction. It also shows a seasonal road-closure point farther along the track, beyond the campground. That distinction matters: a closure for tracks beyond camp is not automatically proof the campground entrance is inaccessible, but every current closure still needs checking before departure.

There is no staffed reception described on the official page. Arrive after the booked check-in time, identify the reserved site number and its equipment symbol before occupying it, and keep the internal access clear. If the weather has been wet, stop before committing a towable setup to any surface you cannot safely reverse from. Use Great Otway changes and closures and the booking notice as the current authorities.

What you must bring#

Facilities are toilets, picnic tables, non-potable water and fireplaces. Bring all drinking and cooking water, a handwashing plan, firewood, a fuel stove, rubbish bags, lighting and enough battery capacity. Take every scrap of rubbish out. Dogs are not permitted.

A fireplace is not permission to light a fire. Use only the provided fireplace, bring wood rather than collecting it, and follow Total Fire Ban and park restrictions. A fuel stove gives you a meal when solid-fuel fires are unavailable.

This combination—non-potable water, no shower and no bins—means the first packing decision is self-sufficiency, not campsite décor. If a member of the group needs a reliable accessible toilet path or other mobility provision, ask Parks Victoria for current site-specific detail; a flat-looking map is not an accessibility assessment.

A worthwhile day: Erskine Falls with a turn-around choice#

Use Big Hill as a base for Erskine Falls, checking current access before leaving camp. Parks Victoria describes the upper lookout as the easier view; the lower view involves roughly 300 steps. Decide at the upper lookout whether the group's knees, footwear and return energy support the descent. The lower section is an out-and-back effort—the steps down are also the steps home.

Nearby forest roads and tracks change with weather and seasonal management. Do not make an unverified 4WD route the only day's plan. Download the relevant map before leaving coverage and keep the waterfall lookout as the fallback.

What campers say#

Reports on Anycamp and CamperMate commonly value the forest setting and simple base-camp feel. They also describe an open layout where noise carries, and variable ground and parking conditions after weather.

Those observations support packing earplugs, a robust groundsheet and levelling options; they do not prove that a specific site fits a caravan or remains dry. The current map and booking category control equipment, while Parks Victoria controls closures and rules.

Alternatives worth comparing#

• Allenvale Mill campground is better when the Lorne-side location and a more walk-in-style forest experience suit you, but check its different vehicle and gear-carry arrangements.
• Lake Elizabeth campground suits campers prioritising a named lake-and-walk experience near Forrest, but it has its own access, equipment and facility constraints.

Choose on the trip you want, then verify the alternative independently; neither is a drop-in promise when Big Hill is full.

Booking without guesswork#

Book through the Parks Victoria page. Treat the live quote, site category, party limit and cancellation terms as volatile. Before paying, confirm equipment fit, current access, fire status and whether non-potable water/no showers matches the group.

If the correct equipment category is sold out, set a free CampWatch alert. When a site opens, compare its number with the map before accepting it.