Upper Yarra Reservoir Camping Area

Upper Yarra Reservoir Camping Area suits campers who want open grass, short forest walks and a relaxed picnic-ground feel rather than a private, numbered bay. It is 24km north-east of Warburton and is officially presented as tent camping. Choose somewhere else if you need power, showers, a confirmed caravan site or fishing access.

The three decisions that matter#

Choosing a place to pitch#

The official campground page says there are no formal sites. Most of the camping ground is gently sloping, with several reasonably level patches relatively close to the carpark and toilets.

• Prioritise a level setup or shorter amenity route: inspect the grass near the carpark and toilets. The accessible toilet and disabled parking are at the camping area, not the separate picnic area.
• Prioritise space and separation: inspect farther from the facilities, but walk the carrying route and check slope and low points before committing. A broad lawn is not automatically flat or well drained.
• Travelling with a large tent: measure the full footprint, including guy lines. Because there are no marked boundaries, leave a generous route for other campers rather than spreading into the common area.
• Bringing a caravan or motorhome: do not treat open grass as vehicle approval. The current page lists tents and does not confirm large-rig access; call Parks Victoria on 13 1963 for a direct answer.

No official pitch plan or shade survey is published, so there is no defensible numbered “best site”. Tree cover and grass condition also change; make the final choice on arrival.

Booking, price and the first hour#

Use the official Book now link and treat the checkout total as the current price. The public page does not publish a fixed per-site capacity or promise a particular patch. Your booking confirmation supplies the gate PIN; save it before the final approach where reception may be unreliable.

Parks Victoria currently publishes opening hours of 8am–5pm on weekdays, extended to 6pm during daylight saving. These are park gate hours, not a promise that a staffed reception will meet you. On 1 October 2026 the campground page showed only the statewide H5 bird-flu notice and no campground-specific vehicle closure; recheck the page on travel day because access notices can change.

From Melbourne, follow Maroondah Highway through Lilydale and Warburton Highway to Warburton, then continue to the reservoir park. A low-stress arrival sequence is:

1. Download the booking, PIN and map before leaving Warburton.
2. Enter before the current gate closes and follow campground signs rather than stopping at the day-use picnic area.
3. Park without blocking the internal route, then walk the grass to compare slope, drainage and toilet distance.
4. Unload only after choosing the patch; locate the toilets, barbecue shelter and gate route before dark.

Comfort, rules and accessibility#

The camping area has toilets, sheltered gas barbecues, fireplaces or wood-fired barbecues, picnic tables and a rotunda. The current facilities list does not identify showers or a drinking-water supply. Bring all drinking and cooking water and a private wash plan instead of relying on older reviews or directory listings.

Dogs are welcome but must remain on lead. Use fires only in provided fireplaces and only when current fire restrictions permit; check the Central fire district rating and Total Fire Ban status before lighting anything. Follow signed exclusions around the protected water catchment. Fishing in the reservoir and aqueduct is prohibited.

For reduced mobility, several more level pitches, disabled parking and a unisex accessible toilet are located at the camping area. Parks Victoria describes the short routes to McVeigh's Water Wheel and Dam Wall Lookout as reasonably accessible, but natural surfaces and weather still matter. Confirm the exact pitch-to-toilet route with Parks Victoria if a firm gradient or surface standard is essential.

A worthwhile day without driving#

The park page gives two compact options from camp: the 300m-return Brimbonga Walking Track to the reservoir outlet viewing platform and the 500m Fern Gully circuit over walking track, boardwalk and stairs. Do Brimbonga first for the simpler outing; add Fern Gully only if steps and potentially slippery surfaces suit the group. Both return to the camping area, so there is no vehicle shuttle to organise.

What campers say#

Public evidence is useful but small. Anycamp lists 15 reviews, including 2025–26 comments, while Tripadvisor lists six, mostly older.

• Several recent Anycamp reviewers independently describe generous space and clean, stocked toilets.
• Quiet and scenery recur across both channels, especially outside busy periods.
• Facility reports conflict over time: older Tripadvisor posts describe poor cleaning and absent showers, while recent Anycamp reports are more positive about toilets. Treat the toilets as provided, but not their condition as guaranteed.
• A December 2023 Tripadvisor review specifically reported no showers. The current official page also does not list showers, so arrive with a no-shower plan.

Alternatives: when another campground is a better fit#

• Choose Warburton Holiday Park if you need powered or unpowered caravan sites, showers, laundry, a dump point and easier access to town. The compromise is a managed holiday-park stay rather than an informal reservoir lawn.
• Choose Kurth Kiln Regional Park if you need a bush campground that explicitly accepts some caravans, campervans and motorhomes. It has no potable water, uses some gravel-road access and remains basic.

Recheck before leaving home#

Confirm the live price and dates in the booking flow, gate hours and current alerts on the official page. Ask Parks Victoria on 13 1963 about large-rig suitability, potable water, showers or any accessibility requirement that would change the trip. A missing facility from the web list is not proof that it is permanently unavailable; packing self-sufficiently avoids that uncertainty.