Come and Visit

Victoria's diverse forests are beautiful places to visit, as well as being sources of clean water, timber and havens for plants and animals. While many forests are parks and reserves, including National Parks, some 3.47 million hectares are State forests managed by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

This website covers recreation opportunities in our State forests. For information on National Parks, see the Parks Victoria website instead.

Top spots

State forests are often less crowded and less developed than Victoria's more popular National Parks. You can walk your dog in State forest - which you are not allowed to do in National Parks - as well as go camping, picnicking, walking, fishing, four-wheel driving, canoeing, trail bike and horse riding, hunting, swimming and much more.

You can find out where to go and what you can do in State forests with our Forest Maps.

Costs

There are generally no fees or charges for entering or camping in State forest. The few exceptions to this are some scenic reserves managed under committee of management, where fees for parking and/or camping may apply. For further information, call us on 136 186.

Opening & Closing Times

Victoria's State forest may be accessed by visitors all year. However, many four-wheel drive tracks are seasonally closed from 1 June to 1 November each year to protect water quality and prevent damage to the tracks over winter. Some recreation sites and walking tracks can also be temporarily closed due to fire or flood damage or maintenance works. For information on State forest closures, visit Public Access Map.

Forest Explorer Online