Picnic at the entrance to the Anakie Gorge
The Anakie Gorge Picnic area is on the eastern side of the Brisbane Ranges National Park. The picnic area is right beside Stony Creek (which is usually dry) and just at the start of the Anakie Gorge Walk, which takes you through the gorge right to the Stoney Creek Picnic Area and then over to the Lower Stoney Creek Reservoir, which you’ll then see why the creek doesn’t usually have any water in it.
Maintained facilities are at the picnic area, which includes some toilets, a shelter, picnic tables and barbecues. There’s plenty of space and a large car park, so although this place can get busy on a weekend when the weather is nice, you should still be able to find your own space for a picnic.
Surrounding the Anakie Gorge Picnic Area is a dry Eucalyptus forest then plenty of farm land, so there’s a good chance of seeing some native Australian wildlife at the picnic area and nearby. Kangaroos, Wallabies and Echidnas frequent the area and some huge Wedge-tail Eagles often circle above the picnic area when they’re looking for their next meal.
Getting to Anakie Gorge Picnic Area
The Anakie Gorge Picnic Area is about 15 minutes to the north-east of Steiglitz and around 15 minutes north of Anakie. It’s on the eastern side of the Brisbane Ranges National Park, making it an easy entry when coming from Melbourne.
If you’re coming from Melbourne, head towards Geelong on the Princess Freeway and you’ll want to take the Werribee exit, but instead of turning left to Werribee, head right along Wests Road. You’ll follow Wests Road and it weaves to the north and head around the back of Little River. You’ll come into the Brisbane Ranges on Granite Road, follow that all the way to the end, turn right at Staughton Vale Road and you’ll see the sign telling you to go left to the Anakie Gorge Picnic Area.
Coming from Geelong, head to Anakie and keep going north. You’ll pass the Fairy Park on your right, then take the next right turn at Staughton Road. After a few minutes along this road, you’ll see the sign on the left for the Anakie Gorge Picnic Area, that’s at the end of Gorge Road.
Anakie Gorge Picnic Area from Melbourne
Anakie Gorge Picnic Area from Anakie
Camping at the Anakie Gorge Picnic Area
Camping isn’t allowed at the Anakie Gorge Picnic Area.
There are two drive-in campgrounds in the Brisbane Ranges National Park, Fridays Campground and Boar Gully Campground. Both campgrounds are a similar distance, Friday’s might be a few minutes closer to Anakie Gorge.
Boar Gully has individual campsites with some shared fire pits and a dam to fish from. Fridays is one large campsite, split into individual spaces where everyone camps inside one large area with a trail going around the perimeter, it’d be more suitable for families with younger kids and Boar Gully would be preferred by campers looking for a bit more privacy and space.
