Camp in the rainforest covered hills behind Lorne
Just minutes from the Lorne township, a short drive from the Great Ocean Road in the Great Otway National Park is the Allenvale Mill Campground where you’ll set-up camp on a quiet reserve that’s surrounded by ferns and giant Eucalyptus Trees.
The Allenvale Mill Campground has 20 individual campsites that are about 250 metre walk from the car park, just a short distance from the St George River.
It’s a stunning bush campground with multiple day hikes that start or go past the car park. It’s one of the closest wild campgrounds to Lorne, where you can even walk into town to grab some dinner and a drink or go for a surf.
Campground Facilities
Right at the campsite is drop toilet block that well maintained and kept clean by Parks Victoria. There’s also a tank that has a tap with running water so that you can clean up, although the water isn’t filtered or suitable for drinking, so you’ll need to bring plenty of your own along.
There’s one main shelter and a several timber benches/tables spread throughout the campground that you can use to lay out your dinnerware or sit on.
There aren’t any fire pits and even if you bring your own one along, no fires are allowed in the area at all times of the year.
Booking a campsite
You can check the availability and book a campsite at Allenvale Campground here, on the Parks Vic website.
There are 20 individual campsites and you can camp up to 6 people per site.
Getting to Allenvale Campground carpark
The Allenvale Mill Campground car park is just out the back of Lorne, about a five minute drive from the centre of town.
Once you’ve made your way to Lorne and see the Visitor Information Centre on the Great Ocean Road, take the Otways Road up the hill that’s opposite the centre. If you’re coming into town for the east/Torquay, you’ll go past FoodWorks and cross over a short bridge, then the Information Centre is on the left of the round about, you’ll need to turn right.
Drive up the hill until your reach another round about and head straight through it (second exit) onto Allenvale Road. Drive along Allenvale Road, which quickly turns to dirt and the Allenvale Mill Campground car park will be around half a kilometre further, on your left.
From the car park, it’s about a 250 metre walk to the campground.
Other places to set-up camp
Allenvale Campground is a great bush campsite, although if it’s booked out or you’re looking for a drive-in campground, there are plenty of options nearby.
Right in the middle of Lorne is the Foreshore Caravan Park, where you can camp beside the river and are only a short walk from the centre of town and an even shorter walk from the beach. If instead you want to head out of town and have a bit more space and a lot less noise, keep driving along the Great Ocean Road to the west for another 10 minutes out of Lorne where you’ll find the Cumberland River Camping Park, which is one of the most beautiful private campgrounds on the entire coastline.
For beachside campgrounds much further along the Great Ocean Road, a few of the best are Blanket Bay, Parker Hill and Johanna Beach campgrounds.
If you’re keen to find another campground in the Great Otway National Park where you’ll be surrounded by the rainforest and huge Eucalyptus trees, just like at Allenvale Campground, then Lake Elizabeth Campground should tick all of the boxes or for a free campsite that can’t be booked, head to Aire Crossing Campground in Beech Forest.