Camping at Friday's in the Brisbane Ranges National Park
Friday’s Campground is tidy and well shaded campground in the Brisbane Ranges National Park, just a couple kilometres north of the old gold town, Steiglitz, as the crow flies.
It’s quite central to the Brisbane Ranges with plenty of day hikes and picnic areas nearby, in-fact, you can start two different hikes along some popular trails right from the campground.
Sites 1 & 2 are designated camper trailer sites, then there’s one large camping area beneath the pine trees that’s split into 8 individual campsites. It’s a quiet and relaxing place and you’ll happily welcome the shade from the large trees as the Brisbane Ranges are known to be quite hot and dry.
The campground is a bit of an oval shape with a dirt road going around the perimeter. All campers will be set-up some-what next to each other. If you’re after somewhere with a bit more privacy and spread-out campsites, consider Boar Gully Campground which is to the north of Fridays.
Campground Facilities
Friday’s Campground is well maintained by Parks Victoria. It has a large car park, picnic tables an information board, toilets and water tank with a tap for washing up, although it’s not filtered, so you’ll need to make sure that you bring all of your own drinking water.
Depending on the weather and local fire restrictions, fires are allowed in designed fire pits that are spread throughout the campground.
There are 10 campsites which includes two designated camper trailer sites (sites 1 & 2).
You’ll need to book this campsite, with the money going back into the maintenance of this campground and others throughout Victoria. Head over here to check availability and book a campsite on the Parks Vic website.
Getting to Fridays Campground
Friday’s Campground is pretty central to Brisbane Ranges, just a couple of kilometres north of the old Steigltiz township, although the terrain on the most direct track from the town to the campground is too rough to drive and instead it takes about 30 minutes to loop around.
If you’re coming from Melbourne, head towards Geelong and any exit between Werribee and Lara, then head to the north-east. You’ve got to get onto the Geelong-Ballan Road, then turn left at Steiglitz-Durdidwarrah Road and drive south until your reach the campground.
Coming from Geelong, don’t head to Steiglitz and instead to Anakie, then you’ll have to loop around the east and enter from the north. Once you pass through Anakie, you’ll see the Fairy Park on the hill to your right, keep driving along this road, the Geelong-Ballan Road until you eventually see Steiglitz-Durdidwarrah Road on your left, drive all the way down it until you reach Friday’s which will be easy to see on your left. It’s just after Sawpit Gully Road.
When you’re heading to Fridays Campground from Ballarat, drive towards Melbourne on the Western Freeway and turn right at the Geelong-Ballan Road. Just after you pass the Upper Stoney Creek Reservoir which has three large ponds, turn right at Steiglitz-Durdidwarrah Road and keep driving until you see the campground on your left.
Other places to go camping near Friday's
Boar Gully is the only other campground inside the Brisbane Ranges National Park that you can drive into. It’s a lot different to Friday’s and more suited to those that like a bit more space to themselves and a more remote feeling. There are similar facilities to at Friday’s Campground and it’s only about a 20 minute drive north, but instead of all of the campsites being next to each other, it’s more spread out with shrubs and bushes between most individual campsite, which increases your privacy. There’s also a dam for fishing and walking trail near the campground.
