The best of Grampians National Park in Australia

No Australian road trip along the south is complete without a visit to the impressive Grampians National Park (or Gariwerd, as Aboriginal people call it). The Grampians are an ideal stop just before or after the world-famous Great Ocean Road. It’s a bit inland, but you’ll arrive at what many consider one of the most beautiful natural areas in Victoria. With spectacular rock formations, breathtaking views, and wildlife right on your doorstep, this mountain region is an absolute must-see during your trip through Australia!

The journey to the heart of Victoria

After days of driving along the coast, we were now seeing a completely different side of Australia. It’s unbelievable how vast the land is here — we drove for kilometers without coming across another car. It can feel a bit boring at times, but it’s also incredibly calming if you’re used to the Netherlands. We came from the Adelaide area earlier.

The landscape is a mix of dry plains, endless farmlands with cows and sheep, sprawling vineyards, and the occasional greener patch. Coming from the south to drive into Halls Gap? You can easily drive more than 40 km straight through the Grampians forests without seeing anything at all. Unfortunately, a large section burned (more about the 2024/2025 fires at the bottom of this blog).

As we got closer to the Grampians, the scenery changed more and more. The flat plains gave way to an impressive mountain region with steep cliffs, deep valleys, and expansive forests. These mountains are the result of millions of years of geological activity — and you can tell!

Note: if you’re driving to the Grampians from the coast (Robe) like we did, you’ll deal with a changing time difference. There’s a half-hour difference!

MacKenzie Falls: the most famous waterfall in the Grampians

Our first stop in the park was the famous MacKenzie Falls. This waterfall is one of the largest and most spectacular in Victoria and was absolutely worth visiting. After parking our campervan, we started the short but steep walk down.

The route is only 600 meters long, but don’t be fooled by the short distance — it’s a pretty tough descent with lots of stairs. Especially with temperatures above 30°C, it was quite a challenge. But the reward was huge! The waterfall came crashing down beautifully. We were there in the morning, so we saw the falls in the shade. If you have the chance to come in the afternoon, you’ll see the waterfall glowing in the light, often with a rainbow in the mist from the spray!

Reeds Lookout & The Balconies

After our stop at MacKenzie Falls, we drove on to Reeds Lookout. This viewpoint is easy to access with a small parking lot and offers a spectacular view over the Victoria Valley, the Serra Range, and the Mt Difficult Range.

Normally, you could take a short walk from here to The Balconies, an overhanging rock formation you might know from Instagram. Unfortunately, this walk was closed during our visit due to the recent bushfires that affected the area in December, January, and part of February 2025.

Even though we couldn’t visit The Balconies, the view from Reeds Lookout was already breathtaking. You could clearly see the impact of the bushfires — brown, lifeless trees contrasted with the green landscape around them. Such a shame for this beautiful nature (and all the poor animals too), but bushfires can also be good for a healthy forest. Let’s hold on to that thought.

In about 10 minutes you’ll be done with this stop (unless you do the hike).

The Pinnacles via Grand Canyon: our favorite hike!

The next morning, we decided to head out early for our hike to The Pinnacles. We chose the route via the Grand Canyon (just search it in AllTrails). By starting early (before 9 a.m.), we avoided both the heat of the day and the crowds. We barely ran into any other hikers and even spotted a kangaroo between the rocks.

The hike starts from Wonderland Car Park and takes you through a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. Even though the route is only 2.1 km one way, it’s a fairly challenging hike. You scramble over boulders, through narrow gorges, and up metal ladders. In my opinion, exactly the kind of things that make a hike fun!

After about an hour of climbing, we reached The Pinnacle lookout, and wow — what a view! The panorama stretched across Halls Gap and the surrounding valleys and mountains. There’s a safe lookout point where you can (while catching your breath after the climb) enjoy the view.

The way back also took about an hour, but of course it was much easier because we were mostly descending. We were happy we did this hike early, because when we got back to the parking lot, it was already getting pretty busy.

You can also start this hike from the Halls Gap parking area. In that case, the hike is more than 3 hours. When we were there in early 2025, they were busy renovating the area to make the hike from this starting point more scenic. If you want a longer walk, you can start the hike straight from your campsite.

Other things to see in the Grampians

Boroka Lookout is one of the most accessible viewpoints in the Grampians. From the parking lot, it’s just a short walk of about 5 minutes to two viewing platforms. Perfect if you don’t want to (or can’t) hike, but still want to enjoy the spectacular views the Grampians have to offer.

Another well-known waterfall is Silverband Falls. Unfortunately, this road was still closed for us due to the bushfires, so you’re spared a personal photo in this blog. It’s less spectacular than MacKenzie Falls, but if you’re in the area anyway…

Halls Gap Zoo is also very well known in the area. It’s Victoria’s largest zoo. Love wildlife? Definitely head this way.

You can also go looking for Aboriginal rock art (such as Gulgurn Manja Shelter), Mount Stapylton and Mount Rosea for climbers, or the Grampians Rail Trail and Peaks Trail, including multi-day hikes and campgrounds.

And then a final tip: Halls Gap has a public swimming pool (for $6 per person. You can guess where we went after the hike in 30-degree heat). There’s also a botanical garden, with a small hot pool behind it.

Halls Gap: the perfect base

We chose to stay in Halls Gap, a small village located in the heart of the national park. The village is surrounded by mountains and offers easy access to all the park highlights. From Halls Gap, you can reach the most popular hikes and sights within a 30-minute drive.

Tip: Use the map below to easily find a place to stay. Besides hotels, most accommodations here also offer a spot for your campervan, caravan, or tent. Feel free to check the accommodation’s website for details.

Are you driving into Halls Gap from the south? Then it’s an easy route. Are you coming in from the northwest (where MacKenzie Falls is located as well)? Then it’s a winding mountain road. Drive slowly and take your time if you’re in a campervan. And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, a kangaroo even jumped across the road in the middle of the day!

Staying overnight in Halls Gap: between the kangaroos

One of the best surprises of our stay in the Grampians was our campground in Halls Gap: Breeze Holiday Parks – Halls Gap. They offer both campsites and cabins. The campground itself wasn’t super exciting, but the animals definitely were. From Breeze Holiday Park, you’ve got the Grampians peaks as your backdrop.

But the most special part was the wildlife that literally came right up to our camper spot. Every evening, we were treated to the sight of countless kangaroos calmly grazing around the campground. They didn’t seem bothered by humans at all and sometimes came within just a few meters.

What we heard from local neighbors is that many kangaroos moved toward the villages because of the recent bushfires and ended up staying there. A sad consequence of the fires, but as a tourist you can’t help but stare in amazement — as long as you treat the animals with respect.

And it wasn’t just kangaroo spotting; we were also entertained by a group of kookaburras. These birds, known for their distinctive “laughing” call, sat near our camper both evenings while we were eating. One cheeky one even dared to make an “attack” on our food — twice!

Why staying in Halls Gap is so convenient

Besides the fantastic wildlife experience, there are many more reasons why Halls Gap is the ideal base for your visit to the Grampians:

1. Central location: From Halls Gap, you can reach all the key sights in the park within a 30-minute drive.
2. Good facilities: The village has everything you need — from supermarkets and restaurants to a public swimming pool.
3. Choice of accommodations: From campgrounds to luxury cabins, there’s something for every budget.
4. Wildlife: Nowhere else in Australia during our road trip did I see kangaroos walking around our campgrounds!
5. Easy access: The roads to Halls Gap are well maintained and easy to drive, even with a larger campervan. Got a big vehicle? Then I’d avoid the road around MacKenzie Falls. This is also indicated on the signs (especially for cars with a caravan. With our 7-meter campervan it was actually quite doable).

Tip: If you’re traveling by campervan like we did, book well in advance! Especially in peak season, the campgrounds in Halls Gap can fill up quickly. Weekends are especially tricky.

Bushfires in the Grampians area 2024/2025

During our visit in March 2025, the impact of the bushfires that raged in December 2024 and January–February 2025 was still clearly visible. Parts of the park were charred black, and some walking trails, including the one to The Balconies, were still closed.

The fires affected a significant part of the park, but nature is already showing signs of recovery. In several places we were happy to see new green growth appearing quickly.

The fires also had an impact on local wildlife. As mentioned earlier, many kangaroos moved toward populated areas to escape the flames. This explains the unusually large numbers of kangaroos we saw around Halls Gap.

What we heard from locals is that bushfires in this region are unfortunately becoming more common due to climate change. Longer periods of drought followed by heatwaves create the perfect conditions for these devastating natural disasters.

Tip: Always check the current situation before traveling to the Grampians, especially after fire season (November to March). The official Parks Victoria website provides up-to-date information on park closures and trail accessibility.

Practical info about Halls Gap & the Grampians

When we were there in early 2025, they were busy renovating in Halls Gap. They were adding extra parking spaces to make it easier to start the hike to The Pinnacles from town. Handy if you’re near the shops and the campgrounds.

Shops and groceries in Halls Gap

Halls Gap isn’t big, but you’ll find everything you need for a few days in the mountains. In the small village center there’s a small supermarket where you can buy basic groceries like bread, fruit, water, pasta, and even bug spray (not a luxury if you’re going hiking). The supermarket isn’t very cheap, so if you have the chance: do a bigger shop earlier in places like Horsham or Ararat.

Next to the supermarket there’s also a bakery with fresh bread and tasty sweet treats, plus a few souvenir shops where you can buy local products. Think honey, art by Aboriginal artists, and handmade candles or soap.

For a quick snack or a cup of coffee, there are also a few cafés and takeaway spots. Don’t expect trendy coffee bars, but you’ll find exactly what you need.

When is the best time to visit the Grampians?

The Grampians are beautiful year-round, but spring (September to November) is a real recommendation. In October, the park is full of wildflowers in bloom. Some sections look like a colorful carpet. If you love flowers and fresh nature, this is the moment to go. And it’s not too hot yet, which is great if you want to do a lot of hiking.

In May, there’s also a big local food and wine festival in Halls Gap: Grampians Grape Escape. Winemakers, cheesemakers, and other tasty local vendors from the whole region come together. We were there in March, so we unfortunately missed it — but locals told us it’s absolutely worth it if you like a cozy vibe and good food.

Summer (December through February) is dry and hot. Fine if you’ve got a pool nearby, but keep in mind that some hikes can be tough due to the high temperatures.

How do you get there?

Most people drive to the Grampians with a (rental) car or campervan, and that’s also the easiest option. From Melbourne, it’s about 260 kilometers to Halls Gap. It takes a little over 3 hours via highways A8 and B160. It’s a beautiful drive, especially once you leave the city behind. We came from the west (via Robe) and hardly saw any other cars along the way — wonderfully quiet!

Have fun in the Grampians!