Baw Baw National Park
Baw Baw National Park is approximately 180 kilometres east of Melbourne and 50 kilometres north of the Latrobe Valley, in Central Gippsland. The park was proclaimed in April 1979, and is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
This 13,530 hectare national park protects the Baw Baw Plateau and parts of the deeply dissected Thomson and Aberfeldy river valleys.
Enjoying Baw Baw National Park
Cross country ski trail, Baw Baw National Park
Cross country ski trail
Visitors can enjoy the many recreational opportunities that the park provides, including:
- Walking the many kilometres of tracks that traverse pristine sub-alpine plant communities and unique landscapes
- Cross country skiing with a variety of marked trails to suit the skills of skiers. Only experienced skiers should undertake extended trips.
- White water rafting - the Thomson River provides some of the best white water rafting in Victoria; several commercial tour companies conduct rafting tours of the river all year round
- Fishing in the Thomson and Aberfeldy Rivers (recreational fishing licence required)
- Cycling and horseriding - on the formed roads and tracks open to the public. These activities are not permitted on the Baw Baw Plateau, walking tracks, and Whitelaw, Plane and Trigger Creek tracks. Horse riding is also prohibited above the bridge on the Mount Erica Road.
A camping area with fireplaces, pit toilets and picnic tables is provided on the banks of the Aberfeldy River. A variety of accommodation can be found in nearby Erica, Rawson, Walhalla and the Latrobe Valley. The Baw Baw Alpine Village offers winter accommodation and ski hire.
People in Baw Baw National Park
Wallhalla Hotel. Photo: K McCallum
Wallhalla Hotel. Photo: K McCallum
In December 1860, the renowned government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller made the first recorded ascent of the Baw Baw Plateau. He named the peaks Mount Mueller and Mount Erica, after himself and a flowering plant of the locality respectively. Ferdinand von Mueller used this expedition to further refine his theories about the relationship between Victorian and Tasmanian vegetation.
In 1862, the discovery of gold at Matlock and later at Red Jacket, Donnelly's Creek, Walhalla and Toombon sparked a rush of miners to the area. Tracks were cut to the new goldfields skirting the northern and southern slopes of the mountain, however the Plateau was lacking in gold and tended to be avoided.
In 1906 the Public Works Department constructed a walking track between Warburton and Walhalla. The track gave access to the Beech forests and fern gullies of the Upper Yarra, the spectacular Yarra Falls and the Baw Baw Plateau. Opened with much fanfare by the Governor of Victoria, the Yarra Track became one of Victoria's most popular walking routes.
The disastrous Black Friday fires of 1939 burnt the huts and most of the area transversed by the track. The track was never reopened although bushwalkers can follow part of the original route by following the Australian Alps Walking Track between Walhalla and Mount Whitelaw.
Nature in Baw Baw National Park
Baw Baw National Park contains a diverse array of vegetation types and plant species, occupying a range of habitats extending over an elevation range of 1100 metres. The Baw Baw Plateau is recorded as a site of national botanical significance, it features:
- wet alpine heathlands and thick spongy beds of sphagnum moss surround clear pools of water
- extensive sub-alpine woodlands dominated by snow gum with a scrubby understorey of Mueller's Bush-pea, Alpine Pepper and Dusty Daisy-bush
- tall open forests of Alpine Ash, Shining Gum and Tingaringy Gum on upper slopes of the range and forests of Mountain Ash, Messmate and Silver Wattle at lower altitudes
- dry forests of Silvertop, Messmate and Peppermints with an open understorey of small shrubs, grasses and bracken in the Thomson and Aberfeldy River valleys
Platypus. Photo: A Tatnell
Platypus. Photo: A Tatnell
The Baw Baw Plateau and parts of the adjoining Upper Thomson area are recognised as being of global zoological significance. Animals in the park include:
- The endangered Leadbeater's Possum, Victoria's state faunal emblem. Inhabiting the Mountain Ash forests, they rely on old hollow trees and the dense understorey of wattles for nesting and feeding.
- The critically endangered, endemic Baw Baw Frog.
- More common species including the Common Wombat, Swamp Wallaby, Greater Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Mountain Brush-tailed Possum, Brown Antechinus and Platypus.
Caring for Baw Baw National Park: leave no trace
Australia's Alps region is fragile and needs care and protection to survive.
When visiting Baw Baw National Park:
- leave your pets at home – they disturb native animals and other park users
- take your rubbish home – no bins are provided
- stay on track – even if it's muddy or dusty, don't widen tracks. Motorised vehicles are not permitted beyond public roads and car parks
- leave animals, plants, rocks and wood where you find them – each has a place in the delicate balance of nature
- use a fuel stove – they are quicker, cleaner and better for the bush. Fires are permitted only in fireplaces provided at campgrounds and picnic areas
- got to go? – use a toilet or take a walk at least 100 paces from water and campsites. Dig 15 cm with a trowel, then cover waste
Discover more about minimal impact recreation and how to leave no trace in the Caring for the Alps section of this site.
More information
For more information about the Baw Baw National Park:
- Telephone - Parks Victoria Information Line 131 963
- Visit - Parks Victoria's Baw Baw National Park page.
Skiing information
- Sno-Info
- The Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Up to date information including charts and satellite images.
Park address/contacts
Longitude: 146° 19' E
Key
Links to another web site
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