Free Camping Around Mildura
Merbein Common | Bruce's Bend |
Looking for free camping spots close to Mildura? These are the ones that I am aware of, though you will find plenty of others on something like the wikicamps app. It's not free ($7.95) but definitely worth having if you want to find great free camping spots.
Pet Friendly? If any of these spots are in a National Park, you are unable to have a dog with you. However, the vast majority of spots here are dog friendly, and any that aren't will be clearly marked.
Dump Stations: There are a total of six public dump sites within the Mildura LGA (Local Government Area). However, there are only three in our immediate vicinity: Mildura, Red Cliffs and Wentworth. The locations of these are marked on the Google map below.
These camping sites are arranged in no particular order. I will be creating a Google map with co-ordinates and hopefully some pictures once this page has more spots added to it.
Merbein Common
Access: Avoid this area when it's wet. You are likely to get stuck if you don't have a 4x4. Even then, some patches can be nasty.
Fishing? Quite reedy in this area, so hunt for clearings. But fishing can be very good here.
Facilities: Some of the camping spots have a picnic table. There is a ruimentary long-drop toilet in the main entry area. Boat ramp is close.
Swimming? I wouldn't recommend most of the camping spots for swimming.
Summary: Not a place to stay when the weather is bad, but lovely when it's dry. Plenty of good areas to camp here, and you can usually find an isolated spot away from other campers. You do want to be careful about leaving your camp unattended however, there have been a number of reports about possessions going missing.
Bruce's Bend
Access: Access is good, compared to Merbein Common. Roads are much better, and fine for 2wd unless there has been heavy rain.
Fishing? I have fished this area a lot over the years, and always done well here.
Facilities: No facilities, these are free camping spots. There is a boat ramp very close with plenty of parking there. There are decent camping spots very close to it, though it is generally quite busy in that vicinity
Swimming? Probably better swimming here than many of the other places in the area. But you need to pick your spot if you want to swim.
Summary: Located in the Nicols Point area. While I haven't camped here, I have spent many hours fishing in the area. It's close to main and sealed roads, so you might get a few people driving up and down the river tracks, especially on weekends. But overall it's pretty peaceful, and very scenic. Plenty of nice river access points for setting up camp, put the chairs and fishing rods out, and have a small campfire.