What is glamping, and what’s in the tent?
Glamping is a tent somebody else has already put up, furnished and heated, with a real bed made up inside it. You arrive with a bag rather than a boot…
Good riverside caravan sites in Victoria are harder to find than you’d think within two hours of Melbourne. A lot of them turn out to be a gravel paddock off the highway, or they’re booked out a season ahead. You’ve got the van hitched or the tent packed, and you want somewhere flat, green and close to water. Not a car park with a number painted on the ground.
Marysville has powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites right on the Steavenson River, about 90 minutes to two hours from Melbourne over the Black Spur. Powered sites suit caravans, camper trailers, campervans and RVs. Unpowered sites suit tents and campers travelling light. The park sits on six acres in the middle of town, so the shops, cafes and river walks are a short stroll, and the Lake Mountain snowfields are a short drive up the hill. Sites are flat and grassed, with a camp kitchen, hot showers, a laundry, a dump point and fire pits along the river.
Here’s what to know before you book a site.
The park has two kinds of sites, powered and unpowered, all on flat, grassed ground along the Steavenson River. Riverside caravan sites this close to Melbourne are not common, which is a big part of why the park books out over holidays.
The whole park is about six acres in the centre of town, with a boom gate at the entry. The small size is part of the appeal. You’re never far from the river, the camp kitchen or the main street.
The facilities cover a comfortable stay without roughing it, which makes the park an easy first trip for people who are new to camping.
The camp kitchen is the hub. It’s a large covered space with two fridges, cooktops, toasters, microwaves, a barbecue and plenty of indoor seating, so you can cook and eat under cover if the weather turns. The amenities block has hot showers, heated in winter, and toilets, plus a laundry for longer stays. There’s a dump point on site for emptying a caravan or camper toilet, and one of the bathrooms is a large accessible bathroom and toilet.
For downtime, there’s a games room with a pool table and air hockey that opens daily from 9am to 9pm, a jumping pillow, and a playground next to the amenity block so you can watch the kids from your seat. Gas and electric barbecues are set around the grounds, and there are fire pits along the river for a cool evening. Free wifi covers the common areas.
One seasonal note on the fire pits. Over the Victorian fire season, open fires can be banned on Total Fire Ban days and through the declared Fire Danger Period. Check the current rules with the park when you book, or with the CFA, before you plan a campfire.
Yes. Dogs are welcome on both powered and unpowered sites, up to two per site, and they need to be on a lead in the park.
The thing to watch is the cabins. Most of the park’s cabins are not dog-friendly. Only the Maple cabins take dogs, so if you’re travelling with a dog and want a roof instead of canvas, book one of those or bring the van. Pack your own bedding, bowls and a lead, and pick up after your dog around the grounds and the river.
Marysville works as a camping base all year, but each season is a different trip.
Sites are booked online through the park’s booking system, or by phone if you’d rather talk through which site suits your setup.
Powered sites, and the riverfront and drive-through ones in particular, are the first to go for peak dates. Book ahead for holidays, long weekends and the winter snow run. If you’re towing a larger van or you want a specific spot, call the park and they’ll match you to a site rather than leaving it to the online map. Midweek in spring or autumn is where you’ll get the pick of the park with the least planning.
Yes. There are powered sites for caravans, camper trailers, campervans and RVs, and unpowered sites for tents and lighter setups. All sit on flat, grassed ground along the Steavenson River.
The park runs along the Steavenson River, so many sites are a short walk from the water and some sit close to the bank. Riverfront sites are limited and book out first for peak dates.
There are fire pits along the river for cooler evenings. Over the summer fire season, open fires can be banned on Total Fire Ban days and through the Fire Danger Period, so check the current rules with the park or the CFA before you plan one.
Yes. There’s a dump point on site for emptying caravan and camper toilets, along with the camp kitchen, hot showers and laundry.
About 90 minutes to two hours, out through the Yarra Valley and over the Black Spur. The park is in the centre of Marysville, so the shops and cafes are a short walk from your site.
The powered riverfront sites are the ones that go first, and they go a long way out for the snow season and the summer holidays. If having the river a few steps from your awning is the point, that’s the booking to lock in early. For a quieter trip with the pick of the sites, aim for midweek in spring or autumn, and do a food run at the supermarket in town on the way in so you’re set for the first night.
Check site availability online for your dates, or call the park to match your van or tent to the right spot. And if the forecast turns and canvas loses its shine, the couples’ glamping tents and the cabins are a warm fallback in the same riverside park.
