Eight Mile Flat Camping Area

Eight Mile Flat is a free Howqua River camping area reached via a steep, narrow 4WD track with a river crossing, making it best suited to 4WDs — especially if towing. It’s also the trailhead for the walk to Ritchie’s Hut along the river’s High and Low Tracks. The 8 Mile Flat Camping Area (often referred to as 8 Mile Flat or 8 Mile Campground) is a scenic, large grassy campground nestled right next to the Howqua River within Victoria’s spectacular Alpine National Park. The nearest major town is Mansfield, located just over an hour’s drive away, with the smaller township of Merrijig acting as the final point of civilisation roughly 29 kilometres northwest of the camp. This basic bush campsite is completely free of charge, meaning there are no accommodation costs, and it operates strictly on a first-come, first-served basis with no advanced bookings required or available. Campers looking to bring their four-legged companions should note that pets are strictly prohibited because the campground sits entirely inside a protected national park. For navigation purposes, the rough GPS coordinates for the site are approximately 37°11’53″S, 146°25’44″E (or -37.19796, 146.42972)