Located in the flat, semi-arid north-western corner of Victoria, Wyperfeld is one of Australia's most fascinating national parks.

The central feature of this huge park is a chain of lake beds connected by Outlet Creek, the northern extension of the Wimmera River. The lakes only fill when the Wimmera River over-supplies Lake Hindmarsh to the south of Lake Albacutya. When it rains the semi-arid landscape is transformed by tiny desert plants that sprout from long-dormant seeds, carpeting the ground with clusters of flowers.

Before you go
Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website.

Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.

Content: Parks Victoria

Local directions

Wyperfeld National Park is 450 km north-west of Melbourne (Melway ref: 520 A3). A sealed road gives access to the main camping/picnic ground from Hopetoun or Rainbow. Casuarina campground is reached from Patchewollock. Four wheel drive access to the western park areas is via Murrayville Track, but check with the rangers during wet weather.

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Activities

Additional business information

Heritage
Some 25 million years ago the whole of north-west Victoria was submerged beneath a shallow sea. As the seas slowly retreated westerly winds blew sand over the exposed inland areas, building a complex of rolling dunes. The dunes we see today were formed between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago. Before the arrival of the Europeans, Aboriginal people regularly moved north along Outlet Creek in search of food. Evidence shows that they occupied the area for at least 6000 years, but because of the low and unreliable water supply, they rarely stayed in one place for long. James Clow was the first European to venture along Outlet Creek north of Lake Hindmarsh in 1847. He followed the creek to Wirrengren Plain where he established the first pastoral run. Other settlers followed and set about clearing the mallee for grazing and wheat growing. In 1909 a number of naturalists persuaded the government to temporarily reserve 3900 ha of this fast-disappearing habitat. Wyperfeld National Park was declared in 1921, and has been considerably enlarged in recent years.