People visit Beechworth for the natural beauty of the forests and ranges as well as the historical architecture of the town. It claims to be the best preserved gold town in Victoria with more than 30 of its buildings classified by the National Trust.

Outside the town, a number of significant goldmining sites are incorporated in sections of the 1080 ha Beechworth Historic Park. The tranquil beauty of eucalyptus and native cypress pine forests, winding creeks, steep gullies and rugged granite outcrops can be enjoyed for their own sake or viewed as the setting for the labours of the diggers.

Things to do
- Walking, browsing, gem-fossicking, fishing, swimming and horse riding are popular.
- In Beechworth, visit the museum, powder magazine, the classical granite arches of the Goldfields Hospital facade, the Chinese burning towers, the jail, the former Regency Theatre and the Victorian churches, banks and public buildings. View the cell that twice held Ned Kelly, and visit the sites of bushranger gang hideouts.
- The Beechworth Forest Drive begins from the town and passes through the peppermint forest near Lake Kerferd
- The 5 kilometre Gorge Scenic Drive, also a pleasant walk, provides views of waterfalls and rugged countryside west of the town. It also passes the restored powder magazine, built to safeguard mining explosives

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.

Local directions

Access is via Hume Highway to Wangaratta and Ovens Highway to Beechworth turnoff. The train travels to Wangaratta and the bus to Beechworth. (Melway ref: 522 E7)

Facilities

Additional business information

Fauna
The park supports a diverse range of marsupials, reptiles and birds. Rare species include Brush-tailed phascogales, Bandy Bandy Snakes and Barking Owls.

Heritage
Local shepherds first recognised the gold-bearing potential of the area. In 1852, when one prospecting party returned with a pannikin containing 6 kilograms of gold, news spread rapidly to the rest of the colony and diggers streamed in by their thousands. Other rich finds followed that first discovery at Spring Creek. By 1857 at least 14,000 ounces of gold left Beechworth under escort for Melbourne each fortnight. Between 1852 and 1866 the Ovens Goldfield yielded 4,121,918 ounces of gold. By 1853 the area was surveyed and Beechworth declared a town with a total of three streets. The temporary structures of canvas or wooden slabs were soon replaced by the imposing granite still there today.

Vegetation
Eucalyptus and native cypress-pine forests are prevalent in the park.