Heyfield, Licola & Dargo

Guide updated 12 Sept 2026 · verify Parks Victoria

Southern / Gippsland gateways: Licola, Dargo, Wonnangatta 4WD country, Blue Rag Range. Seasonal closures and fire recovery are the story.

Best for: Experienced 4WD parties, remote valleys, not first-timer summits
Time: Overnight or multi-day 4WD; not a lookout hour
Heyfield / Licola / Dargo are long Gippsland drives from Melbourne. Many internal tracks are 4WD or seasonally closed.

Verify conditions on Parks Victoria → · Park alerts

Official alerts snapshot · 12 Sep 2026

Current official notes for this section

Park status on the official page: Open (with listed road, lookout, shooting and seasonal-track notes). This list was checked on 12 Sep 2026 against the Parks Victoria Alpine National Park page. It goes stale. Always open Alpine National Park change of conditions the morning you travel. Next date to watch: 29 Oct 2026 — seasonal high-elevation road openings listed to this date.

High-elevation roads closed until 29 October 2026. Parks Victoria / Victoria Police / DEECA: Dargo High Plains Road, Blue Rag Range Track, Basalt North Track, Twins Track, Twins Jeep Track, Mount Murray Track North and Gunns Track closed for alpine weather and public safety until seasonal openings on 29 October 2026. Do not plan a 2WD or casual 4WD loop on those roads before then.
Pinnacles Lookout closed for fire recovery. Parks Victoria: Pinnacles Lookout day visitor area closed while assets damaged in the 2025–26 Wonnangatta Dargo Complex fires are repaired. Access expected to reopen 1 November 2026 — confirm live before you drive.
Ground shooting of deer — park stays open. Parks Victoria: ground shooting operations targeting deer are underway. The park remains open. Be aware; do not treat this as a closure.

Camping beside the Catherine River in Alpine National Park, Victorian high country — Heyfield, Licola & Dargo — High-country river valley camping
Leighblackall · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Remote south, not Instagram Bogong

This is 4WD, unsealed, seasonal, and recently fire-affected in places. Wonnangatta is a remote valley, not a sealed tourist loop. If you wanted Wallace’s Hut, you are on the wrong side of the park.

Always read the Heyfield–Licola–Dargo visitor guide PDF on Parks Victoria and the live change-of-conditions list.

Seasonal roads and fire recovery

High-elevation tracks here close for snow and safety and stay closed later than people expect. Parks Victoria’s 12 Sep 2026 snapshot listed Dargo High Plains Road and Blue Rag Range Track closed until 29 October 2026 — check live, do not treat that date as a promise.

Pinnacles Lookout has been in fire-recovery works after the 2025–26 Wonnangatta Dargo Complex fires. If the live notice still lists it closed, it is not a lookout hour. Wilderness Zones stay closed to public vehicles.

Highlights at a glance

Dargo High Plains Road (seasonal)
Wonnangatta Valley (4WD, remote)
Blue Rag Range Track (seasonal / closures)
Licola as a tiny last-services node

Practical tips

Tell someone your exit road and time.
Carry recovery gear appropriate to the track class you chose.

Facilities & services

Tiny towns
Dispersed camping (rules apply)
Few bail-out services

Confirm toilets, parking and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage.

Walks nearby

Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Parks Victoria before you go.

AAWT overview

hard

The AAWT is a long, remote, Grade 5-in-places route across the Australian Alps. Alpine National Park holds major Victorian sections. This page is an overview with self-sufficiency warnings — not a casual day-walk menu.

Grade: Long-distance, remote (overview only)
Time: Weeks as a through-walk; day sections only if you know the map
Distance: Hundreds of kilometres through the Australian Alps (park is one section)

View guide →

All trails

Itineraries that use this area

Wallace’s Hut among snow gums on the Bogong High Plains, Alpine National Park

Two nights in a gateway town

Quieter shoulder-season plan

High Plains hut / town / waterfall Plan B when the Razorback and Bogong are in cloud. Shoulder season is not “empty and easy” — it is ice, closures and shorter days.

Map

Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Open in Google Maps Get directions

FAQ — Gippsland approaches

Tap a question to expand the answer.

Is Wonnangatta 2WD?

Treat internal Wonnangatta access as 4WD / high-clearance and seasonally closed unless the live Parks Victoria site says otherwise. Do not invent a sedan plan.

Is Licola a services town like Bright?

No. Licola and Dargo are tiny last-nodes. Fuel, food and medical planning happens in larger Gippsland towns before you commit to unsealed internal tracks.

Stays & tours near Gippsland approaches

Optional next steps after you plan this area. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Park fees and official Parks Victoria bookings are never affiliated.

Nearby stays

Bright · Mount Beauty · Falls Creek

Hotels & guesthouses in BrightMain High Country food town — Feathertop / Hotham approaches
Mount BeautyClosest practical base for Mount Bogong / Staircase Spur
Falls CreekHigh-plains trailhead (Heathy Spur / Wallace’s Hut) — resort, not park camping

All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official Parks Victoria camping and hut-platform bookings are never affiliated.

Guided tours

Optional — useful for High Country logistics, not a substitute for alpine judgement

A tour does not replace checking Parks Victoria alerts, alpine weather, or your own turnaround.

Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees and Parks Victoria bookings are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy

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