12 Best Things to Do at Wilsons Prom: Beaches, Walks & Wildlife

Wilsons Promontory National Park is one of our favourite places in Victoria for an outdoorsy family getaway. We visited with our kids and stayed just outside the national park at Yanakie, spending our days hiking, spotting wombats and emus, exploring beaches and making the drive into Tidal River.

If you’re planning your first visit, there is much more to Wilsons Prom than hiking. Some of the best things to do at Wilsons Prom include visiting Squeaky Beach, wildlife spotting, exploring the Big Drift sand dunes, walking to Pillar Point and simply spending time around Tidal River.

Below I’ve rounded up the best things we did, along with a few experiences worth adding if you have more time.

Thing to do	Best for	Time needed	Good with kids?
Tidal River & Norman Beach	First-time visitors, beach time	1-3 hours	Yes
Squeaky Beach	Iconic scenery, families	1-2 hours	Yes
Wildlife spotting	Wombats, emus & kangaroos	45 mins+	Yes
Pillar Point	Coastal views, shorter hike	Around 1.5 hours	Yes, for capable walkers
Mount Oberon	Panoramic views, hiking	Around 2 hours	Better for older kids
Lilly Pilly Gully	Rainforest, family walking	Around 1.5 hours	Yes
Big Drift	Sand dunes, something different	2-3 hours	Yes, with care
Wilderness cruise & Skull Rock	Coastal scenery, wildlife	Around 2.5 hours	Yes
Millers Landing	Birdlife, mangroves, quiet walks	Around 1.5 hours	Yes
Whisky Bay	Beach scenery, sunset	1-2 hours	Yes
Camping at Tidal River	Immersing yourself in the Prom	Overnight+	Yes
Wilsons Prom Lightstation	Serious hiking, remote scenery	Overnight+	Best for older, experienced kids

12 Best things to do at Wilsons Prom

From white-sand beaches and huge granite peaks to wombats wandering around after dark, many of the best things to do at Wilsons Prom involve simply getting outside and exploring.

You don’t need to be a serious hiker to enjoy Wilsons Promontory National Park either. There are short family-friendly walks, beaches you can reach within minutes of the car park and plenty to see around Tidal River. If you are up for something more adventurous, longer hikes and a wilderness cruise open up parts of the Prom that most visitors never see.

Here are 12 things worth adding to your Wilsons Prom itinerary.

#1. Explore Tidal River and Norman Beach

For first-time visitors, Tidal River is a good place to start. It’s the main visitor hub within Wilsons Promontory National Park and home to the visitor centre, campground and other accommodation, with Norman Beach just a short walk away.

Norman Beach is a long stretch of sand framed by Pillar Point at one end and Norman Point at the other, with Mount Oberon rising behind it. Even if you aren’t staying at Tidal River, it’s worth stopping here to get your bearings before exploring further into the park.

Families could easily spend a few hours around Tidal River without going far. Explore the river, walk along Norman Beach, have a picnic or use it as the starting point for one of the nearby walks.

#2. Walk on the Squeaky Sand at Squeaky Beach

Squeaky Beach is probably the most famous beach at Wilsons Prom and one of those places that is genuinely fun to visit with kids. The beach gets its name from the fine, rounded quartz grains that make a squeaking sound underfoot when the sand is dry. Large granite boulders at either end add to the scenery and make this one of the most distinctive beaches in the national park.

You can drive to the Squeaky Beach car park and walk around 300 metres to the beach, or make more of an adventure of it by walking from Tidal River. The Tidal River to Squeaky Beach walk is 4.2 km return and takes around 1.5 hours.

Although the water can look inviting, Squeaky Beach is unpatrolled and can have persistent rips, so Parks Victoria does not recommend it for swimming.

Good to know: The small car park can fill quickly during busy periods. If you’re visiting during peak season, consider walking from Tidal River instead.

#3. Look for Wombats, Emus and Kangaroos

One of the things our family loved most about Wilsons Prom was the wildlife. You don’t necessarily have to go searching very hard for it either. Kangaroos, wallabies, emus and wombats all live within the national park, and you’re likely to see wildlife while driving or walking around, particularly around quieter areas and at the beginning and end of the day.

For a dedicated wildlife stop, the Prom Wildlife Walk is an easy 2.3 km loop through open grassland. Allow around 45 minutes and keep your eyes open for kangaroos, wombats, wallabies and emus. Remember that these are wild animals. Give them plenty of space and never feed them, no matter how friendly or curious they appear.

Also keep a close eye out when driving through the national park, particularly around dawn and dusk when wildlife can be more active.

#4. Walk to Pillar Point

If you want big Wilsons Prom views without committing to one of the longer hikes, Pillar Point is a great option. Starting from Tidal River, cross the footbridge and follow the track through the tea trees before climbing towards the granite outcrops at Pillar Point. From the top you’ll have views across Norman Bay towards Mount Oberon, as well as Squeaky Beach and the offshore islands.

The Pillar Point Walk is 3.6 km return and takes around 1.5 hours. It is graded as a Grade 3 walk, with an uneven surface and some climbing. There are unprotected cliffs around the lookout, so keep younger children close.

Distance: 3.6 km return
Time: Around 1.5 hours
Grade: 3

#5. Climb Mount Oberon

For one of the best views at Wilsons Prom, tackle the Mount Oberon Summit Walk. The track begins at Telegraph Saddle and climbs steadily towards the summit, with a steeper section of steps towards the end. At 558 metres high, Mount Oberon provides incredible views over Tidal River, Norman Beach, the surrounding mountains and islands scattered along the coast.

The walk is 6.8 km return and takes around two hours. Although much of the climb follows a management track, Parks Victoria grades the walk moderate to hard, and the final section is considerably steeper. Weather can also change quickly at the summit. Even on a warm day it can be cool, windy and cloudy at the top, so carry an extra layer.

During busy periods, vehicle access to Telegraph Saddle can be closed and a free shuttle operates from Tidal River instead. Check the current arrangements before setting off.

Distance: 6.8 km return
Time: Around 2 hours
Grade: Moderate/hard

#6. Walk Through Lilly Pilly Gully

For something completely different from the beaches and exposed coastal tracks, head into Lilly Pilly Gully.

The Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk takes you through heathland and eucalypt forest before reaching a boardwalk surrounded by lush rainforest and ferns. It’s a good choice for families wanting a gentler walk and a chance to experience another side of Wilsons Prom.

The nature walk is 5.2 km return and takes around 1.5 hours. There is also a longer 5.8 km Lilly Pilly Gully Circuit if you want to extend the walk. If you’re travelling with younger children, this would be one of my picks over some of the steeper summit walks.

Distance: 5.2 km return
Time: Around 1.5 hours

#7. Explore the Big Drift

You could easily arrive at Wilsons Prom expecting beaches, granite mountains and bushland and not realise there is also an enormous system of inland sand dunes hiding near the park entrance.

The Big Drift is one of the Prom’s more unusual landscapes. The walk begins near Stockyard Campground and leads through the bush before emerging at the dunes. Once you reach the sand, the landscape feels completely different from the rest of Wilsons Prom. Allow extra time if you want to explore rather than simply reaching the edge and turning around.

Most importantly, don’t lose track of where you entered the dunes. The landscape is constantly shifting and footprints can disappear, particularly when it is windy. Mark your exit point and keep children close. There is no beach access from the Big Drift.

#8. Take a Wilderness Cruise to Skull Rock

Some of the most spectacular parts of Wilsons Prom can’t easily be reached by road or on a short walk.

The Wilsons Promontory Wilderness Cruise departs from Tidal River and heads out into the marine national park aboard an amphibious boat. The 2.5-hour cruise travels along the rugged coastline and into Bass Strait, passing places including South Point, offshore islands and the enormous granite formation known as Skull Rock.

Wildlife sightings vary, but Australian fur seals, seabirds and dolphins may be seen along the way, with whales also possible during migration season. It’s not the cheapest activity at Wilsons Prom, but it gives you a completely different perspective of the national park and access to scenery that most visitors won’t otherwise see.

Cruises are weather dependent, so I’d book ahead but keep some flexibility in your itinerary where possible.

#9. Walk to Millers Landing

Millers Landing is a good option if you’re looking for a quieter Wilsons Prom walk away from the busier Tidal River area. Starting at Five Mile car park, the 4 km return nature walk passes through banksia and stringybark woodland before reaching Corner Inlet and Millers Landing.

The area is particularly interesting for birdlife. Corner Inlet is an internationally significant wetland used by migratory birds, while the walk also reaches the world’s southernmost stand of mangroves.

Allow around 1.5 hours for the return walk.

Distance: 4 km return
Time: Around 1.5 hours

#10. Visit Whisky Bay

Whisky Bay is smaller and often feels a little more tucked away than some of the Prom’s better-known beaches. From the car park, a short track follows Whisky Creek through a sheltered gully and over the dunes before reaching the beach. Huge granite boulders sit at either end of the bay and make this a particularly photogenic place to stop.

It’s also a lovely spot towards the end of the day when the light hits the rocks, although remember that you’ll still need to drive back through wildlife country afterwards.

If you want to explore several beaches on foot, Whisky Bay can also be incorporated into the Three Bays Walk connecting Squeaky Beach, Picnic Bay and Whisky Bay.

#11. Camp at Tidal River

If you really want to experience Wilsons Prom, staying overnight gives you far more time to explore than squeezing everything into a day trip.

Tidal River Campground is the main campground in the national park and has 484 camping and caravan sites, including a small number of powered sites. Its location near Norman Beach and several walking tracks makes it an excellent base for exploring the southern part of the park.

There are also cabins, units, huts and other roofed accommodation at Tidal River if camping isn’t your thing.

Bookings are essential, and popular dates can fill quickly. Summer school holidays, Easter and other peak periods are particularly busy, so plan well ahead if your dates aren’t flexible.

#12. Hike to Wilsons Promontory Lightstation

This one isn’t for everyone, but for experienced and fit walkers looking for a bigger adventure, the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation offers the chance to reach one of the most remote parts of the national park. There is no road access to the lightstation. From Telegraph Saddle, the walk is at least 19.1 km one way and takes approximately five to six hours, while the route from Tidal River via Oberon Bay is longer again.

Accommodation is available at the historic lightstation, making it possible to stay overnight rather than immediately turning around and tackling the return journey.

This is a challenging hike that requires preparation and a good level of fitness rather than a casual family walk. Parks Victoria advises hikers to start at least six hours before sunset so they reach the lightstation before dark. If your family isn’t ready for a hike of this scale, don’t worry. There are plenty of shorter walks around Tidal River that still deliver fantastic views of the Prom.

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Things to do in Tidal River

Tidal River is the main visitor hub at Wilsons Promontory National Park, so if you only have a short amount of time at the Prom, this is where I’d concentrate your visit.

One of the easiest things to do is walk down to Norman Beach, which is only a few minutes from the campground. You can also explore the river itself, visit the Tidal River Visitor Centre or set out on several walks without needing to move your car.

The Pillar Point Walk begins by crossing the Tidal River footbridge, while you can also walk from Tidal River to Squeaky Beach. The Lilly Pilly Link Walk connects Tidal River with the Lilly Pilly Gully area, and Mount Oberon can be reached from nearby Telegraph Saddle.

Tidal River is also where you’ll find the national park’s main campground and a range of roofed accommodation, as well as the General Store for basic groceries, takeaway food, drinks and camping supplies. The Wilsons Promontory Wilderness Cruise also departs from Tidal River, making it possible to combine time around Norman Beach with one of the Prom’s biggest experiences.

If you’re visiting Wilsons Prom with kids, I’d allow some unstructured time here too. Not everything needs to be another walk or lookout. Spending time beside the river or on the beach can be just as memorable as ticking another attraction off the list.

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Planning your visit to Wilsons Prom

How long do you need at Wilsons Prom?

You can visit Wilsons Prom as a day trip, but I recommend staying for at least three or four days if you can. With one day, concentrate on a few highlights such as Tidal River, Squeaky Beach, wildlife spotting and one shorter walk.

Three or four days gives you time to slow down, tackle a couple of walks, explore several beaches and perhaps take the wilderness cruise without trying to cram everything into a single day.

Keen hikers could easily spend longer here, particularly if you’re planning one of the overnight walks.

Getting to Wilsons Prom

Wilsons Promontory National Park is in South Gippsland, around a three-hour drive from Melbourne, depending on traffic and where you’re starting from. From Melbourne, the main route follows the Monash Freeway before continuing towards South Gippsland, then through Meeniyan and towards the national park.

Once you reach the park entrance, allow approximately another 30 minutes to drive to Tidal River.

There is no fuel available at Tidal River, so make sure you have enough before entering the national park. Yanakie, just outside the park, is the closest place to refuel. Take your time once inside the park and watch carefully for wildlife on and beside the road.

Where to stay at Wilsons Prom

For location, you can’t beat staying at Tidal River. Tidal River Campground puts you within walking distance of Norman Beach and several walking tracks, and there is also a range of roofed Parks Victoria accommodation including cabins and units. However, accommodation inside the national park can be difficult to secure during busy periods.

Staying at Yanakie Caravan Park, just outside the park entrance, is another good option. This is what we did on our trip, and it gave us easy access to Wilsons Prom while providing more choice outside the national park. Also, this place boasts one of the best beachfront sunset camping sites we’ve ever come across.

Foster and Fish Creek are further away but can also work as bases if accommodation closer to the Prom is booked out.

Best time to visit Wilsons Prom

There isn’t really a bad time to visit Wilsons Prom, but the experience changes significantly with the seasons. Summer brings warmer weather for beaches and swimming, but it’s also the busiest time of year. Accommodation and campsites can book out, car parks fill quickly and popular areas such as Tidal River and Squeaky Beach can become crowded.

Autumn is a great alternative if you’re more interested in walking and wildlife than swimming. Parks Victoria recommends the crisp autumn mornings as a particularly good time for wildlife encounters. Spring brings wildflowers and generally comfortable walking weather, while winter is much quieter and can be fantastic for hiking if you’re prepared for cold, wet and windy conditions. Winter also coincides with whale migration along the coast.

Whatever the season, pack for changing conditions… this is Victoria after all. Weather around the Prom can change quickly, particularly on exposed beaches and mountain summits.

Visiting Wilsons Prom with kids

Wilsons Prom is a fantastic destination for families because you can choose how adventurous you want to make it. Younger kids don’t need to climb Mount Oberon to enjoy the national park. Squeaky Beach, Norman Beach, Tidal River and the Prom Wildlife Walk provide plenty to do without committing to a long hike. For families ready for a little more walking, Pillar Point and Lilly Pilly Gully are good next steps.

I’d avoid trying to fit too much into each day. Distances within the park, finding parking during busy periods and simply stopping whenever you spot wildlife can all make things take longer than expected. Bring plenty of water, snacks, sun protection, sturdy shoes and extra layers even when the forecast looks good.

Most importantly, remember that Wilsons Prom is a wild environment. Beaches may have strong currents and rips, cliffs can be unprotected and wildlife should always be observed from a safe distance.

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Wilsons Prom FAQs

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