The best-rated spots for a scenic hiking and camping trip in one

AllTrails and HipCamp teamed up to reveal the top 10 ‘tent-to-trail’ list; the best hiking and camping spots to visit in one holiday for plenty of opportunities to reconnect with nature.

Growing demand for hiking holidays

Couple Hiking nearby their Larapinta campsite in Queensland's Scenic Rim — Scenic hikes and camping go hand-in-hand. (Image: Larapinta Scenic Rim/ Hipcamp)

Younger Australians are driving the new ‘trail-to-tent’ trend that is sweeping through Australia as nearly half the population forgoes creature comforts in favour of a hiking holiday. That’s according to data from AllTrails that reveals more than 60 per cent of young Australians frequently incorporate hiking into their travel plans.

In response to this rising interest in reconnecting with nature, AllTrails and Hipcamp have collaborated to unveil their highly anticipated list of nature getaways for 2025 .

According to Pitt Grewe, head of social and environmental impact at AllTrails, this surge in hiking interest is being led by a shift in how outdoor activities are being viewed and how people perceive travel.

Birds in shrubs by the Larapinta campsite in Queensland's Scenic Rim — Spot incredible birdlife at the Larapinta campsite in the heart of the Scenic Rim. (Image: Hipcamp)

“Younger generations are particularly inclined to seek outdoor adventures that provide not just a break from routine but a connection with nature," Grewe says.

“Australians, particularly younger generations, are also embracing hiking to combat ‘feed fatigue’, a social media overload that leads to feeling emotionally drained," he says.

Cows in the paddock near Misty Mountain Kunghur campsite — ‘Feed-fatigue’ leading to a growing desire to spend more time outdoors. (Image: Misty Mountain Kunghur/ Hipcamp)

Grewe says the data shows that more than 50 per cent of Gen Z Australians go on a hike or spend time in nature to unplug and 46 per cent of Gen Z agreed that seeing locations online was not the same.

He says AllTrails has adapted its platform to cater to the increased interest in combining hiking with camping.

AllTrails recently introduced Points of Interest (POIs) to help members discover campsites, monuments, picnic areas and more. The Custom Routes also let members plan longer, more personalised adventures by combining multiple trail segments and adding waypoints to mark key spots like campsites.

The best ‘tent-to-trail’ holidays

Camp set up at Hold It Flats in NSW — Hold It Flats is a highly-rated campiste and a jumping off point for Red Cliff Islands Walk. (Image: Hipcamp)

AllTrails and HipCamp devised their Top 10 ‘tent-to-trail’ list based on data identifying which destinations Aussies rated the most for hiking, camping and reconnecting with nature. The list includes places to pitch a tent that have proximity to great trails, everywhere from the pristine coastline of WA to a family-friendly farm stay on the Coffs Coast.

Woman cooking at her campsite in Hold It Flats in NSW — The demand for camping and hiking trips continues to rise. (Image: Hold It Flats/ Hipcamp)

Ranked No.1 on the list of best ‘trail-to-tent’ campgrounds is Hold It Flats in Yalboroo , about 75 kilometres north of Mackay, which has hot showers and big-sky views. The campground is on a bend of the O’Connell River and a jumping-off point for the Red Cliff Islands Walk. The list also includes Sapphire Beach Coastal Circuit and the rugged track leading up to the summit of Mt Beerwah.

Swimming at Hold It Flats — Unique camping experiences are in high demand. (Image: Hold It Flats/ Hipcamp)

Brooke Wood, Australian marketing manager of HipCamp, the platform that connects Australian travellers with unique camping experiences, says the destinations featured on the list have been chosen for their breathtaking landscapes as well as the unique experiences they offer.

Wood says Hipcamp has noted a substantial increase in bookings for outdoor accommodation that caters to campers looking for a bit of adventure. “As more people are looking to combine hiking with camping, we’ve seen a growing demand for camping experiences that are directly connected to great walking and hiking trails," he says.

Lakeside at Bushywood at Woodford Skilake — Bushywood at Woodford Skilake is close to Mt Beerwah Track. (Image: Hipcamp)

Whether it’s the rugged alpine environment of Victoria’s High Country or a SA campsite near an iconic trail like the Larapinta, Wood says the camping spots selected encourage Australians to embrace the outdoors. The listing also features a variety of options from basic campsites like Bushywood at Woodford Skilake near the Mt Beerwah Track, to the family-friendly Misty Mountain Kunghur near Unicorn Falls Walking Track.

Marvelling at nature is on the agenda

A woman sits with her dog at her campsite by a campfire at Misty Mountain in NSW — Ending the day fireside is a key experience hikers are looking to incorporate into their trips. (Image: Hipcamp)

One of the key trends identified in the data was a growing demand for immersive experiences, where campers engage in activities such as hiking, fishing and stargazing. “It’s about creating memorable experiences. Campers are eager to explore trails by day and enjoy fireside chats at night. It’s a holistic approach to enjoying nature," she says.

Hold It Flats campsite at night with stars — Stargazing is one of the many highlights of a camping trip. (Image: Hold It Flats/ Hipcamp)

As Australians seek ways to travel responsibly, both AllTrails and Hipcamp have emphasised the importance of sustainable practices. “We encourage our users to respect the environment by following Leave No Trace guidelines, ensuring that these beautiful locations remain pristine for future generations," says Wood.

Wood says the collaborative effort with AllTrails highlights Australia’s rich natural beauty while providing insights to both novice hikers and seasoned adventurers.

Whether it’s tackling challenging hikes or lying beneath the stars, Wood says this resurgence in outdoor exploration promises to inspire a wave of unforgettable nature getaways across the nation.

The full list

Larapinta campsite in the Scenic Rim Queensland. — Queensland’s Larapinta campsite, paired with Nindooinbah Dam Circuit, is in the top 10 Tent to Trail trips for 2025. (Image: Hipcamp)

Hold It Flats & Red Cliff Islands Walk, NSW
Misty Mountain & Unicorn Falls Walking Track, NSW
Bushywood at Woodford Skilake & Mount Beerwah Track, Qld
Megalong Valley Farm & Castle Head, NSW
Fair Harvest Retreat & Ten Mile Brook Trail, WA
Lakeview & Mount Elimbah Track (Saddleback Mountain), Qld
Coffs Harbour Camping and Farmstay & Sapphire Beach Coastal Circuit, NSW
Edgehill Farmstays & Heysen Trail: Gerkie Gap to Webb Gap, SA
Larapinta & Nindooinbah Dam Circuit, Qld
High Country Paradise & Reform Hill Lookout Loop, Vic

For all the details on each hike and campsite, visit AllTrails here.

Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd . In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park — The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd — Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles . I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain — Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail , Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

“There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

wildflowers in Grampians National Park — Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola — Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region ? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

dining at Pomonal Estate — Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

Salingers of Great Western — Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

Kookaburras on a tree — Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity .

Playing there

abseiling down Hollow Mountain — Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors . Visit Wama , Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium .

Eating there

steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate . Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock , can’t be beat.

Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park — The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe . Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines , Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines .

two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.