Could this be the best free campsite near Melbourne? Camping in an extinct volcano

"It's only an hour and a half from Melbourne and people were messaging me going, 'Is this even Australia?'"

Most people drive straight past Daylesford on their way to somewhere else. The Grampians, Wilsons Prom, the High Country — these are the places that tend to fill up the dream board. Daylesford quietly sits there, 90 minutes from Melbourne, full of autumn colour and free campsites, waiting for the people who actually stop.

Elaine stopped. And the photos she shared from the trip had people in her comments asking what country she was in.

She was camping inside an extinct volcano. For free. With her dog. And she'd hired a campervan through Camplify, Australia's largest RV sharing marketplace, for the first time ever to make it happen.

Your Dayelsford trip at a glance

• Destination: Mount Franklin Reserve, Daylesford.

• Distance from Melbourne: Approximately 1.5 hours.

• Duration: 2 days.

• Best for: Dog owners, solo travellers, autumn scenery, couples.

• Vehicle: Campervan (hired through Camplify)

• Highlights: Mount Franklin Reserve (extinct volcano campsite), Hepburn Reservoir, Italian farm stop, autumn foliage throughout.

• Cost to camp: Free (Mount Franklin Reserve is a free, dog-friendly campsite). No booking required.

• Best time to visit: April–May for peak autumn colour; March and June also excellent.

Meet Elaine - @elaineexploring

Follow Elaine's adventures on Instagram at @elaineexploring and keep an eye on our Camplify Adventurists page for more stories from the road.

Originally from Malaysia and now calling Melbourne home, Elaine has documented her travels across the world under @elaineexploring — everything from international bucket-list destinations to the kind of Victorian hidden gems that most people scroll right past without a second thought.

She's one of our Camplify Adventurists. Our hand-picked group of travellers who live for the open road share every adventure along the way. And this particular trip was a first for her: never driven a campervan before, travelling solo with her dog, heading to a campsite she'd had on her list for a while without quite knowing when she'd get around to it.

Her previous overnight trips had been in her hatchback. Cramped, zero headroom, perpetually reshuffling gear around a dog.

"Having a campervan for the first time changed it all. I had so much space suddenly, and so much storage as well."

Her dog had room to stretch properly. When the temperature dropped overnight (and in Daylesford in autumn it does drop), they could sit inside with the heater on and not feel like they were hiding in a car park. Hiring a campervan completely changes the experience of a camping trip.

Why Daylesford deserves to be on your camping shortlist

Daylesford sits in central Victoria's spa country, about 115km northwest of Melbourne. It's built above a network of natural artesian mineral springs (there are more natural mineral springs in this region than anywhere else in the southern hemisphere) and it's become known for good food, a strong gallery scene, antique shops, and a general sense of not being in a hurry about anything.

Looking for more pet-friendly campsites near Melbourne? Check out our guide.

In autumn, it becomes something else entirely. The deciduous trees that line the streets and fill the surrounding reserves turn every shade of amber, gold, and deep rust. The light softens. The crowds thin out compared to the summer rush. And if your timing is right, the whole place looks like it's been lifted from somewhere in rural Europe and dropped into the Victorian goldfields.

Elaine hit peak colour.

"It was mostly an autumn scene. A lot of pretty autumn colours everywhere because it was still changing. It was just perfect."

For peak autumn colour, aim for late April through May. The light at that time of year is genuinely something else.

Beyond the scenery, Daylesford is one of the most genuinely dog-friendly regional towns in Victoria. The town centre, most of the walking trails, and the campsite itself all welcome dogs on leash — which makes this campsite a great pet friendly camping option near Melbourne

The campsite: you're sleeping in an extinct volcano

Mount Franklin Reserve sits about 8–10 minutes from Daylesford town centre, managed by Parks Victoria. It's free to camp. Dogs are welcome on leash. And the thing most people don't twig until they're already settled in: you're inside a volcanic crater.

Mount Franklin is a scoria cone — a type of extinct volcano formed from volcanic rock fragments. The reserve occupies the crater itself. When you drive in and set up camp among the autumn-golden deciduous trees, the tree-lined ridgeline rising around you on all sides is the interior wall of what was once an active volcano. It doesn't announce itself. There's no dramatic signage making a performance of the geology. It just quietly exists, and then dawns on you.

"It's unique in its formation, it's dog-friendly, it's not that far away and not a lot of people know about it. It had been on my list for a while."

The campsite itself has basic facilities, is easily accessible for campervans, and has enough space that you're not right on top of your neighbours. It fills up on peak autumn weekends (particularly in May) so arriving on a Thursday or Friday gives you the best shot at a quieter experience.

The Lalgambuk Circuit: walk the rim of the crater

Right at the campsite, the Lalgambuk Circuit is a 1.7km loop that takes roughly 45 minutes at an easy pace. The trail winds up through a mix of conifers and deciduous trees to the crater rim, where you get a proper lookout over the surrounding farmland and State Forest.

It's not a strenuous walk and is suitable for most fitness levels and great for dogs on leash, but it gives you a real sense of the scale of what you've been camping inside. Looking down into the crater from the rim is a different experience entirely from looking up at the walls from below.

Go at dusk if the weather allows. The light through the autumn trees at that hour is why people come back.

What else to do near Daylesford (especially if you've got a dog)

The campsite is reason enough to make the trip. But Daylesford and the surrounding area have enough to fill a proper two-day itinerary, most of it dog-friendly.

Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm

About 15 minutes from Daylesford, Lavandula is a working farm that somehow manages to feel like it belongs in rural Tuscany. Wander the gardens, meet the animals, have something from the café. Dogs are welcome on leash. It's the kind of place you plan to visit for an hour and leave two hours later, slightly unsure where the time went.

Sailors Falls to Lake Daylesford Walk

An easy trail connecting Sailors Falls to the edge of Lake Daylesford through tall eucalypt forest. The falls are worth the short detour, especially after any recent rain. Dogs are welcome on leash throughout.

Pikes Creek Reservoir

Quieter and a bit harder to find than some of the better-known spots in the area. Still water, big skies, and almost no one else around. Good for a leg stretch and a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

The Daylesford town centre

Worth a slow wander even if you're not in the market for anything in particular. Good coffee, a chocolate factory (Wattle Seed, worth stopping at), antique shops, art galleries, and a general atmosphere that rewards taking your time. The mineral springs at the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve are free to visit, and drinking straight from the source is either an interesting experience or a medicinal one depending on your disposition.

Why a campervan makes this trip work

A campervan turns a weekend camping trip near Melbourne into an adventure that still includes all the comforts of home — which matters more than you'd expect when Daylesford autumn nights drop to single figures and the morning starts with frost on the grass.

The difference Elaine noticed was partly practical (storage, headroom, not having to re-pack the car every time she wanted something from the boot) and partly experiential. Having a proper space to exist in changes the rhythm of the trip entirely. There's a heater for when the temperature falls, a kitchen to cook a real breakfast, and your own shower and toilet so you're not navigating shared facilities in the dark. You sit and watch the light come through the trees with a coffee in hand. You're not rushing back to the city because you're already comfortable — camping without the compromises.

Not starting in Melbourne? Browse RVs to hire from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Darwin and Adelaide.