THINGS TO DO
Lake, mountain and High Country, all within an hour of your door
Lakeside sits on the shore of Lake Eildon, seven kilometres from Mansfield and under an hour from Mount Buller. Wake up to the water, spend the day on a mountain, a river or a horse, and be back for sunset on the lake. Here is where we send our own friends.
On the Lake
Lake Eildon is the reason we are here. Swim off a shallow family bay, paddle out at first light, or hold a line over water known for trophy trout. Wakeboarders, skiers and houseboat crews share the main lake, and local operators hire out boats, kayaks and paddleboards. Learn the basics on a guided kayak tour, then drift back as the hills turn gold.
Our boat ramp is currently out of the water. The nearest ramps are at Bonnie Doon and Goughs Bay.
Mount Buller in Summer
The mountain does not go to sleep when the snow melts. Mount Buller has become one of Victoria's best places to ride, with a growing network of downhill and cross country trails, and new single track being added to link up with Mount Stirling. Pick a gentle family loop or a gravity line with jumps and switchbacks. When the legs give out, take the view from the top.
Under an hour from the park. Check Mount Buller for current lift and trail status before you go.
Snow Season
Winter is the big one. Mount Buller and Mount Stirling are less than an hour away, so you can ski or ride all day, toboggan with the kids, try snowshoeing, or just sit by a fire and watch it fall. Come home to a cabin, put the boots by the heater and be first on the mountain again in the morning. The snow season usually runs from June to September.
Snow chains must be carried on the mountain roads in winter.
High Country Rides and Walks
Ride the Great Victorian Rail Trail at your own pace through shaded valleys and old railway cuttings. Walk the plains in wildflower season, chase waterfalls, or step onto the cattlemen's tracks that carry you up to lookouts at Craig's Hut and Power's Lookout. Fish, canoe or raft the Howqua River. Serious hikers can take on the Cathedral Range over several days.
In the Air
See the High Country the way the eagles do. Alpine Helicopter Charter flies the Delatite River valley, past Mount Cobbler and Razorback Hut, then lands at Craig's Hut, the set of The Man From Snowy River. Back in the air you cross Mount Buller and Mount Timbertop. Prefer it slower? Gold Rush Ballooning lifts off at dawn over the Delatite Valley with Mount Buller on the horizon.
The Craig's Hut flight takes about two hours.
On Horseback
Slow right down. Watson's Country Trail Rides take you into the hills on horseback, from a one hour amble to a week in the saddle. Every ability and every age is welcome, and the scenery does the rest.
Wine and Dine
The High Country grows cool climate grapes, and it shows in the glass: chardonnay, riesling and sparkling in particular. Book a table at Delatite Winery for a seasonal menu of local produce with the ranges laid out in front of you. Then finish at the Mansfield Armchair Cinema, where you can watch a new release from a beanbag, a recliner or a leather armchair with a local wine in hand.
Back at the Park
Some days the best plan is no plan. Swim in the outdoor pool, let the kids loose on the playground, cook in the camp kitchen, and watch the lake turn pink at sunset. That is the Lakeside part.
Pool open 9am to 8pm in summer.
Ready to plan your stay?
Pick your dates and we will show you what is free.
