Snowy River National Park

The Snowy River cuts through East Gippsland in a series of gorges up to seven hundred metres deep, and the national park protects the Victorian section, from the New South Wales border down toward the coastal plain. McKillops Bridge, a long steel bridge high above the river, is the main access point and the launching place for multi-day rafting and canoeing trips through the gorge, one of the classic remote paddles in Australia. Little River Falls drops into a narrow chasm nearby, reached by a short walk, and the Little River Gorge lookout gives a view into Victoria's deepest gorge. The river's flow was heavily reduced by the Snowy Mountains Scheme and has been partly restored since 2002.

History

Aboriginal relics found along the Snowy River show that the Kruatungulung group of the Kurnai people hunted here, and from the 1840s cattlemen and miners came, grazing the high country in summer and mining silver. A national park was first proposed in 1935 but established only in 1979, and in 2008 it was added to the National Heritage List with the other Australian Alps parks (Wikipedia, Snowy River National Park).

What's there

• McKillops Bridge - the high steel bridge and river access point.
• Little River Gorge - the deepest gorge in Victoria, seen from the lookout.
• Little River Falls - a fall dropping into a narrow chasm on a short walk.
• The rafting run - the multi-day paddle through the Snowy gorges.

When to go

November to April; the roads are unsealed, steep and close after rain or snow in winter. Rafting depends on flow releases and rainfall, and trips are run by licensed operators over several days. The 2019 to 2020 fires burnt much of the park.

What to expect

Access roads are long, unsealed and slow, with steep descents to the river. There is no phone coverage, fuel or supplies in the park. Fire damage remains visible across large areas. Independent paddling requires serious experience and self-sufficiency.

Nearby

Buchan lies southwest; Orbost and the coast are south.

Key facts