There’s a particular kind of excitement that comes with the end of October. The camping gear comes out, the map gets another look and the tracks that have spent winter behind locked gates start finding their way back onto the weekend shortlist. For Victorian 4X4ers, it’s the beginning of a much bigger touring season.
This year, Thursday 29th of October is the main scheduled reopening date across Parks Victoria’s seasonal closure list. It puts some familiar names back into trip planning, but the calendar is only part of the story. A seasonal closure ending doesn’t cancel a separate closure for storm damage, repairs, or fire recovery.
Some big names are on the list
The Alpine National Park schedule includes Blue Rag Range Track, Howitt Road, King Billy Track, Zeka Spur Track, and Wonnangatta Track with the 29th of October opening dates. For anyone who has been itching to get back into the High Country, those names offer plenty of inspiration. Think mountain touring, remote camps and a few days where the drive is every bit as enjoyable as the destination.
Beyond the Alps, Deddick Track in Snowy River National Park is also scheduled for the 29th of October. Closer to Melbourne, Bunyip State Park’s Rocky, Tea Tree and Western tracks share that date. The reopening period isn’t exclusively about committing to a big expedition; there are options worth investigating for a shorter escape too.
Treat these as starting points for planning, rather than a ready-made itinerary. Track names on a reopening list don’t tell you the difficulty of the whole route, whether your intended campsite is available or whether a connecting road has another restriction. Pick the area that suits your experience, then check every link between the bitumen, the camp and the way home.
Not every gate opens together
Some High Country routes deliberately stay closed longer. Kelly Lane, King Spur Track and Golden Ridge Track are scheduled to reopen on the 29th of November, while the central section of Davies Plain Track and Kings Plain Track have 30th of November dates. Davies Plain’s northern and southern sections are listed for 29th of October, which shows why checking the exact section matters.
Other restrictions sit outside the seasonal timetable altogether. Parks Victoria currently lists Cobberas, Macfarlane Flat and Ingeegoodbee tracks as closed because of significant storm and flood damage. Around Talbotville, fire recovery works on McMillans Road are expected to continue until the 30th of November, with delays, traffic management and short closures possible. Neither situation is resolved simply because winter’s closure period ends.
Before leaving, check Parks Victoria’s individual park alerts and Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Public Access Map. The latter lets you search by road, place or site and inspect closure details. Save your maps for offline use and have a realistic alternative camp or route. Finding out about a closure at home is a minor adjustment; finding out late in the afternoon with the sun dropping below the trees is considerably less fun.
Open tracks still need a spring mindset
Seasonal closures give vulnerable roads a break during the wettest months, helping limit damage and protect visitors. Reopening them doesn’t mean every surface has dried out or that winter has left everything exactly as it was. A favourite climb might have changed, and yesterday’s sunny forecast won’t tell you what’s happening in a shaded gully.
Ease into the first trip back. Leave extra time, travel with another vehicle where practical and carry recovery equipment you know how to use. Check tyres, brakes, fluids, and the spare before departure, especially if the touring rig has spent winter doing little more than school runs. For steep mountain work, choose a route suited to the vehicle and driver rather than letting a famous track name make the decision.
Water deserves particular respect too. If rivers are still up keep in mind you should never driving into floodwater, and an open approach road doesn’t establish that a river crossing is safe. If conditions are beyond your experience or you can’t confidently assess the crossing, turn around. A snorkel is an engine air intake, not permission to gamble with moving water.
