Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
Tower Hill is a wonder to experience on the Great Ocean Road.
Discover the natural beauty of Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, an ancient volcanic landscape brimming with wildlife and history.
Discover Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
Explore the remarkable Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, an ancient volcanic landscape alive with native animals, lush greenery, and Indigenous history. Located between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, this natural haven immerses visitors in a world of stunning geological formations, rich cultural heritage, and diverse wildlife. Ideal for families, nature lovers, and history enthusiasts alike, Tower Hill is a memorable stop along the Great Ocean Road that brings nature and history to life.
Getting to Tower Hill
Tower Hill is off the Princess Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, around 275 kms west of Melbourne. In the heart of the spectacular Great Ocean Road region, it’s around an hour’s drive north-west of the 12 Apostles and about halfway between Port Fairy and Warrnambool, both just a few minutes’ drive away.
At the car park, there are plenty of signs to direct you towards the hikes of different lengths, various lookout points and other attractions.
How was Tower Hill formed?
Formed around 30,000 years ago in a violent volcanic eruption, Tower Hill has developed in stages. The outer rim was created by the initial eruption, and the smaller hills–scoria cones and spheres–were shaped during subsequent bursts.
The area has been inhabited by local Indigenous people of the Gunditjmara Nation for many thousands of years. When the first white settlers arrived, the area was cleared for cultivation, logging, and mining.
Reforestation began in the 1960s when the significance of Tower Hill was finally recognised. Botanists, conservationists and scientists started the land restoration based on a detailed painting from the 1800s by artist Eugene Von Guerard showing the original vegetation around the crater area. A copy of the painting can be seen at one of the viewpoints easily accessible from the road, Von Mueller’s Lookout.
Today, the unique landscape of Tower Hill is still evolving as weather, wind and water continue to erode the crater walls, and the bushland returns.
What is Tower Hill known for?
The Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is renowned for its stunning natural attractions, in particular Tower Hill itself, a nested maar volcano of geological significance rising from the flat surrounding plains. Spectacular views of the cone-shaped hills protruding from the crater’s lake can be seen from several vantage points around the 11 km-long rim. Road access leads inside the crater, where there are several kilometres of hiking trails.
The crater walls made from layers of ash form part of this remarkable landscape, and a wetland (great for spotting native birds) is part of the crater floor. Koalas can sometimes be sighted in the car park area, along with emus, kangaroos and wallabies. A revegetation program has restored the bushland after much of it was cleared by early settlers.
The Gunditjmara People have lived in the area for thousands of years, and the region’s Indigenous heritage is detailed in the Tower Hill Visitor Centre, managed by Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative.
Experience a Wildlife Haven
Tower Hill is a sanctuary for many of Australia’s iconic animals. Koalas, kangaroos, emus, echidnas, and possums thrive here, along with numerous bird species, such as spoonbills, blue wrens, and swans. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a majestic wedge-tailed eagle soaring above. Please respect this natural habitat by not feeding the animals, as human food can be harmful to wildlife.
Several walking trails traverse the reserve, offering scenic views of lava flows, wetlands, and lush bushland. A boardwalk invites visitors to explore the ponds and wetlands up close, while lookouts around the crater provide sweeping vistas perfect for photos. There are also designated picnic areas where visitors can relax and soak in the peaceful atmosphere.
Reconnect with Nature
Take a moment to listen to the birds, observe the wildlife, and appreciate the landscape that Indigenous people have cherished for thousands of years. With crater walls formed from layers of ash and a wetland ecosystem rich in birdlife, Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve invites you to step back in time, connect with nature, and enjoy the beauty of this unique volcanic sanctuary.
