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Parks and Nature Reserves in Geelong 2026, Best Parks, Walks and Nature Escapes Near Geelong

Geelong parks guide 2026: from Eastern Park and the Botanic Gardens to the Otway Ranges and the Great Ocean Road national parks, the best parks and nature near Geelong.

By Geelong Daily · Published 20 July 2026

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This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Geelong is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Parks and Nature Reserves in Geelong 2026, Best Parks, Walks and Nature Escapes Near Geelong
mikecogh / CC BY-SA 2.0

Parks and Nature Reserves in Geelong 2026

Geelong sits between Port Phillip Bay and the Otway Ranges, with the Bellarine Peninsula to the southeast and the Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road to the southwest. The city's own parkland network is extensive, and some of Victoria's finest nature is within an hour's drive. parks.vic.gov.au

Geelong's Urban Parks

  • Geelong Botanic Gardens, Eastern Park, Garden Street. Heritage botanic gardens established in 1851, within Eastern Park's 45-hectare reserve on the Corio Bay waterfront. Free entry. geelongbotanicgardens.com.au
  • Eastern Park, Eastern Park Road. The large parkland reserve on Geelong's Corio Bay waterfront, home to the Botanic Gardens, the Waterworld Aquatic Centre and wildlife including kangaroos in the reserve's outer sections.
  • Queens Park, Corio Street, East Geelong. A heritage public park with wetlands and walking paths in Geelong's inner east.

Nature Reserves and Day Trips from Geelong

  • Otway National Park and State Park, 1hr southwest. Great Ocean Road country, Erskine Falls, Triplet Falls, the Otway Fly treetop walk and dense cool-temperate rainforest. parks.vic.gov.au
  • Surf Coast Walk, Torquay to Aireys Inlet (44km). Spectacular Bass Strait cliff top walking along the Surf Coast. surfcoastwalk.com.au
  • Brisbane Ranges National Park, 35km north. Scenic scrubby ranges with koala habitat and outstanding spring wildflower display. parks.vic.gov.au

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