Wilsons Promontory National Park, also called Wilsons Prom or The Prom, is a national park in the Gippsland area of Victoria, Australia. It is located about 157 kilometers (98 miles) southeast of Melbourne.

The park covers an area of about 50,500 hectares (125,000 acres) and is the southernmost national park on the Australian mainland. It is known for its rainforests, beaches, and many animals. The park includes the southern part of Wilsons Promontory, a piece of land that extends into the sea. This land includes South Point, the southernmost place on the Australian mainland, and several islands. A lighthouse on the southeast corner of the promontory is the southernmost lighthouse on the mainland and has been working since 1859.

The park is a popular place for hikers and campers. It has several lodges and camping areas with facilities near the mouth of Tidal River. It also has camping spots that are only accessible by hiking, designed for hikers.

History

The first Europeans to see Wilsons Promontory are believed to be George Bass and Matthew Flinders in 1798.

A lot of sealing happened at Sealer's Cove during the 19th century. This means seals are no longer found there.

The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) and the Royal Society of Victoria (including Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas) asked the Victoria State Government to temporarily protect the area as a National Park in 1898. This protection became permanent in 1908. The first settlement in the Park was on the Darby River site, where a small house existed. The FNCV has kept an eye on the promontory for more than 120 years.

During World War II, Wilsons Promontory was used as a commando training area. A memorial for commandos who died in World War II is at Tidal River.

In April 2005, a large part of the park burned completely due to a bushfire. This fire started from a planned fire that escaped its planned area because the weather was warmer and windier than expected. This caused the evacuation of 600 people.

During the Black Saturday Fires in February 2009 across Victoria, lightning struck trees in Wilsons Promontory. This caused up to 50% of the national park to be damaged by fire.

Camping

Tidal River is the main place for staying overnight in Wilsons Promontory National Park. The Tidal River Campground has 484 camping and caravan spots, including twelve that have electricity. These spots are near the beach and river. There are also eleven other spots that are farther away and require walking to reach them.

Tidal River Campground is located in sand dunes behind Norman Bay on the western side of the peninsula. A road connects Yanakie, which is at the park entrance, to Tidal River. This road is 32 kilometers long. Yanakie is a campsite that allows dogs and can fit both large caravans and small tents. It is a good choice for people who want to camp with their pets near Wilsons Promontory.

When many people visit, the population of Tidal River increases to more than 2,000. There is a visitor center that is open every day, a store that sells basic food, emergency supplies, fish and chips, and takeaway meals. An outdoor cinema, built in the late 1940s, is a popular attraction for summer campers. Sometimes, people wait over an hour to buy tickets so they can sit in the front row with a blanket.

During the summer months, a lottery is held to assign camping spots from Christmas until late January. No matter what time of year it is, all stays must be reserved in advance.

Wildlife

Wilsons Promontory National Park has many types of animals, including kangaroos, wombats, echidnas, emus, small marsupials, and a variety of birds, with rosellas being the most common. Near Tidal River, the animals are used to seeing people, and some may walk close to humans, take food from them, or even enter tents. However, it is against the law to feed wildlife. If someone is caught feeding animals, Parks Victoria staff will give them a fine.

Outside the camping areas, animals are not used to people and may be harder to see. Possums can often be spotted with a flashlight at night, and kangaroos and emus are frequently seen in large groups near roads leading into the park. Swamp wallabies are commonly seen on walking trails, along with many bird species. The northern part of the park also has many snakes.

Hiking

The Prom has many hiking trails with different levels of difficulty. Some trails are short day hikes that use beach access ramps, while others take two to three hours. There are also overnight hiking options that can be part of longer hikes lasting two days or more. In the northern part of the park, there are multi-day hikes that require good navigation skills. A permit is needed for all overnight hiking.

A part of the peninsula has warm temperate rainforest. These areas are usually walked on boardwalks and bridges, and they are home to several bird species and swamp wallabies. There is also mountainous terrain. Mount Oberon offers views that are slightly affected by a nearby radio aerial. Another option is to walk up Mount Bishop, which provides panoramic views of the Prom. The coastline is rugged, with indented coves and beaches found between granite headlands, tors, and cliffs. Beaches vary from wide sandy areas to steep coves and rock pools. The northern section of the park includes much of the Yanakie Isthmus, which has sandy healthlands.

Mount Oberon, located in Wilsons Promontory National Park, is a popular hiking spot. Hikers usually start at the Telegraph Saddle carpark, which is halfway up the mountain. From there, walkers follow a management vehicle track to the summit. A short set of steps near the summit leads to views of Tidal River, the coast, and nearby islands. The summit can be windy, cool, and cloudy even in summer. As of mid-2023, plans were being considered to build a walking track connecting Tidal River to Telegraph Saddle, which would allow hikers to reach the summit from sea level.