Tallarook State Forest Recreation and Camping Guide DEPI – Broadford

August 2014

FS0059

ISSN 1440-2262

© State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries Page 1

Tallarook State Forest

Situated about an hour and 15 minutes drive north of Melbourne, Tallarook State forest comprises 5,100 ha of mixed species Eucalypt forest.

Location and Access

The forest is located north of Melbourne between the township of Broadford and Seymour. Access is via Ennis Road off the Hume Freeway.

History

The Tallarook State forest is the traditional land of the Kulin nation. The Taungurung tribe looked after the land. Artefact scatters and scar trees have been recorded throughout the forest.

After European settlement, goldmining was prevalent throughout this area in the 1870’s, which coincided with the establishment of Strath Creek and Reedy Creek townships.

In the 1880’s, sawmilling began throughout the area and many mills were located within the Tallarook forest. This forest was also used as a military training area. Limited timber harvesting and military training still occur within the forest today.

What facilities are provided?

A number of camping and day visitor areas are located throughout Tallarook State Forest. Freemans Camp & Picnic Area is the only site with toilet facilities, picnic tables and barbeques. Other campgrounds without facilities can be found at Flat Rock, Trawool Reservoir Camp and Tassie Camp (see map over leaf).

Things to see and do

Tallarook State forest provides excellent opportunities for recreational four-wheel-driving, camping, bushwalking, mountain bike riding, horse riding and trail bike riding.

Freemans Camp

Located just off Main Rd on Freemans Rd, Freemans Camp is the only camp site in the

Tallarook State forest with toilets and facilities provided. Facilities at Freemans camp were upgraded in 2013.

Trawool Reservoir

Traawool Reservoir was built in the 1890s to supply water to Seymour and the nearby railway.

The 350 foot long, 23 foot high granite ashlar masonry weir

is no longer used as a water supply. It holds water year round and remains an attractive feature in the forest. The spelling was changed from Traawool to Trawool sometime in the early 1900’s.

The area is popular for picnicking and fishing. No dedicated facilities are provided.

Mt Hickey

This is the highest point in the forest at 405m above sea level. It is the site of the DEPI fire

lookout tower which is manned most days over the summer period. There is no public access to the tower.

Mt Disappointment State Forest

Just a short drive south from Tallarook is Mt Disappointment State forest which provides

many recreation facilities for walking, horse riding, trail bike riding and general day visitor areas including the popular Strath Creek Falls (see Forest Note – Mt Disappointment State Forest).

Campfire Guidelines

Campfires are permitted, provided the following guidelines are observed:

• Campfire safety – Use fireplaces where provided. The fire must be attended at all times by a person with the capacity and means to extinguish it. For solid fuel fires, the ground and airspace within 3m of the outer perimeter of the fire must be clear of flammable material. Ensure the fire is extinguished with water before leaving. If it’s cool to touch it is safe to leave .

• Campfires are prohibited on days of Total Fire Ban . Only gas or electric appliances that have been designed and commercially manufactured exclusively for cooking may be used for meal preparation on a Total Fire Ban Day provided:

- the ground and airspace within 3m of the appliance is clear of flammable material

- a minimum of 10 litres of water is on hand

- it is in a stable postion when in use

It is your responsibility to know if a Total Fire B an is declared. If in doubt, do not light a campfire.

Tallarook State Forest Recreation and Camping Guide FS0059

© State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries Page 2

Forest Use Guidelines

Forest Rangers patrol the area regularly to assist visitors and to enforce regulations.

RUBBISH

There are no rubbish collection facilities available. Please take your rubbish with you and ensure the area is clean for future visitors.

Do not bury or burn rubbish in fires. This includes bottles and cans. It is an offence to burn rubbish and those doing so will be fined.

TRAIL BIKES and VEHICLES

Trail bikes and vehicles must be registered. Unlicensed persons are not permitted to ride trail bikes or drive vehicles. Trail bikes and vehicles must not be ridden off formed roads, on walking tracks or around the campground. The surrounding road network is available to licenced and registered riders.

FIREARMS

Normal firearm laws apply in State Forests.

• A licence is required • It is prohibited to shoot on, from or across roads • Use of firearms in camping areas is prohibited.

All native birds and animals are protected by law. Tallarook State forest is a popular recreation area and is used by a wide number of individuals from a variety of user groups. Shooters should be particularly vigilant and aware of the likelihood of other users being present within the forest.

CAMPING – Minimal impact

To protect the delicate environments of the forest, we need to ‘tread lightly’ in the bush to minimise our impact on the natural environment.

• Camping is not permitted outside of designated areas or within 20 metres of any river, stream or lake.

• Be careful of camping under trees. Trees can drop their limbs at any time (particularly during high winds).

• Do not dig trenches around tents. With modern tents, this is unnecessary, particularly if you choose a well-drained or raised site.

• Use toilets where provided. At some sites hand washing facilities and toilet paper may not be supplied. Come prepared.

• All native plants and animals are protected.

• Dogs are allowed in State Forest but must be under direct control at all times and are expected to be on a leash in picnic and camping areas or when near other visitors.

• Protect water quality – wash up at least 50 metres away from the river and avoid using soap (use gritty sand and a scourer instead).

• Leave campsites tidy.

Safety – Please read

• On Code Red Fire Danger Rating days, parks and State Forest are closed to the public. Do not enter parks or forests on Code Red Days. If you are already there when a Code Red day is announced, you should leave the night before or early in the morning. For more information contact DEPI (see below).

• Be responsible for your own safety. Be aware of extreme weather events, carry your own first aid kit and let someone know before you go.

• When on forest roads, be prepared for the unexpected. Timber trucks, 4WD’s, hikers, horse riders, trail bike riders, cyclists and native animals may also be using your chosen track.

• Follow campfire and forest use guidelines.

Seasonal Road Closures

Some roads within the forest are seasonally closed each year from the Thursday after the Queen’s Birthday holiday through to the Thursday before Melbourne Cup. This is to protect track surfaces and the environment, and for public safety. Road closures may be extended beyond these dates, depending on weather conditions. These closures are enforced by a gate or sign. Contact DEPI for more information on road closures.

For more information

The Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) is responsible for managing Victoria's State Forest. For further information contact DEPI's Customer Service Centre � 136 186 (TTY: 1800 555 667) or visit DEPI’s website at http://www.depi.vic.gov.au

This publication may be of assistance to you but th e State of Victoria and its officers do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate f or your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all lia bility for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise fr om you relying on any information in this publication .

Ennis Rd

Goulburn Valley Hwy

King Parrot Creek Rd

Fairview Rd

Main R

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East Falls Rd

A rmy R

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Hor an

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Tehans RdFalls Creek Rd

Main Rd

WestFa llsRd

Dabyminga Creek B.R.

TallarookState Forest

Pulpit Rock S.R.

Horseshoe Lagoon F.F.R.

TRAWOOLRESERVOIR

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Tassie Camp M

TrawoolReservoir Camp M

Freemans CampPicnic Area

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FlatRockM

Bridge Rd

Landsc

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Sharps And Taylors Rd

Fred Trk

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West Falls Rd

BoxFor

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Englishs Rd

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LemarneRd

Dockerys Rd

Triangle Rd

Gilmour Trk

Upper Goulburn Rd

Horans Trk

Bruces Lane

Yamby

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Ellio tts Rd

Davis Rd

Breens

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Flynn Link Rd

Contour Trk

Main R

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Guym e rs Rd

Strath Creek Rd

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Tehans Rd

Sutherland Rd

Mt Hickey Rd

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Red Hill Trk

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Falls Creek Rd

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No1 Loop Rd

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Meadows Hill

Pulpit Rock

Mount Hickey(Mount Tallarook)

Sheoak Hill

Breech Peak

Tyaak Hill

Mount Marianne

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Parks and Reserves

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Produced by GIS Unit, Traralgon.

March 2014

0 1 20.5Kilometers

Plantation

SeasonallyClosed RoadS.C.