The most beautiful places in Victoria

Known for its rugged highlands, towering forests and dramatic coastlines, Australia's Bass Strait-straddling state of Victoria can be simply breathtaking at times. But with hundreds of parks and reserves scattered across the state, how can a visitor know where to find the very best examples of its natural beauty? Fear not – YHA is here with our list of the most beautiful landscapes from across the Garden State. Put down a pin and get adventuring!

Mount Buffalo National Park (High Country)

Image: Visit Victoria | Rob Blackburn

Stretching across the New South Wales/Victorian border, the Australian Alps is one of the only truly mountainous regions in Australia, and is home to a number of Victoria's most scenic spots. Named for its resemblance to a sleeping buffalo, the stony peak of Mount Buffalo and its surrounding national parkland are one of the highlights of the region, famed for its fantastic hiking and cross-country skiing.

While there are other areas in Victoria's High Country (such as Alpine National Park) that boast more manicured ski and mountain biking trails, there are few places in the state with the same untamed beauty as Mount Buffalo.

Grampians National Park - Gariwerd

Located in western Victoria, the dramatic landscape of the Grampians/Gariwerd is one of Australia's most underrated pieces of natural beauty. Comprised of immense tumbling sandstone hills and cliffs, this rugged countryside is amazing for rock climbing and bushwalking, and there are dozens of breathtaking lookouts to drive or hike to, with the landscapes on the walk up to The Pinnacle in particular being positively otherworldly at times.

The Grampians are also home to some fantastically well-preserved Indigenous rock art and an abundance of native wildlife to spot – plus, you shouldn't miss Mackenzie Falls, which has to be one of the state's most aesthetically pleasing waterfalls.

Stay at nearby YHA Grampians Eco in Halls Gap for a full-on eco-lodge experience.

The Twelve Apostles & Surrounds (Great Ocean Road)

If you're visiting this part of Australia for the first time, a trip to the Twelve Apostles on the world-famous Great Ocean Road is pretty much non-negotiable. These immense pinnacles of limestone are a jaw-dropping testament to the sea's powers of erosion, by which millenia of waves beating against the cliffs have slowly carved away the rock face.

Interestingly, though several 'Apostles' have toppled in recent decades, there were never actually twelve of them to begin with. Nonetheless, the visual spectacle of those still standing is undeniable, and there are plenty of other impressive rock formations along this stretch of the Shipreck Coast as well to keep you interested.

Be sure to make a stop at nearby YHA Apollo Bay if you need somewhere reasonably priced to stay.

Dandenong Ranges National Park

Image: Visit Victoria | Rob Blackburn

With its lower reaches rubbing shoulders with the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, the picturesque Dandenong Ranges are perhaps the most accessible of the destinations on this list. This richly forested region straddles the site of an extinct volcano, and features rolling hills and lush vegetation that lends it a primordial feel at times.

There is spectacular biodiversity on display here with well over 400 plant and 200 animal species, and the well-maintained network of walking and cycling trails make it all very easy to take in at your own pace.

Stay at YHA's own YHA Melbourne Central to explore the region and Melbourne itself in one fell swoop.

Great Otway National Park - Bangurac

Image: Visit Victoria | Great Ocean Road Tourism

Located on and around Cape Otway, about half-way along the Great Ocean Road, Great Otway National Park is a lush pocket of green, hilly land covered in dense temperate rainforest and flanked with impressive coastline. The best way to experience this unique ecosystem is bush walking right into the heart of it, but there's also lots of fun to be had at some of the excellent local mountain biking trails.

Wildlife is another major draw here. Cape Otway has one of the highest concentration of koalas anywhere in Australia and plenty of other native species to look out for, including kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and the occasional pltypus.

If you're looking for somewhere to lodge nearby, YHA Apollo Bay Eco is the perfect cosy basecamp to accommodate you.

Yarra Ranges National Park

Image: Visit Victoria | Ain Raadik

Not much further from Melbourne than the Dandenong Ranges, and forming part of the of heavily forested, hilly land bunched around the tapering foothills of the Victorian Alps, the Yarra Ranges National Park is another of Victoria's prettiest regions.

Home to some of the tallest and straightest trees in Australia (namely the Victorian mountain ash, growing to over 100m tall!), a misty morning amongst the tall timber in this part of the state is truly a sight to behold and well worth the drive from Melbourne. And all the more so, because the bulk of tourists from the city seem not to have caught on yet to how beautiful it is.