Alpine National Park: Victoria's High Country Playground

The Alpine National Park, sprawling across 646,000 hectares in northeastern Victoria, is a majestic landscape sculpted by time and the elements. As Victoria's largest national park, it encompasses the highest reaches of the Great Dividing Range, offering a diverse tapestry of alpine and subalpine environments. Here, you'll find everything from snow-capped peaks and rugged escarpments to vast grassy plains and the headwaters of many of Victoria's major rivers. The park's history is rich and varied, reflecting both Aboriginal heritage and European settlement. For thousands of years, Aboriginal people traversed the alpine region, gathering for ceremonies and feasting on nutritious bogong moths. European pastoralists arrived in the 1830s, followed by gold miners in the 1850s, each leaving their mark on the landscape. Today, remnants of historic huts and mining settlements stand as reminders of the park's past. The Alpine National Park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. In winter, skiers and snowboarders flock to resorts like Falls Creek and Mount Hotham, while cross-country skiers explore the park's more remote trails. As the snow melts, the park transforms into a wonderland of wildflowers, attracting hikers, four-wheel drivers, and nature lovers. Popular activities include summiting Mount Bogong, Victoria's highest peak, exploring the Bogong High Plains, and visiting historic huts scattered throughout the park. The park boasts an incredible array of flora and fauna, with over 1100 native plant species. Many of these plants are specially adapted to survive the harsh alpine climate, and some, like the Bogong daisy-bush and silky daisy, are found nowhere else in the world. The park is also home to a diverse range of animal species, including over half of Victoria's land bird species and 40% of its mammal species.