Aire Crossing campsite — Hotel in Glenaire

An original, true wilderness camp that has its roots in the violent confrontations between loggers and conservationists toward the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. Nearby (inaccessible) Ciancio and Holy Water Creeks were central to the protracted activity. Aire Crossing campsite became a base camp for outreach activities in the old growth forests to the north of the camp.

As of April 2025, the Aire Heritage River is running very low from the extended warm and dry conditions of autumn; hopefully good rains are coming to repatriate this thirsty environment. Campsites are situated in a delightfully leafy green cove. They are small and free, but will not suit everybody, with close proximity to your neighbour. Unfortunately inconsiderate overcrowding and noise can be experienced. Rainforests are for quiet, not banging away 'til 5am with Highway to Hell!

'Serenity Reach' is nearby — one of the hidden wilderness beauty spots that is most attractive after rain, and especially when the rents of scattering fog weave among the towering treetops. Overall, a highly recommended place if you are seeking solitude and stillness, but absolutely avoid Aire Crossing on major holiday periods!

⚠️Road graded as 4WD, but easy 2WD 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ✅Toilets 100m N of the campground. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺! 🚱 Water tank (boil water) 🚯No rubbish collection; if you bring it in, take it out with you. 🚫Slippery wet rocks at the crossing; 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗻! 🔥𝗡𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. Flying embers here are a major danger. ⚠️Snakes in warmer weather (tigers, predominantly) 📵Unreliable mobile reception Occasional echidna ambling by Glow worms populate the epiphytic vegetation lining the track down to Aire Crossing...

This was by far our favourite site we stayed at during our 8 day great ocean road adventure. As you wind up and down the track engulfed with rainforest you arrive at the end of the track and find this gem of a campsite. There is a 4WD only track that was closed off at the bottom, so for now this is the end of the road that you follow so you cannot miss it. There is a rushing creek 100m away from the campsite that is just so peaceful and beautiful. It was very cold when we went (late Sept) but we still were able to enjoy the sunset and set up our chairs in the creek for the afternoon sun. It was a highlight of our trip!

There is a drop toilet 2 min walk up a track to use. No rainwater in the tank when we were there. No bins, must take all rubbish.

There are a couple of things to note about this place before deciding to go ..

It is a free campsite, no booking or payment required. It is very small, only room for 5 sites, 6 at maximum. We arrived at about 2pm and were lucky to snag the last place we could set up. During the afternoon there were two other campers arrive and had to turn back because there was no space. Then again, at about 8.30pm a party of 7 cars came hurdling down the windy road hoping to set up for the night, but they all had to turn around too. So, take the warning that you must turn up early to find a spot to set up.

We have a Nissan xtrail and had no problem using the road to...

My first alone experience with my boys camping. I chose this site as it’s really off the beaten track in the Otway Ranges, and didn’t realise how much so off the track until we drove down along the dirt roads to get there- in my Navara. We were the third ones to arrive at around 4:30pm- it took us a 3.5hr drive. Another three arrived some time after this filling the total available spots. Also the tick boxes why I chose Aire Crossing Campsite is that there’s no reception, no electricity, and no dogs allowed. It’s really quiet; peaceful here. During the night it gets really damp, frogs croak a melody, and kookaburras going on a while past sundown. The ‘neighbours’ were quiet and there for escape also. The perfect experience. I...