Mount Moriac Hotel - Free Campsite

The Mount Moriac Hotel runs one of the more unusual dog-friendly stops on the Surf Coast: a free overnight campsite in the pub carpark at 1115 Princes Hwy, Mount Moriac, for self-contained vans, on the highway between Geelong and the Great Ocean Road.

Dogs at the campsite

There are no pet-friendly rooms here, because there are no rooms at all, only camping. Dogs are permitted for guests camping in the free area, and the hotel's pet page welcomes well-behaved dogs on lead in the beer garden, deck and outdoor seating areas, with staff happy to bring out a water dish. Keep your dog on lead around the carpark and hotel grounds. The campsite itself has no size limit stated for dogs, but the hotel's terms require dogs to be under control at all times.

The rules of the stop

Camping is free but it is for patrons: you book a table at the hotel and provide the booking reference when you reserve your spot online. Only fully self-contained vehicles are accepted, so no tents, swags, rooftop setups or car sleeping, and the maximum stay is 48 hours across 12 marked spots on the all-weather gravel. Park within the bunting-flagged area, and the hotel toilets are available during opening hours. The quid pro quo is dinner or a pint at the pub, which is a fair trade given the menu.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits directly on the Princes Highway at the Mount Moriac crossroads, about twenty minutes west of Geelong and an easy first or last night before the Great Ocean Road. Access is off the highway into the gravel carpark, suitable for big rigs.

Close by with the dogs

Surf Coast Shire keeps Moriac's township areas on-lead, so plan off-lead time elsewhere. Freshwater Creek Cottages is a pet-friendly farm stay a short drive south, and the Barwon River walk in Geelong is a good on-lead leg-stretch. Windy Creek Estate is a dog-friendly cellar door back toward Geelong.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly stays guide and the Mount Moriac destination page.

Max: book your table first, camp in the marked gravel spots for up to 48 hours, and the dogs are welcome on lead in the beer garden.