Kurth kiln Scout Loop

Scout Loop is the free, non-bookable bush campground in Kurth Kiln Regional Park, about 7km north of Gembrook in the Yarra Valley foothills. Around 30 sites sit in a loop under tall eucalypt forest, dogs are welcome in the camping area, and the cost of the whole stay is nothing at all.

Dogs at the Scout Loop

Dogs are permitted in the camping area provided they stay on a lead the whole time, in line with Parks Victoria's rules for the wider regional park. There are no size or breed limits listed, but rangers expect dogs under control at all times, including around the horse yards some visitors use near the entrance. There is no potable water on site, so carry enough for both of you, and keep your dog close rather than roaming the campsite edges where European wasps and the occasional falling branch are part of the deal.

Max: hold the lead near the horse yards by the entrance. Riders come through on weekends and a loose dog near horses ruins everybody's morning.

The place

Facilities are deliberately basic: one drop toilet, fire pits and picnic tables spread around the loop. Sites vary in size and some need more levelling than others, and there is no mobile reception once you are off Soldiers Road. Walking tracks head out through the forest and along Tomahawk Creek, and the historic Kurth Kiln itself, a Second World War era charcoal kiln, is an easy stroll from camp.

Getting there and parking

Access is via Soldiers Road off the Gembrook side, sealed enough for a 2WD in dry weather but rougher after rain. You can pull a vehicle onto most sites, so camp setup is straightforward. Gembrook township is a short drive for supplies, fuel and pub meals.

Close by with the dogs

If the free-camping life is not your speed, Honeyeater Cottage in Yellingbo and Carinya Park in Gembrook both take dogs in self-contained cottages. For a leg stretch before the drive home, the Cockatoo to Gembrook Trail runs through the same Dandenong foothill country, and Pepis Land in Emerald gives your dog a proper off-lead run after days on a camp lead.

More options are on the Victoria pet friendly stays guide and the Yellingbo destination page.