Halfway Hut on the Prom's Telegraph Track: how to book the hike-in permit, tank water and facilities, busy dates and how to catch a cancelled night out.
About
Halfway Hut is the Prom's inland camp. Instead of a beach, you get a shady, secluded clearing beside a historic hut on the Telegraph Track, the long north–south spine that runs down the middle of the southern Prom towards the Lightstation. Parks Victoria describes it as suitable for a break or an overnight stay.
It's the camp people use to break up the long haul between Telegraph Saddle or Oberon Bay and the southern end of the park. If you're walking to the Lightstation, South Point or Roaring Meg via the Telegraph Track, Halfway Hut is the sensible stopover. It doesn't have the views of the coastal camps, but it's quieter, and the tree cover is welcome on a hot day.
The sites
Parks Victoria doesn't publish a number of sites or a capacity. As with every Southern Circuit camp, permits are sold per person per night from a capped quota.
What the official pages list:
- Composting toilets
- Water from a tank on site, which Parks Victoria says to boil or otherwise treat before drinking
The hut is a historic feature of the site. Parks Victoria lists Halfway Hut as a camping area, so pack a tent.
Hiking notes
- Water: tank water is the only listed source. Treat it, and think about carrying extra in a dry summer.
- Falling limbs: Parks Victoria flags falling branches here. Pick your tent spot with an eye on what's overhead, especially in wind.
- Uneven ground around the campsite.
- No fires, no dogs, no bikes, no generators. Stoves are fine except on Total Fire Ban days.
- Telegraph Track is the only way in, and it's walkers only: no bikes or private vehicles.
How booking works
Book your overnight hiking permit through the Parks Victoria booking site or on 13 19 63 before you start. Carry it, printed or on your phone, for the whole walk.
- Per person, per night
- A maximum of two consecutive nights at Halfway Hut
- Groups up to 12
- Your route can't change once you've set off
- Leave an itinerary with an emergency contact
New dates open four times a year at 10am AEST, over three days. Hike-in camping comes out on day three, after Tidal River and roofed accommodation. The latest release was 28 to 30 September 2026.
When it sells out
For most walkers Halfway Hut isn't the destination, so its demand is tied to the trips it serves, above all the Lightstation. If the Lightstation cottages are booked, the walkers heading there still need somewhere to sleep on the way in or out, and Halfway Hut and Roaring Meg take that load. Expect the busiest nights to match Parks Victoria's peak dates: the summer school holidays (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Australia Day) and the autumn holidays and long weekends (Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day, King's Birthday).
How to get a cancellation
When a permit is cancelled it's available online again straight away. Parks Victoria's refund tiers:
- At least 30 days before the first night: 100% back
- 8 to 29 days: 50% back
- Fewer than 8 days: no refund
Look just before the 30-day and 8-day marks, when people make their call. Camping bookings can also be moved to other dates free of charge up to check-in, which frees up odd nights late.
You don't need to sit on the booking page. Watch Halfway Hut on Aussie Camp Alerts and get an email when a full night opens up. The free plan includes one live watch, with alerts 15 minutes after the opening. If you're lining up Halfway Hut with the Lightstation or Roaring Meg, the Summer pass (A$29 once, 12 months) gives you up to 10 watches and instant alerts by email, Telegram or web push.
Getting there
Halfway Hut can only be reached on foot via the Telegraph Track. Parks Victoria doesn't publish a stand-alone distance to the hut, so plan from the published track figures:
- From Telegraph Saddle car park: the track drops through eucalypt forest to Telegraph Junction, where it meets the Oberon Bay track. Continue south on the Telegraph Track.
- From Oberon Bay: head inland to Telegraph Junction, then south.
- From the Lightstation: the Lightstation to Oberon Bay track (22.6 km, about five hours one way, Grade 4) climbs out through tall eucalypt forest and descends to Telegraph Junction. Parks Victoria lists Halfway Hut as a toilet stop on that route.
In peak summer and on weekends from Melbourne Cup to Easter, Telegraph Saddle car park is closed to private vehicles. Use the free shuttle bus from Tidal River.
Nearby alternatives