Roaring Meg, the Prom's southernmost hike-in camp: permit booking, creek water, busy dates and how to get a cancellation alert for your South Point trip.
About
Roaring Meg is as far south as hike-in camping goes at Wilsons Promontory. Parks Victoria calls it the most southern hike-in camping area at the Prom, set in a fern-covered gully off the Telegraph Track.
The main reason to camp here is what's nearby. South Point, the most southerly point of mainland Australia, is one of the nearby walks Parks Victoria lists, and the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation isn't far either. For walkers who want to stand at the bottom of the mainland, or reach the Lightstation without paying for a cottage, Roaring Meg is the base camp.
The sites
There's no published site count. Roaring Meg works like every other Southern Circuit camp: permits are sold per person per night against a capped quota, not as individual numbered pitches.
Official facilities:
- Toilets
- Creek water, untreated, so treat or boil before drinking
There's no toilet paper supplied, no bins and no power. Carry out every bit of rubbish.
Hiking notes
- It's remote. This is the deepest you can camp into the southern Prom. Plan for a long day in and a long day out, and start early.
- Ferny gully: expect a shaded camp, and pack warm layers for the evening.
- Falling limbs and European wasps are both listed as hazards.
- No fires on the Prom's hike-in sites at any time, and no stoves on Total Fire Ban days. No dogs.
- South Point and the Lightstation: the Lightstation itself doesn't allow camping, so if you're not booked into a cottage, sleep at Roaring Meg and walk over.
How booking works
Every overnight hiker needs a permit, booked in advance through the Parks Victoria booking site or on 13 19 63. Carry it (paper or phone) for the whole trip.
- Per person, per night
- No more than two consecutive nights at Roaring Meg
- A group limit of 12
- Once you're walking, you can't change your route
- Leave your itinerary with someone at home who'll raise the alarm
Two nights here is handy: walk in, spend a full day on South Point and the Lightstation with a light pack, then walk out.
Parks Victoria releases new dates four times a year at 10am AEST across three days: Tidal River, then roofed accommodation, then other campgrounds and multi-day hikes. The most recent round was 28 to 30 September 2026.
When it sells out
Roaring Meg's demand rises and falls with the Lightstation and the longer five-day Southern Prom Extended Circuit. When the Lightstation cottages are full, walkers still heading south need a tent site, and Roaring Meg is the closest. The busiest nights line up with Parks Victoria's flagged peak dates: summer school holidays (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day), plus Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day and the King's Birthday weekend.
How to get a cancellation
Cancelled permits go back into the online system right away. Here's what refunds look like under Parks Victoria's policy:
- 30+ days before the first night: full refund
- 8 to 29 days: half refund
- Under 8 days: no refund
People tend to cancel just before each cut-off, so that's when spots appear. Camping bookings can be changed to other dates free of charge until check-in as well, which means nights can pop up in the final week.
Watch Roaring Meg on Aussie Camp Alerts and you'll get an email when a booked-out night opens. The free plan gives one live watch with alerts 15 minutes behind. Southern trips usually need two or three camps to line up, and the Summer pass (A$29 once, 12 months) covers up to 10 watches with instant alerts by email, Telegram or web push.
Getting there
Roaring Meg is reached on foot via the Telegraph Track. Parks Victoria doesn't publish a single trailhead-to-camp distance, so use the track figures:
- From Telegraph Saddle car park: descend to Telegraph Junction and follow the Telegraph Track south, past Halfway Hut.
- From the Lightstation side: Parks Victoria's Lightstation to Oberon Bay track (22.6 km, about five hours one way, Grade 4) runs via Telegraph Junction and lists Roaring Meg as a water and toilet stop.
- From the east coast: the Waterloo Bay to Lightstation hike is 9.8 km and about three hours one way, so walkers on the full circuit can come in from Little Waterloo Bay via the Lightstation.
The Telegraph Saddle car park is closed to private cars in peak summer and on weekends from Melbourne Cup to Easter, when a free shuttle runs from Tidal River. Parks Victoria also notes park entrance delays until 20 November 2026 for Prom Sanctuary road works.
Nearby alternatives