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Hire an RV, head for the hills: 74% of Aussies are planning a mountain escape this summer
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Something's shifted in how Australians want to travel. According to Skyscanner's 2026 Travel Trends report, 74% of us are thinking about mountain destinations this summer and autumn. Not for skiing. Just... mountains.
The appeal is pretty clear. While coastal campgrounds and caravan parks are packed to the rafters during the summer holidays, mountain destinations offer cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and that peaceful escape so many of us are craving. Globally, hotel bookings with mountain views have jumped 103% year-on-year, and Australians are right there leading the charge. With a campervan or motorhome, you've got the freedom to explore mountain regions on your own schedule, chase the shade when you need it, and access spots that hotels simply can't reach.
You don't need to own a van to do these trips — just hire one from a local owner through Camplify. Many owners offer add-ons like bike carriers, roof racks, and outdoor gear, which is perfect if you want to combine hiking with mountain biking or bring kayaks along for alpine lakes. Here are ten mountain destinations across Australia where you can escape the summer crowds and enjoy some altitude.
Victoria: Bright - Alpine summer escape 3.5 hours from Melbourne
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Bright doesn't need selling. Ovens Valley, mountains everywhere, town's walkable but has good coffee and a decent bakery. Autumn's famous for colours but summer's just as good. River swimming holes, mountain bike trails, walks from gentle to serious. Gets busy peak times because it works. Everything's there, twenty minutes from alpine country any direction.
Getting there: 320km from Melbourne, about 3.5 hours. Straight up the M31, turn at Wangaratta for the 45-minute scenic run along Great Alpine Road.
Where to stay: NRMA Bright Holiday Park sits in town. Powered sites, clean amenities, walk to shops. Proper holiday park with neighbours, but location's unbeatable.
New South Wales: Barrington Tops - World Heritage mountain escape
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World Heritage-listed. Rainforest, high-altitude plateau, waterfalls, genuinely wild spaces. The kind of place where you walk all morning without seeing anyone. Covers a big chunk of mid-north coast hinterland. Tracks range from easy to serious bushwalks. Wildlife everywhere: wombats, lyrebirds, the works.
Getting there: Around 310km north of Sydney, Gloucester (your base) is roughly 4 hours via Pacific Highway and Bucketts Way. Landscape shifts as you go inland. Coast trades for mountains.
Where to stay: Gloucester Holiday Park just outside the national park. Family-run. Powered sites. Owners know the area cold. Ask them where to go.
Kunghur - Off-grid mountain escape near Barrington Tops
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Want quieter and more off-grid? Hipcamp's worth a look. Privately owned properties: farms, bush blocks, places that aren't traditional campgrounds. More space, more privacy, settings you won't find elsewhere.
Getting there: Near Gloucester, similar drive from Sydney. Around 310km, 4 hours. Hipcamp sites can be remote. Factor extra time for final stretch on smaller roads.
Where to stay: Misty Mountain, Kunghur tucked into ranges near Barrington Tops. Private. Peaceful. Proper mountains. The kind of spot where you remember why you bought a van.
New South Wales: The Snowies - Jindabyne summer mountain gateway
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Mount Kosciuszko's Australia's highest peak. Don't need to be a serious hiker to enjoy Snowy Mountains though. Jindabyne sits on a massive lake, surrounded by mountains, gateway to Kosciuszko National Park. Summer's brilliant up there. Alpine wildflowers, clear air, walking tracks that go properly high. Drive from Cooma's half the experience. Watch landscape shift as you climb. By Jindabyne, you're already somewhere else mentally.
Getting there: 460km from Sydney, about 5 hours via M5 and Monaro Highway through Goulburn and Canberra. Route's well-serviced with decent stops.
Where to stay: Discovery Parks – Jindabyne has mountain views from sites, modern facilities, walking distance to town. Popular, so book ahead.
Queensland: Moogerah - Scenic Rim summer mountain escape
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Scenic Rim's volcanic country. Dramatic peaks, lakes, green valleys. Moogerah sits in the middle with Mount French, Mount Edwards, others surrounding the lake. Great for families. Do proper hikes or mess about on water. Landscape's different from NSW high country. Lusher. More subtropical.
Getting there: About 110km southwest of Brisbane, roughly 90 minutes via Cunningham Highway. Easy day trip from Brisbane but worth staying overnight.
Where to stay: Moogerah Lakeside Camping right on the lake. Unpowered and powered sites. Quieter than big holiday parks. Mountain backdrop. Good for kayaking, fishing, or parking up and doing nothing.
Tasmania: Cradle Mountain - Tasmania's ultimate summer alpine escape
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Lives up to every photo. Jagged peaks, button grass plains, ancient rainforest, walking tracks through World Heritage wilderness. Tasmania's best. Wild, beautiful, properly remote-feeling despite thousands visiting yearly. Weather turns fast even in summer. Pack layers. That's part of it though. Feels like real mountain country.
Getting there: From Launceston, 150km, about 2 hours via Bass Highway and Cradle Mountain Road. From Hobart, budget 4.5 hours for 280km.
Where to stay: Discovery Parks – Cradle Mountain near park entrance. Powered sites and cabins. After a day on Overland Track or Dove Lake Circuit, coming back to your van feels earned.
South Australia: Flinders Ranges - Outback mountain escape
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SA's outback ranges. Ancient. Red. Completely different from eastern states' mountains. Wilpena Pound's the centrepiece, a natural amphitheatre of peaks millions of years old. Landscape's harsh but beautiful. Wildlife's abundant if you're patient. Dry country. Doesn't feel like typical mountains but delivers that same sense of scale.
Getting there: Wilpena Pound's about 430km north of Adelaide, roughly 5 hours via A1 and Hawker Road. The drive itself is half the experience. Watch the landscape shift from green to red as you head north.
Where to stay: Rawnsley Park Station has caravan sites with direct Wilpena Pound views. Working sheep station. Authentic outback experience plus mountain scenery. Well-run. Sunsets are ridiculous.
Western Australia: Stirling Range - WA's best summer mountain escape
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Stirling Range rises abruptly from WA's southern farmland. Sixty-four peaks. Bluff Knoll's highest in southwest. Spring wildflowers are the draw but summer hiking's excellent if you go early morning. Range has its own weather system. Conditions change fast. Come prepared.
Getting there: About 330km south of Perth, around 4 hours via Albany Highway. Stop in towns like Mount Barker for supplies before heading into ranges.
Where to stay: Stirling Range Retreat offers caravan and camping sites with mountain views. Quieter than east coast parks, which suits the landscape. Owners know the area. Can point you toward best walks.
Northern Territory: West MacDonnell Ranges - Red Centre mountain escape
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Central Australia's mountain experience. Red rock, deep gorges, waterholes that stay cold in 40-degree heat. Dramatic, ancient landscape. Completely different from anywhere else in Australia. Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Standley Chasm. Each one's worth a day. Light does extraordinary things there, particularly sunrise and sunset. Worth getting up early.
Getting there: Ranges start just west of Alice Springs. From Darwin, 1,500km (around 17 hours). From Adelaide, budget 1,600km, about 16 hours via Stuart Highway. Alice Springs is your jumping-off point, then short drives to individual gorges.
Where to stay: Glen Helen Resort has caravan and camping sites right in ranges. Surrounded by gorge country. Walking tracks start from campground. Remote. That's the point.
Australian Capital Territory: Namadgi - Canberra's summer mountain escape
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Canberra's mountain backyard. 46% of ACT is national park (most of it's Namadgi). Alpine peaks, sub-alpine meadows, Aboriginal rock art, hiking trails into proper wilderness within an hour of Parliament House. Underrated. Probably because people don't think Canberra and mountains. But it absolutely is.
Getting there: Based in Canberra? 45-minute drive southwest to Namadgi's northern entrance. From Sydney, 280km (3 hours) via Hume and Federal Highways. Canberra makes a good base for exploring.
Where to stay: Bush camping's available in Namadgi with permit. Cotter Campground just outside park boundary offers facilities while keeping you close to mountains. Good base for day walks.
Why Mountains work for RVs
Advantage of taking a van to mountain country? Freedom. Not locked into accommodation. Move with weather. Shift between trailheads. Wake up with a view. Everything on board. Most mountain regions have caravan parks that get RV travellers. Proper sites. Good amenities. Locations that work.
Pack hiking boots. Bring layers (mountain weather's unpredictable). Point yourself uphill. According to data, we're all headed that way anyway.
The information in this blog is accurate and current as of the date of posting. Please be aware that information, facts, and links may become outdated over time.