Little Desert National Park

Little Desert National Park is a large protected area of 132,647 hectares in western Victoria, spanning three blocks between Nhill, Dimboola and Kaniva in the Hindmarsh and West Wimmera shires. Notable for its mallee and heathland, sand dunes and seasonal wildflower displays, it protects diverse flora and fauna including the malleefowl. Established in 1968, it is managed by Parks Victoria for conservation and nature-based recreation.

Visitors can expect a remote, low-lying desert landscape of sandy dunes, mallee eucalypt woodland, heathland and stringybark forest. The park offers marked walking tracks, 4WD tracks, bird hides and designated campgrounds with basic facilities. There are no shops or fuel inside the park. The environment is quiet and natural, with opportunities for wildflower viewing in spring, birdwatching, photography and camping under dark skies.

The area was reserved as Little Desert National Park in 1968 following a public conservation campaign that halted a 1960s proposal to clear the land for agriculture. The park was extended in 1986 to its current size of 132,647 hectares, protecting mallee and heath ecosystems that had remained largely uncleared.

The park lies within the traditional lands of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk peoples. The landscape holds cultural significance for its native flora and fauna and is valued for nature conservation, education and low-impact recreation.