Rawson: Crater Lake, Trail and Recreation

Rawson can be explored through a range of interests: a short loop around Rawson Crater Lake, the Erica to Rawson Trail, Phoenix Paintball in the bushland, and Rawson Skate Park and the seasonal Rawson Indoor Summer Pool. This selection ranges from a quiet walk to trails and recreational spots with different focuses. For your planning, the key question is whether nature by the lake, a longer route, or a seasonal swimming option will shape your stay.

Trail and loop: two different types of route

The completion of the two-year construction of the Erica to Rawson Trail was recorded in the council’s annual report for the 2022–23 financial year. The trail is 4,700 linear metres long. The project announcement of 24 February 2022 describes it as a route for pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders; it runs to the town centre of Rawson. This combination of multiple user groups and a route leading to the town centre makes the trail a multi-purpose route and sets it apart from a short loop.

At Rawson Crater Lake, a short path runs around the lake; the loop is 500 m long and is suitable for a quiet walk. The path passes through a landscape with numerous native birds and wildlife. This combines a manageable route with a specific connection to nature. The contrast with the trail lies in both the distance and the use: here, the focus is on a quiet walk, while the trail is a longer route for pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders that leads to the town centre. When weighing up your interests for the day, you can distinguish between the lakeside loop and the multi-purpose route.

Bushland, skate park, and seasonal swimming

Phoenix Paintball is located in Rawson, Gippsland, amid 40 acres of bushland. This bushland setting gives the paintball experience a distinctive natural backdrop; check the latest information about the site before travelling. Rawson Skate Park was created as a new skate park with varied areas, ramps, and other features. These two recreational activities also differ in their settings: bushland shapes the backdrop for paintball, while the skate park centres on designed areas, ramps, and other features.

The Rawson Indoor Summer Pool operates seasonally from December to March; specific operating dates may vary. Check the latest information before visiting. If swimming is a deciding factor for your travel dates, include both the seasonal window and the specific dates in your planning. Seasonal swimming therefore presents a different planning consideration from the choice between a short loop and a multi-purpose route.

Choosing Rawson as your place to stay

Is the short walk by the lake, the longer multi-purpose route, or seasonal swimming the priority? These preferences affect what to look for in the specific location of your accommodation. This lets you tailor your search to your preferred itinerary, rather than giving equal weight to every recreational activity.

Discover more destinations: Bittern, Amherst, Skye, Yarrambat, Kongwak, Seaspray, Welshmans Reef, Horsham.

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