Mount Cole State Forest
A big forest in the ranges near Beaufort, named by Parks Victoria as one of the forests where prospecting continues after the central west changes.
Land
State forest
Nearest town
Beaufort
Distance
20 km north-west
Old workings inside
None recorded
Photo: Peter Neaum, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Location
Mount Cole State Forest is near the Beaufort region
Fossicking Area Boundary
Official declared boundary from the NT Government. You may only fossick within this area.
Boundary coordinates from NT Government gazettal
Can you prospect here?
- !State forest: prospecting is allowed with a current Miner's Right and hand tools.
- !Mount Buangor National Park, next door, is closed to prospecting from 5 October 2026.
- !Mount Cole Creek and the Wimmera River are on the banned list.
Banned waterways here: Mount Cole Creek, Wimmera River. Victoria bans prospecting in these rivers and creeks. Full list.
Mining and exploration licences can sit over any of this ground. On the Dig Here map, turn on Land tenure and Current leases and tap the spot: you get a straight YES or NO, and the titles update every Sunday.
History
The Beaufort and Raglan goldfields at the foot of these ranges were rushed in the 1850s. Mount Buangor, next door, is now a national park and closed to prospecting.
Where to look
Our database has no recorded workings inside this forest, so it is less proven ground. Use Hot Ground and the gullies draining towards the old Beaufort diggings to pick where to start.
Getting there
North-west of Beaufort via the Western Highway and Mount Cole Road.
Camping
There are camping areas in the forest. Check with Forest Fire Management Victoria for closures.
See Mount Cole State Forest on the map
Old workings, flow direction on every creek, mining titles and a YES or NO for any spot.
Open the mapMore in Ballarat, Creswick and Daylesford
Rules: Resources Victoria and Parks Victoria, checked 6 Nov 2026. Boundaries: DEECA Public Land and Parks. Always check before you go.