Visitor guide
Princess Margaret Rose Cave.
Closed to the public since 2021 while Parks Victoria upgrades the site. Here's where things stand, and what's still worth doing in the area.
What it is
A limestone cave in far south-west Victoria.
Princess Margaret Rose Cave sits inside the Lower Glenelg National Park, about 15 minutes by car from Nelson — or roughly 12 kilometres up-river. It's widely described as the most-decorated cave per square metre in Australia: densely packed with helictites, columns and shawls in soft pinks and creams.
It was named after Princess Margaret Rose, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II — a hint at the era of its tourism development. The site is managed by Parks Victoria.
The discovery
Found in 1936.
The cave was discovered in 1936 by local farmers digging at the site of a lost lamb. It was opened to the public not long after, and was operated as a show cave by various stewards over the decades that followed before falling under Parks Victoria management.
Current status
Closed to the public since 2021.
Upgrade works are underway. A reopening date has not been confirmed.
The cave has been closed to the public since 2021. The site is undergoing a $2.135 million upgrade as part of Victoria's Great Outdoors program, with construction expected to complete in late 2026.
Parks Victoria is also currently seeking a new tour operator to run cave tours once the site reopens. As of this writing, no operator has been announced and no reopening date has been confirmed.
For the most reliable updates, refer to Parks Victoria's project page: parks.vic.gov.au — Princess Margaret Rose Caves project.
At a glance
- Status
- Closed to the public since 2021
- Works
- $2.135M Parks Victoria upgrade
- Construction
- Expected completion late 2026
- Operator
- New tour operator being sought
- Steward
- Parks Victoria
In the meantime
What visitors can still do nearby.
The cave itself is closed, but the country around it isn't.
The surrounding karst country
The limestone landscape that produced the cave continues for kilometres in every direction. Walking tracks through the surrounding bush are open — see the Lower Glenelg National Park guide for current track information.
The river that runs past it
Our cruises don't currently stop at the cave, but the section of river around it is the most spectacular stretch of the gorge — see the cruise menu for what we run from Nelson.
Mount Gambier karst sites
If you've travelled for limestone landscapes, Mount Gambier's Blue Lake and Umpherston Sinkhole are about 30 minutes east across the South Australian border — both open to the public and free to visit.
Nelson itself
The town has a pub, a general store, the river mouth at Discovery Bay, and walking access along the lower estuary. A quiet base for a day or two on this corner of the coast.
A note on this page
We’ll update it when there’s news.
We're a river cruise operator, not the cave's steward — so we don't have inside information on the schedule. When Parks Victoria confirms a reopening date or names a new tour operator, we'll update this page. We can't promise a fixed review cadence; the Parks Victoria project page above remains the source of truth.
Frequently asked
Cave questions, answered straight.
Is Princess Margaret Rose Cave open?
No. It has been closed to the public since 2021 while Parks Victoria carries out upgrade works at the site.
When will it reopen?
A reopening date has not been confirmed. Parks Victoria expects the $2.135 million construction program to complete in late 2026, and a new tour operator is being sought to run cave tours once the site reopens.
Can I still visit the area?
Yes. The surrounding Lower Glenelg National Park is open year-round, and the river that runs past the cave continues to be cruised from Nelson. The cave entrance itself is not currently accessible.
Is there a cruise that includes the cave?
Not currently. Cave tours stopped in 2021 along with the closure of the site, and no operator is running boat-plus-cave packages at present.
Where can I get the latest news?
Parks Victoria publishes updates on its project page at parks.vic.gov.au/projects/western-victoria/princess-margaret-rose-caves-project — that is the most reliable source for opening dates and operator announcements.
Do you (Glenelg River Cruises) offer guided cave tours elsewhere?
No. We only run river cruises on the Glenelg. We don't operate any cave tours, and we aren't the operator being sought by Parks Victoria for the cave.