Situated in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Mansfield is surrounded by grazing land and mountain forests, with the area well-known for its stunning scenery.
The town centre has several historical buildings, dating back to its days as a stock route camp in the 1940s and a gold mining service centre beginning in the 1850s. High Street and Highett Street form tree-lined boulevards with gardens along their wide central strip as they meet in the town centre. At their junction is a marble monument which was erected in 1880 as a tribute to a group of constables killed by bushranger Ned Kelly.
Mansfield is very much a tourist town featuring a wide range of accommodation and vibrant commercial centre which caters for the many visitors who then travel to the ski resorts of Mount Bulleror Mount Stirling via Merrijig.