Best Day Hikes from Melbourne
1. Mornington Peninsula National Park
Bushrangers Bay Trail
This coastal clifftop walk boasts picturesque vistas over Bass Strait. To begin, set off from
the Cape Schanck car park through sandy outcrops, adjacent farmland and banksia forest.
Keep an eye out for whales, chatty birds and maybe the occasional kangaroo as it makes its
way across the grassy clearings. Top it off with a dip in the cool waves at the trail’s
namesake beach.
Drive time from CBD: 1h 30m
Duration (one way): 45m (2.7km)
Level of difficulty: Easy to medium
2. Steavenson Falls
Keppel Lookout walk
You can start this walk at the Steavenson Falls car park, meaning you get to kick off your
hike with a look at one of the state’s tallest (and most impressive) waterfalls. Following the
signposts towards the Keppel Lookout, you’ll begin your ascent on a rough dirt track passing
the De La Rue lookout. There are lots of hills and if there’s been rain, the track can be quite
slippery so be prepared: bring plenty of water, snacks and wear sturdy shoes. The Keppel
Lookout marks the halfway point on the hike, with views that stretch over towards the
Cathedral Ranges on a clear day. Then begin your descent down back towards Falls Road. If
you’ve got a little more energy in you, you can tack on a walk through the fern gully.
Drive time from the CBD: 2h
Duration (return): 3h30m (11km)
Level of difficulty: Medium to hard
3. You Yangs Regional Park
Flinders Peak Walk
Bring your dog! The You Yangs National Park is a dog-friendly park located between
Melbourne and Geelong. The best walk to try (for you and your pupper) is the 3.2-kilometre
Flinders Peak Walk, which takes you to the highest point of the You Yangs. It’ll certainly
have you puffing, with about 450 steps and an elevation rise of about 200 metres, but you’ll
feel like a proper champ once you reach the top. The walk starts and finishes at the
Turntable Drive car park.
Drive time from CBD: 1h
Duration (return): 1h (3.2km)
Level of difficulty: Medium to hard
4. Dandenong Ranges National Park
Eastern Sherbrooke Forest Walk
Done with the 1,000 Steps? This Sherbrooke Forest walk offers up much of the same ferny
greenery but without the hordes of fitness fanatics. Start at Grants Picnic Ground, past the
bird feeding enclosure, and follow the first section of the track labelled the ‘Lyrebird Walk’.
Keep on the sometimes-steep path, heading right at any turn, to see lush vegetation and the
occasional kookaburra.
Drive time from CBD: 1h
Duration (return): 2.5h (6.6km)
Level of difficulty: Medium
5. Werribee Gorge
Circuit Walk
This walk features a hiking trifecta: gorgeous views, rock scrambling and, depending on
what time of year you visit, a post-hike swimming hole. Start at the Meikles Point picnic area
and carpark and follow the path as it snakes around the river and uphill via a rocky crest.
Head towards the Eastern Lookout at the gorge rim for a panorama of the park’s best
natural wonders.
Drive time from CBD: 1h
Duration (circuit): 4h (10km)
Level of difficulty: Medium to hard
6. Cathedral Range State Park
Neds Gully Track
There are a bunch of great walks to do around the Cathedral Ranges, but Neds Gully Track is
a good place to start. It’s a steady uphill hike that takes you up to Neds Gully and Neds
Saddle. From there the track veers off to Cathedral Peak, the park’s highest point at 840
metres elevation. Some bushwalking experience is recommended for this one.
Drive time from CBD: 1h 40m
Duration (one way): 1h (2.2km)
Level of difficulty: Medium to hard
7. Lerderderg State Park
Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk
This is bush. Real Victorian bush. As well as some great flora and fauna, Lerderderg is
characterised by a 300-metre deep gorge that has cut through the park’s sandstone and
slate. This circuit walk begins in the Mackenzies Flat picnic area and mostly follows the
natural course of the river. Expect plenty of rock hopping, some relics from the gold mining
days and even some river crossing depending on the weather.
Drive time from CBD: 50m
Duration (circuit): 4-5h (13.5km circuit)
Level of difficulty: Medium
8. Mornington Peninsula National Park
Fingal Beach Walk
Those who like a lot of bang for their walking buck will rate this hike, which offers pretty
breathtaking clifftop views and a secluded beach to play on. Start at Fingal Picnic Area, 2km
north of Cape Schanck, and meander through the scrub forest. Take advantage of lookout
spots – not only will they give you a chance to catch your breath, but they provide jawdropping views over the end of the Mornington Peninsula. The path will take you down a lot
(and we mean a lot) of steps to Fingal Beach, which you are likely to have entirely to
yourself. You can either return the same way (which, yes, means climbing all of those steps)
or, if it's low tide, walking down the beach another two kilometres or so
to Gunnamatta Beach, where a loop path will take you back to the start. Advantage of this
approach: You avoid the stairs. Disadvantage: It's twice as long.
Drive time from CBD: 1h 30min
Duration (return): 1.5-2h (5km) if you go only as far as Fingal Beach; 3hr (10km) if you take
the loop to Gunnamatta
Level of difficulty: Easy to medium
9. Organ Pipes National Park
Organ Pipes Circuit
How weird is nature? The beautiful Organ Pipes National Park can be found just off the
Calder Freeway, about 20 kilometres north of Melbourne. The 121-hectare park is named
after its star attraction: 2.5 million-year-old basalt columns that look strikingly like organ
pipes. Take the short circuit walk around the park while you're there. Starting at the visitor
centre, you can follow the trail that passes along the main features of the park, including
Keilor Plains, the Tessellated Pavement and the Organ Pipes themselves.
Drive time from CBD: 30m
Duration (circuit): 30m (1.5km)
Level of difficulty: Easy to medium
10. Macedon Ranges
Hanging Rock Summit Walk
This region north of Melbourne is stacked with natural beauty – the best of which can be
seen from the top of Hanging Rock. Banish the thought of picnics and white dresses and
instead focus on the beautiful rock formations that you’ll spy as you make your way up to
the top of Hanging Rock’s summit. The path can be steep at points so it will get the heart
pumping, but seeing these 6 million-year-old rocks up close is well worth it.
Drive time from CBD: 1h
Duration (circuit): 40 mins (1.8km)
Level of difficulty: Medium