Bellarine Rail Trail

Length: 32.5km
Duration: 2 days
Grade: 3
Style: One Way
Start: South Geelong
End: Queenscliff
Closest Town: South Geelong
Location: Melbourne Region
Distance from state capital: 76km
State: VIC
Latitude: -38.162878
Longitude: 144.364915

Trail Access

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Bitumen Road

Gravel Road

Easy Access

Steep Road

Winding Road

Vehicle Ford

Speed Bumps

2WD Vehicle

4WD Vehicle

Entry Fee

Ample Parking

Accessible Parking

Wheelchair Toilet

Toilet Facilities

Camping Available

Drinking Water

Picnic Shelter

Picnic Table

BBQ Facilities

Fire Pit

Trail Features

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Concrete Path

Timber Boardwalk

Gravel Path

Sandy Trail

Rough Trail

No Defined Trail

Manual Wheelchair

Motorised Wheelchair

Prams and Strollers

Bike Friendly

Overnight Campsites

River Crossings

Rock Scrambling

Bush Bashing

Exposed Ledges

Trail Markers

Drinking Water

Fishing Spots

Swimming Spots

Dog Friendly

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ORGANISE THIS HIKE

Bellarine Rail Trail is a 32.5km, grade 3 One Way hike located in Melbourne Region Victoria. The hike should take approximately 2 days to complete.

Summary

From South Geelong the trail climbs gently to Leopold

A great day or weekend destination close to Melbourne and Geelong with scenery ranging from suburban to rolling farmland to the picturesque Swan Bay.
The Bellarine Peninsula has fine wineries, beaches and landscapes, and a wealth of other recreation opportunities.
From Drysdale to Queenscliff the trail is beside the Bellarine Peninsula Tourist Railway. The tourist railway is happy to take bicycles on their trains if you don’t want to ride in one (or both!) directions of this section.

For more information on this trail see the book Rail Trails of Victoria and South Australia.

The line was opened from Geelong to Queenscliff in 1879 to carry soldiers and materials to assist in the defence of Port Phillip Bay from possible attack by the Russians. It also carried holiday makers to the popular seaside resort of Queenscliff. The line was closed in 1976, but the section from Drysdale to Queenscliff was reopened as a tourist railway in 1981. It officially became a rail trail in 2000.