Hike at a glance

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Quick overview: The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing is a challenging 37 km hike through Alpine National Park. Starting at Heathy Spur Carpark in Falls Creek, you will traverse snow gum woodlands and reach mountain ridges with expansive views. The trail includes varied terrain, with steep sections and potential weather changes. Camp near historic huts for clear night skies. This three-day hike concludes at Mount Loch Carpark in Mt Hotham and is suitable for experienced hikers.

Length

37km

Duration

3 days

Difficulty

Grade 4 (Hard)

Trail type

One Way

Trail details

Max elevation: 1832m
Min elevation: 1351m
Total Ascent: 1403m

Start: Heathy Spur Carpark (Falls Creek)

End: Mount Loch Carpark (Mt Hotham)

Location: Alpine National Park

State: Victoria

Nearest town: Falls Creek

State capital distance: 349km

Latitude: -36.872308411164

Longitude: 147.29708611965

Check current conditions
Track conditions, access and closures can change quickly due to weather, fire, maintenance or safety concerns. Always check the relevant land manager’s website and conditions before you visit. Trail Hiking Australia does not provide real-time track and closure monitoring, and land managers remain the authoritative source for current alerts, closures and access restrictions.

About the trail

Difficulty

Route map

Preparation

Getting there

Photos

The region

Weather

About this trail

Route in detail

The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing is a 37km three-day hike through the Alpine National Park from Falls Creek to Mt Hotham. Enjoy spectacular views of mountain ridges from 2,000m above sea level, walk through beautiful Snow Gum woodland and camp near two historic huts.

Winding its way along alpine ridges through snow gum woodlands and snow grass plains, over rocky summits and past historic huts, this memorable hike rewards walkers with a spectacular view at every step. By night, see thousands of twinkling stars against some of the darkest skies in the world far from light pollution.

Suggested itinerary

Day 1: Falls Creek to Cope Hut, 14km
Highlights include lookouts at Heathy Spur, historic Wallace Hut and Cope Hut - and swathes of pink, gold and white wildflowers in spring and summer.

Day 2: Cope Hut to Dibbins Hut, 14km
There are stunning panoramas from Pole 333 and unforgettable views of Mount Feathertop, Victoria's second-highest mountain.

Day 3: Dibbins Hut to Mt Hotham, 9km
Highlights include abandoned Quintet Mine, charming Derricks Hut - and of course a well-deserved coffee and cake at Mt Hotham.

Campsites

There are two campsites on the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing.

Cope Hut Camping Area, among the Snow Gums on the Bogong High Plains, is 14km from the trailhead and usually the first night's campsite.
GPS Coordinates: -36.9054927,147.2893636

Dibbins Hut Camping Area, on a snow plain near the headwaters of the Cobungra River, is 9km from Mount Hotham.
GPS Coordinates: -36.9482505,147.1822681

Each campsite has five sites on tent platforms. There are four 3m x 3.7m platforms and one larger platform that is 4.5m x 3m. The platforms are designed to fit a 2-3 person hiking tent.

The tent platforms are designed for you to pitch your tent directly on the platform. Each platform has eyelets around the edge to hook tent peg loops or guy ropes over. As well as these there are movable pegs that slot into the mesh, allowing tents of all shapes to be set up.

Bookings are required to so be sure to check availability and make a booking prior to your trip.

When to go

Summer is a great time to walk the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing. Wildflowers are in bloom and the temperature at 2000m is a welcome relief from the warmer climate at lower altitudes.

The Falls to Hotham Crossing is not recommended between June and October. The route is likely to be under snow and should only be attempted by experienced hikers.

If you tackle the Falls to Hotham Crossing in spring, you can expect to see swathes of wildflowers. Enjoy!

More information

For more information, visit Park Victoria or download the Falls to Hotham brochure.

Walk features

Rainforest
Overnight Campsites

Trail difficulty

Grade 4 (hard) badge

Grade 4 (Hard)

For experienced bushwalkers

Grade 4 walks may be long, rough or very steep, and directional signage may be limited. Bushwalking experience is recommended, along with the ability to be self-reliant and manage navigation, weather and emergencies. Walks may exceed 20km.

Good to know: Not every Grade 4 characteristic will apply to every walk, so check the route description for the specific challenges of this hike.

Map and GPX file

Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)

Map of the route “Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)”: 38.46 km, 1,403 m of climbing and 1,191 m of descent, elevation between 1,352 m and 1,832 m. It starts at -36.87266, 147.29641 and ends at -36.97306, 147.12957 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 38.57 km
Max elevation: 1832 m
Min elevation: 1351 m
Total climbing: 1403 m
Total descent: 1191 m

GPX files, maps and content are copyright Trail Hiking Australia. Not to be copied, redistributed or uploaded to other platforms including AllTrails.

Preparation and safety

Plan and prepare

Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. For a multi-day hike, that means the right gear, weather-appropriate layers, food and water planned for every day, and a plan for each night's camp. The multi-day hike planning guide walks you through it.

The Hiking Safety Systems and planning calculators help you understand and close the gaps before you leave home. The Interactive Safety Scenarios show how small gaps turn into real incidents. If you’re new to planning hikes, start with the hike preparation guide.

Download the free hiking preparation and safety checklists before leaving home to help you think through your plans. They help ensure important considerations are not overlooked and support safer decision-making on the trail.

Let someone know

Before you go, complete a trip intentions form and share it with a trusted contact. Agree on a Late-Back Time and ask them to call 000 (Police) if you have not checked in. A clear trip plan is one of the simplest and most effective safety steps you can take, and it only takes two minutes.

Let someone know your plans →

Heading somewhere remote, off-track or overnight? Use the comprehensive trip intentions form instead, as your emergency contact will need more detail. Register your trip plan here →

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

From Falls Creek the trail starts from the Heathy Spur carpark, on the eastern side of the Rocky Valley dam wall in the Alpine National Park. Heathy Spur carpark is 3km from the Falls Creek Information Centre via road, or walk from the Falls Creek village bowl via the aqueduct track. The trail finishes at the Mt Loch carpark at Mt Hotham.

Falls to Hotham is a point-to-point walk, so you’ll need transport to the start and a way to get home at the end. The drive between trailheads takes approximately two-and-a-half hours.

Using two vehicles in a car shuffle is a popular option. Drive in convoy to the end of the walk, drop off one vehicle, then return to the start of the walk in the other vehicle. Vehicles can be left at the Heathy Spur or Mt Loch car parks at either end.

If you’re staying at Falls Creek, Mt Hotham or Dinner Plain before your walk, some accommodation providers can offer transport or assist with a car shuffle.

Falls Creek to Hotham Shuttle Bus
Hamish from Snow Dog operates a shuttle bus to take hikers to the start of the trail at Falls Creek to hike back toward Hotham. Complete the 25km single day route (Trail notes available) or pack gear to complete the 37km route over 2 or 3 days. Booking essential to secure shuttle service.

Visit Alpine Crossing | Services | Snow Dog Transport to book shuttles or visit Parks Victoria to book camping platforms at Cope Hut & Dibbins Hut sites.

Access conditions

Drinking Water

Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Benambra, Bright, Eskdale, Falls Creek, Harrietville, Hotham Village, Mount Beauty, Omeo

Find somewhere to stay near the trailhead. Click the button below to open an interactive map automatically centred on this hike's location.

Accommodation →

Travel arrangements

Whether you are travelling from across Australia or exploring closer to home, these options can help you organise your journey to the trail and make the most of your visit.

Find flights →
Compare car hire →
Get travel insurance →
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Photo gallery

Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)

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Explore the region

About the region

Much of Alpine National Park sits high in the Victorian Alps, where long ridgelines, snowgrass plains, alpine ash forests and deeply cut river valleys meet across a huge sweep of eastern Victoria. It forms the largest national park in the state and anchors Victoria's part of the Australian Alps, so the country here changes markedly with elevation, from sheltered forests and watercourses to exposed tops that can stay snow-covered through winter. That range is a big part of what gives the park its particular character: it is not a single mountain block, but an expansive piece of high country with many distinct landscapes within it.

The park protects some of Victoria's most important alpine and subalpine environments, including herbfields, heathlands, bogs and mossbeds that exist in a narrow climatic zone and recover slowly when damaged. Above the tree line the country can feel open and spare, while lower slopes carry extensive forests of alpine ash, montane eucalypts and mixed woodland. Major headwaters rise in these mountains and feed river systems that run north, south and east, which means the park is as much about water as it is about summits. Its scale also helps explain why conditions, vegetation and even the feel of the landscape can shift quickly from one part of the park to another.

Fire is part of the story of this high country. Large bushfires this century have reshaped broad areas of the Alps, and in some places the pattern of regrowth, dead standing trunks and young forest is still obvious. In alpine and subalpine country, repeated fire can have lasting effects on fragile plant communities, especially wetlands and boggy ground. Introduced animals, including deer, pigs and horses, have also affected sensitive habitats, particularly in wetter alpine areas where trampling and erosion can be hard to reverse.

Alpine National Park is also part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape with connections to multiple Traditional Owner groups across the Victorian Alps. The broader management plan for the region names Bidawal, Dhudhuroa, Gunaikurnai, Jaithmathang, Mitambuta, Monero-Ngarigo, Ngarigu-Currawong, Taungurung, Waywurru and Wurundjeri as First Peoples of these mountains and rivers, reflecting how extensive and interconnected this country is. For walkers, that wider context matters: the park is not just high scenery, but a large, layered alpine region shaped by climate, fire, water and long human connection.

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Weather on the trail

The map shows the rain forecast for the trail area. Use the toggle in the top right corner to switch layers, including wind, temperature, UV index, thunderstorms, fire danger and weather warnings. Windy is a forecast model, not an official warning service. Check the Bureau of Meteorology for current warnings before you go.

Trail reviews

5 Reviews on “Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)”

Overall rating

Darren Edwards Trail Author

Live this hike. The Fainters fire trail circuit is also excellent

09/02/2024, 02:44

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Brenda Belfield

Zoe Belfield would love to do this again?

24/03/2022, 05:19

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Laura Waters

any tips for how to get between Falls and Hotham if you leave your car at one end? are there transfers at all do you know?

24/03/2022, 05:19

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1. Larisaa Barrows
  
  Has anyone done this or has any views on doing this hike Falls to Dibbins Hut (2 nights) and then turn around on day 3 and return to Falls in a day (Light-ish pack)? Avoiding transfer logistics 🙂 Cheers
  
  10/12/2020, 23:20
  
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2. Zoe Belfield
  
  Brenda Belfield very true! I might relocate!!
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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3. Zoe Belfield
  
  Brenda Belfield yes one day ¸
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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4. Paige van der Pligt
  
  Cassandra Meehan Easter options ‘Truckie and Midge go walking’ ????
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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5. Larisaa Barrows
  
  Did this a couple of weeks ago as a return from/to Falls, skipping the last bit between Dibbins and Hotham which I find the least beautiful bit anyway. Followed the official map from Falls to Cope (first night), then from pole 333 to Weston, Blair and then to Dibbins (2nd night), then Dibbins back to pole 333 and the shortcut to Falls creek. You can either make a straight line to Pretty Valley Pondage and then Falls or from 333 to Tawomba huts and then Falls (which is the official shortcut the Falls Creek Visitor Center had recommended – they also have a map showing this, they were really helpful). That was a stunning way to go because you don’t really backtrack anywhere and on the way to Weston Hut (great place to camp, probably the cutest hut I’ve seen) you get amazing views of Feathertop. The track to Blair from Weston requires lots of fallen-tree-climbing, do make the small detour to Blair’s hut, it’s such a beautiful place next to the stream, perfect for a cuppa. Bit of a slog uphill from Blair to Dibbins.
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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  1. Mike Davis
    
    Hi Larissa,
    Thanks for the great insight.
    Do you remember approx how far in km the revised last leg was (replacing the 9km on the standard trail)? Or if not, how it compared to the first two days..
    Looks a fair bit further on the map.
    We are interested in following your lead but just want to make sure the last leg is still palatable in terms of distance/effort.
    Thanks,
    Mike
    
    17/01/2024, 10:11
    
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6. Mark McConnell
  
  Forest Air Helicopters operate a transfer service from either Falls to Hotham or Hotham to Falls. So you can leave your car at one end or the other. The helicopter ride is about 8 minutes.
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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7. Marion Roberts
  
  Hey Laura – we have the same issue. Shuttle transfer only operates in peak summer. There is a taxi service for $300 (will take 6 people). Otherwise u have to take two cars. Cheers
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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8. Trail Hiking Australia
  
  Hey Laura. You can arrange a shuttle transfer. Best bet is to check out the details in the falls creek website. http://www.fallscreek.com.au/attractions/falls-to-hotham-crossing-shuttle
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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9. Ella Turner
  
  Hi Larisaa,
  What are the approximate times it took you to walk between Cope Hut and Dibbins via Weston and Blair? Also from Dibbins back to Falls via Tawomba huts?
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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10. Barry Dent
  
  Hi Larissa,
  We are doing falls to hotham next month but we are contemplating hiking to dibbins hut and back next day to falls. We are only doing one night so will park at cope hut and walk from there. You could maybe park at Langford Gap carpark which will save a bit of walking on the return.
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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11. Freya Chipperfield
  
  I so want to do this hike !
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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12. Laura Waters
  
  I want to do this!! soooon
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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13. Sherie Foyle
  
  Kerryn!!! YES!!!
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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14. Laura Waters
  
  Marion Roberts I have no cars, boo. 🙁
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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15. Ben Merlo
  
  Michael Neal
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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16. Vaughan Edmondson
  
  My wife and I will doing this in December. So looking forward to it!
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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17. Laura Waters
  
  thanks guys
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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18. Laura Waters
  
  thanks Marion
  
  24/03/2022, 05:19
  
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Acknowledgement of Country

Falls to hotham alpine crossing hike (37km) - trail hiking australia

Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

October 25, 2026

Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)

Hike at a glance

Trail details

About this trail

Route in detail

Suggested itinerary

Campsites

When to go

More information

Walk features

Trail difficulty

Grade 4 (Hard)

Map and GPX file

Preparation and safety

Plan and prepare

Let someone know

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

Access conditions

Accommodation nearby

Travel arrangements

Photo gallery

Explore the region

About the region

Discover activities

More hikes nearby

Mount Nelse Huts Walk (37.5km)

Bogong-Hotham Alpine Circuit (155km)

Mount Bogong Circuit from Falls Creek Hike (63km)

Langfords Aqueduct and Kelly Hut Hike (18km)

Explore hikes by town

Weather on the trail

Trail reviews

5 Reviews on “Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Hike (37km)”

Leave a Review. Cancel reply

Notice something different about this trail?

Acknowledgement of Country

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

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