Hike at a glance

8,906

Quick overview: The Eagle Peaks Circuit is a challenging 26 km hike in Victoria's Alpine National Park, suitable for experienced bushwalkers. Starting and ending at Sheepyard Flat, the trail requires navigation through overgrown spurs, steep rocky terrain, and narrow ridgelines. You will encounter near-vertical climbs to reach the 1,445-metre summit of Mount Darling. This hike can be completed in two days and presents remote views along the route. Prepare for demanding conditions that will test your skills and endurance.

Length

26km

Duration

2 days

Difficulty

Grade 5 (Difficult)

Trail type

Circuit

Trail details

Max elevation: 1407m
Min elevation: 444m
Total Ascent: 1752m

Start: Sheepyard Flat

End: Sheepyard Flat

Location: Alpine National Park

State: Victoria

Nearest town: Merrijig

State capital distance: 226km

Latitude: -37.193894779405

Longitude: 146.34654336922

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

Important information

This is a remote, off-track walk. The spur from Mount Darling to Eagle Peaks is overgrown and includes exposed, near-vertical rock scrambling, so it is not suited to anyone uncomfortable with heights. The last water is at the creek crossing before the climb to Mount Darling. Carry a PLB.

Route in detail

Eagle Peaks are in the heart of The Governors Remote & natural Area of the Alpine National Park, a remote area above the Howqua River. The Eagle Peaks Circuit is an extremely challenging hike that should only be undertaken by experienced hikers.

The circuit commences at Sheepyard Flat. Follow the gravel road from Sheepyard flat until you reach a walking trail that runs over to and alongside Lickhole Creek. Follow this trail until you reach the summit of Mount Darling.

From the summit, descend into Lickhole Gap and climb steeply onto the Eagle's Peaks. The entire spur from Mount Darling, through Lickhole Gap and up to Eagle Peaks is quite overgrown and requires a lot of bush bashing. The spur is steep and rocky in places and requires that you dont have a fear of heights or exposed ledges with the terrain being near-vertical in places to the 1,445 metre summit. Once on Ealge Peaks follow the narrow and rocky ridge line west, picking up the Eagle Peaks Track back to Dubons Flat. Turn left at the road junction and follow the road back to Sheepyard Flat.

Camping

Camping is available at the trailhead at Sheepyard Flat. There are no official campsites along the route but you should be able to find a clearing near the summit of Mount Darling, or in the saddle just beyond it.

Walk features

Rough Track
Undefined Track
Off Track
Alpine Region
Scenic Viewpoints
Exposed Ledges
Rock Scrambling
Steep Terrain
River Crossings
Untreated Water

Trail difficulty

Grade 5 (difficult) badge

Grade 5 (Difficult)

For very experienced bushwalkers

Grade 5 walks are likely to be very rough, very steep and unmarked. They require a high level of bushwalking experience, specialised navigation skills and strong self-reliance, including preparation for emergencies and changing weather. Walks may exceed 20km.

Safety note: If you haven't comfortably completed Grade 4 walks, including off-track navigation, build up to those before attempting this one.

Map and GPX file

Eagle Peaks Circuit Hike (26km)

Map of the route “Eagle Peaks Circuit Hike (26km)”: 26.10 km, 1,752 m of climbing and 1,755 m of descent, elevation between 444 m and 1,407 m, time 02:08:57. It is a loop that starts and ends at -37.19366, 146.34662 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 26.2 km
Max elevation: 1407 m
Min elevation: 444 m
Total climbing: 1752 m
Total descent: 1755 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

Trail tips

Fill up at the creek crossing before the climb to Mount Darling. It’s the last water, so carry enough to reach camp and get through all of day two.
Treat or filter all water before drinking.
Expect slow progress through the overgrown sections, and start early enough to reach camp with daylight to spare.
Wear long sleeves, long pants and gaiters for the scrub and blackberries.

Plan and prepare

Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. For an overnight hike, that means the right gear, weather-appropriate layers, enough food and water, and a plan for where you'll camp. The overnight 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 Mansfield, continue along the Mount Buller Road for 19.5km to Merijig, then a further 2km to the Howqua Track turnoff on the right. Follow the unsealed Howqua Track for 16.5km to Sheepyard Flat.

Access conditions

2WD Access
Gravel Road
Winding Road
Large Car Park
Public Toilets
Untreated Water
Picnic Shelter
Picnic Table
Camping Area

Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Bonnie Doon, Eildon, Jamieson, Mansfield, Merrijig, Thornton, Whitfield, Woods Point

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

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Photo gallery

Eagle Peaks Circuit Hike (26km)

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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

4 Reviews on “Eagle Peaks Circuit Hike (26km)”

Overall rating

Darren Edwards Trail Author

Received an update from a group who attempted this hike on 25/02/2023. We attempted this hike but couldn’t get through lickhole creek track to Mt darling due to huge blackberry infestation. Was super slow going have to cut/break down the blackberry. Turned back very cut up.

27/02/2023, 12:24

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James Bell

I’ve attempted this one twice, both times starting from Sheepyard Flat, but going clockise and anti-clockwise. To date I haven’t managed to complete the circuit. Going clockwise in May 2020 we ran out of daylight and water, camped near the final ascent up Eagle Peaks and then returned back the way we had come the next day. The second time in late 2021 going anti-clockwise the path 6-7km along the river was completely overgrown with blackberries – so I decided to turn around and try again another day. I will attempt this again, I hear the section near Eagle Peaks is great – but everything leading up to it is pretty miserable!

30/03/2022, 16:00

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Darren Edwards

Looking forward to doing this hike

24/03/2022, 05:18

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Darren Edwards Trail Author

We attempted this circuit on 23 January 2016. The spur from Lickhole Gap to Eagle Peaks is overgrown, is quite steep and requires exposed rock scrambling in order to gain the summit. Members of our team were not confident so we were forced to turn back.

24/03/2022, 05:18

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Stephanie Lee

Claire!! ??

24/03/2022, 05:18

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Jason Townsend

Can anyone say how reliable the water source on Mt Darling is? Looking to do this in November 🙂

24/03/2022, 05:18

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Stephanie Brosnan

Brad Atkinson is this THE eagles peak? Top of Brocks Rd near lickhole gap?

24/03/2022, 05:18

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Acknowledgement of Country

Eagle peaks circuit hike (26km) - 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:

November 5, 2026

Hike at a glance

Trail details

About this trail

Important information

Route in detail

Camping

Walk features

Trail difficulty

Grade 5 (Difficult)

Map and GPX file

Preparation and safety

Trail tips

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

Eagle Peaks & Eight Mile Spur Hike (20.5km)

Eagle Peaks & Eight Mile Gap Hike (13.7km)

Four & Six Mile Spurs Hike (22km)

Mount Timbertop Summit Walk (5.5km)

Explore hikes by town

Weather on the trail

Trail reviews

4 Reviews on “Eagle Peaks Circuit Hike (26km)”

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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