Hike at a glance

8,986

Quick overview: The Great Walhalla Alpine Trail spans 42 km from Walhalla to Baw Baw Alpine Resort, taking three days to complete. This grade 4 trail includes sections of steep ascents and descents, traversing alpine plains and notable landmarks like Mushroom Rocks. Along the route, you will encounter diverse native wildflowers and various campsite options. The trail highlights the region's timber and gold heritage, with unique sites that reflect the area's history and natural landscape.

Length

42km

Duration

3 days

Difficulty

Grade 4 (Hard)

Trail type

One way

Trail details

Max elevation: 1572m
Min elevation: 240m
Total Ascent: 3198m

Start: Walhalla

End: Baw Baw Alpine Resort

Location: Baw Baw National Park

State: Victoria

Nearest town: Walhalla

State capital distance: 184km

Latitude: -37.94213937

Longitude: 146.45055145025256

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 Great Walhalla Alpine Trail follows the first 40 kilometre section of the Australian Alps Walking Track, one of the world's great Alpine walks stretching 650 kilometres from Walhalla to Canberra.

Offering an abridged taste of the epic Australian Alpine Walking Track, the 40km Great Walhalla Alpine Trail links the historic mining township of Walhalla to the pristine snowgum environment of the Baw Baw National Park plateau and its nearby resort village. Hikers can choose a downhill or uphill end-to-end itinerary, enjoying a two-day journey through alpine plains alive with native wildflowers, twisted snowgums, towering mountain ash, and pre-historic myrtle beech.

Hikers will pass through the wonderland of geological formations found at Mushroom Rocks, see the ruins of Talbot Peak hut, cross mountain streams and wild rivers, pass through fern groves and, of course, get to know the timber and gold heritage of Walhalla.

The Great Walhalla Alpine Trail can be started at either end. Those seeking summit rewards begin in Walhalla, where a quick walk up the main street takes in the Long Tunnel Extended Mine, before linking onto the tramway that benches high above the town. This flat path weaves around the valley contours giving excellent views back over the township.

The trail sweeps around the spur to slowly descend towards the mighty Thomson River and a crossing at Point Poverty Bridge. This marks the first serious climb, with a steep section leading up Fingerboard Spur to a crossing of the Thomson Valley Road.

There is brief respite with a descent to O'Sheas Mill, a pretty creekside site where you can camp, although facilities are limited.

The major climb of the hike begins at the small creek crossing, with the trail rising steeply through stands of giant eucalypt and fern undergrowth, eventually popping out on a dirt road to the Mt Erica Car Park halfway point. Here the environment begins to transform as you climb higher; the bigger forest transitioning to alpine heathland, grassy plains and on into the gnarled stands of snowgum as you get closer to Baw Baw.

One of the walk highlights is Mushroom Rocks, a garden' of giant granite tors two kilometres from the car park. Although the campsite has no facilities, it makes an ideal spot for an enchanting overnight stay.

From Mushroom Rocks, the trail continues its steep ascent to Mt Erica. Beyond the summit you pass the old Talbot Peak hut ruins, just a short distance off the main trail. The trail undulates along the plateau, cumulatively rising towards the peaks of Mt St Gwinear (a 1.5-kilometre return side trip that's worth it for views) and Mt St Phillack.

After St Phillack saddle, the Australian Alpine Walking Track continues on north towards its Canberra terminus, while the Great Walhalla Alpine Trail turns left on a link trail to the rear of Baw Baw Alpine Resort. A final short climb reaches the Baw Baw summit and then it's down to the resort village for a celebration at the restaurant bar.

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

Great Walhalla Alpine Trail (42km)

Map of the route “Great Walhalla Alpine Trail (42km)”: 41.44 km, 3,198 m of climbing and 2,063 m of descent, elevation between 240 m and 1,571 m. It starts at -37.94211, 146.45059 and ends at -37.84068, 146.26579 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 41.56 km
Max elevation: 1572 m
Min elevation: 240 m
Total climbing: 3198 m
Total descent: 2063 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

There are no seasonal closures, although walkers should be aware that sections of the trail are often covered with snow in winter

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

Walhalla: From Melbourne, the drive is approximately 2.5 hours via the Monash Freeway, the Princes Highway and the Moe-Walhalla Rd.

Mount Baw Baw: Mt Baw Baw is located just 2.5 hours from Melbourne and 1 hour from Gippsland and is Melbourne's closest ski resort. Mt Baw Baw is accessible by bus transfer from Melbourne and Gippsland, car and train (to Moe, bus transfer required). Your Mt Baw Baw adventure is a short 1 hour drive from Central Gippsland, 2 1/2 hours from Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. There are three main routes.

Access conditions

Campfire Pit
Camping Area

Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Erica, Glengarry, Heyfield, Rawson, Toongabbie, Traralgon, Walhalla, Yallourn North

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 →
Discover experiences →

Photo gallery

Great Walhalla Alpine Trail (42km)

Do you have any photos from this hike?
Your photos can help others plan. Share shots from along the trail so fellow hikers know what to expect.

Share your photos here →

Explore the region

About the region

High on the Baw Baw Plateau, Baw Baw National Park protects one of Victoria's smaller but more distinctive alpine landscapes, where snow gum woodlands, open heath and wetlands sit above steep river valleys. The park covers much of the plateau itself as well as parts of the Thomson and Aberfeldy valleys, so the country changes quickly from exposed uplands to taller, wetter forest below. That contrast gives the area a different feel from the broader high plains further east: more compact, more enclosed in places, and closely shaped by the meeting of alpine and mountain forest environments.

This is also part of the western end of Victoria's alpine chain, within the Australian Alps National Parks, and its landscape carries the marks of cold-climate ecology that survives only in limited parts of mainland Australia. Alpine and subalpine plant communities here include snow gum woodland, grassland and heathland mosaics, along with sphagnum peatlands and associated wetlands that are both fragile and ecologically important. In warmer months the plateau is noted for its wildflower displays, while winter transforms the same country into snow-covered woodland rather than the broad treeless expanses people sometimes expect from the Alps.

The park matters well beyond its size because it supports species found in very restricted habitats. The Baw Baw Frog is endemic to the Mt Baw Baw plateau in Victoria's Central Highlands, and the broader alpine parks landscape also supports specialist fauna tied to cold conditions. These upland environments are especially sensitive to disturbance and climate change, which is one reason the character of the plateau feels so intact compared with many other mountain areas.

Baw Baw National Park is also part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape that includes the traditional Country of the Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples. Along its edges, the park drops toward the Thomson River, whose forested valley adds another layer to the region's identity, linking the plateau to one of Gippsland's notable mountain rivers. Taken together, the park is best understood not as a single summit area but as a compact cross-section of Victoria's alpine country, from tangled snow gums and boggy uplands to deeply cut river country below.

Discover activities

More hikes nearby

Explore hikes by town

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 “Great Walhalla Alpine Trail (42km)”

Overall rating

Benjamin Kloester

This took us 2.5 days to do one way, and we are fit (in our 30s) and reasonably experienced hikers. I can’t imagine doing the whole 82km in 3 days in the current track condition.

The steel bridge is still out, so you must walk a bit extra to the bridge at Walhalla rd (this is reflected in the existing Alltrails route).

The track between Thomson River and Mt Erica Rd is in a pretty poor state as of Jan 2023 – extremely overgrown, including with blackberry, and numerous fallen trees, perhaps as often as every 10-20 metres in sections. We lost the trail at one point about 1km before Tyers campground as there were 3-4 trees all fallen in a row and the most obvious path was not the way. Tyers camp was great though, it’s beautiful and we had a swim in the river below the waterfall.

The section from Tyers to Mt Erica rd was definitely the hardest section, it was very overgrown and looked as though it doesn’t see much traffic. A machete (or better yet a chainsaw!) would have been helpful. Some of the fallen trees were huge and required some creative approaches to get over or under.

The trail from Mt Erica carpark was well maintained and clear, and by comparison an absolute joy to hike. There were also numerous creeks running fast and fresh between the carpark and mushroom rocks – I recommend filling up in one if they are running. The water in the tank by the scout camp at mushroom rocks is dubious. The creek was running at Talbot hut, but very gently so best to fill up at one of the earlier sources near Mt Erica carpark.

Overall I give this hike 4 stars for the section from Erica car park to Baw Baw, and 2 stars for the earlier sections.

16/01/2023, 22:04

Like
Log in to Reply
1. Darren Edwards Trail Author
  
  Thanks so much for the trail condition update. I am a bit confused about your note regarding doing to the entire 82km in the current track condition. The description of the hike says it is 42km and should take approximately 3 days. As such, the return 84km should take around 6 days (not 3 days as you indicated).
  
  20/01/2023, 17:31
  
  Like
  Log in to Reply
  1. Kim Booth
    
    Beautiful hike. We did Walhalla to Mt Baw Baw Resort. 3 days and 2 nights.
    
    Nice and quiet track, we only sighted one other hiking party travelling in the opposite direction.
    
    Notes: Day 1 started opposite the pub in Wahalla (AAWT starting point). We took the Poverty Gully track and avoided the closed bridge. 1st Night camped at Eastern Tyres. Plenty of water available at camp spot river and bonus toilet, picnic table and firepit.
    
    Day 2 is a tough uphill day, track has been recently cleared so we made good progress. We had lunch at picnic tables at Mt Erica carpark. Then hiked to the beautiful Talbot Hut ruins to camp for night 2 (there is water at the back of the camp). Plenty of camp spots at Mushrooms rocks as well (and a toilet at the Scout hut).
    
    Day 3 we hiked along AAWT path to the well signed turnoff to Mt Baw Baw resort.
    
    Overall a really lovely, adventurous hike, landscape and surroundings change regularly.
    
    30/12/2023, 20:12
    
    Like
    Log in to Reply
Kelvin W

Going to try to get this one done soon.

04/04/2022, 09:51

Like 1
Log in to Reply
1. Darren Edwards Trail Author
  
  Nice, you’ll have to let everyone know how it goes.
  
  05/04/2022, 14:11
  
  Like
  Log in to Reply
James Harris

Leesa Harris

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Mandy Stowe Ellis

Bucket list

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Col McCluskey

Robyn Cole

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Tanya Elsegood

Heather Sayer

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
John N Lyn Daly

Another incredible walk that we have written up in Take A Walk i Victoria’s National Parks available from http://www.takeawalk.com.au

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Liv Brewer

Rosalie

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Liz Thomas

James Thomas

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply
Stephanie Brosnan

Brad Atkinson list it

24/03/2022, 05:20

Like
Log in to Reply

Leave a Review. Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Notice something different about this trail?

Whether it’s a new feature, a route change, or permanent closure, share your update so we can keep our info accurate and helpful for fellow hikers.

Suggest an edit here →

Acknowledgement of Country

Great walhalla alpine trail (42km) - 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:

August 12, 2026

Hike at a glance

Trail details

About this trail

Route in detail

Trail difficulty

Grade 4 (Hard)

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

Aberfeldy Thompson Loop Hike (50km)

Australian Alps Walking Track – AAWT (655km)

Walhalla to Thomson Station – Poverty Point Hike (12.5km)

Walhalla to Britannia Creek Circuit Hike (17km)

Explore hikes by town

Weather on the trail

Trail reviews

5 Reviews on “Great Walhalla Alpine Trail (42km)”

Leave a Review. Cancel reply

Notice something different about this trail?

Acknowledgement of Country

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

Tips and advice

Get involved

About