Hike at a glance
Length
Duration
Difficulty
Trail type
Trail details
Max elevation: 614m
Min elevation: 244m
Total Ascent: 588m
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 this trail
Route in detail
Trail difficulty
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
Preparation and safety
Trail tips
Plan and prepare
Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. For a day hike, that means the right gear, weather-appropriate layers, enough food and water, and allowing time to finish in daylight. The 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.
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
Travel arrangements
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Photo gallery
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_21.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_29.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_23.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_11.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_20.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
/Labertouche-South-Hells-Gate-Hike_12.jpg "Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)")
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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
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Acknowledgement of Country
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.
2 Reviews on “Labertouche South Hells Gate Hike (14km)”
We walked this track at the end of April. It’s fairly dry for the most part. The first part of the walk to the caves was straightforward on well formed tracks.
The steps down to the caves were starting to get overgrown, and a couple of fallen trees required ducking under. The Cave track back to the car park was clear and the main road section was obviously no problem. It was however a bit confusing when we got to the point where the track degrades and starts to ascend to South Hells gate. The branch to the right ended up being a dead end and we returned to the red clay section that climbed the hill, which was the correct track. The steep sections from the track here on were deeply rutted, muddy and were difficult to Climb and descend.
The rest of the trail was fairly easy. over a made road, but the final leg that runs parallel to the road at the left turning corner was starting to be overgrown and not that easy to locate. The track had been cleared in parts from fallen saplings.
The inculcated time to complete the track was about right.
We did see about three or four lyre birds, which was a bonus.
Thanks so much for sharing this detailed update. That’s really helpful info, especially about the overgrown sections, the confusing turn near South Hells Gate, and the track condition on the steeper parts. Great to hear you spotted some lyrebirds too—that’s always a highlight.
I second the GPX map recommendation. I got lost a few times and without GPX, I could have gotten totally lost.
There are also treacherously steep parts both uphill and downhill in the second half of the track (if walking clockwise)
The second half is open to off-road vehicles and those heavy vehicle uses probably took a toll on those sloped paths.
It’s so steep that having a hiking pole is a must if you dont want to fall over in those parts, especially if the ground is wet & muddy.
I had to go through a barely trodden sidewalk for one of those passages that were too steep.
I believe this trail should be rated grade 4 for that reason. First half can be fairly relaxing but the second half put me in survival mode. And I’m a pretty fit person.
Hiked this trail on the weekend. *My biggest tip: don’t attempt this without the GPX map, we would have gotten lost countless time without it! We walked the trail anti-clockwise, starting at the Last Creek Track gate. The first hour is spent navigating steep motorbike tracks that got slippery after rain during the week – so walking poles would have been helpful. After that it’s mostly following a wide track with plenty of steady inclines to the get the heart pumping. Overall a nice walk surrounded by beautiful bushland. We completed it in 3.5hours.