The Labertouche South Hells Gate circuit commences at the locked management gate of Last Creek Track. Follow the track past the gate and follow the track as it gradually descends south west into a forested gully. (The track makes a number of turns at various trail junctions that are not sign posted so downloading the GPX file will be beneficial). After approximately 1.2 km the track turns west and descends along the management track down a narrow spur. After crossing a gully the track then turns south before arriving at a junction, at approximately 3.5km mark. Turning north at this point, continue for around 1km into the heart of the Labertouche Cave Geological Reserve. Here you will be able to take a quick look at the entry/exit points of the Labertouche Caves.
Grade 4 (Hard) -
Challenging Walks for Experienced Walkers: Grade 4 on the
AWTGS signifies challenging walking tracks. Bushwalking experience is recommended for these tracks, which may be long, rough, and very steep. Directional signage may be limited, requiring a good sense of navigation. These walks are suited for experienced walkers who are comfortable with steeper inclines, rougher terrain, and potentially longer distances.
While most of this hike is on well formed vehicle tracks care must be taken to ensure that you take the correct trails and turn at the correct spots. It would be easy to get disoriented as many of the maps do not show the track accurately and many of the side tracks are overgrown since the fires.
Total distance: 13691 m
Max elevation: 614 m
Min elevation: 244 m
Total climbing: 588 m
Total descent: -584 m
Login to Download GPXGPX files, maps and content are copyright Trail Hiking Australia. Not to be copied, redistributed or uploaded to other platforms including AllTrails.
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.
Download the 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.
Getting to the trailhead: Labertouche Cave Geological Reserve.
From Melbourne, take Citylink/M1 and head towards Berwick, Just after Longwarry North take the Labertouche Rd exit. Follow Labertouche Road to Jacksons Track and Stoll Rd to Last Creek Track in Jindivick. Park near the locked gate. Note there is not a lot of room for multiple cars.
Need a rental car to get you to the hike? Find one here.
Find accommodation close to the trailhead including hotels, cabins, and campgrounds. Use the interactive map to explore available options in nearby towns.
Nearby towns: Drouin, Labertouche, Longwarry, Warragul, Yarragon
Labertouche cave is a stream passage cave developed in Tynong Granite. It is occupied by a tributary of Labertouche Creek which flows underground for a distance of 175 metres. The accessible cave section is slightly shorter than this and is entered through an old stream sink located above the currently active stream passages. The cave consists of a passage through a pile of corestones of granite and in places there are exposures of in situ granite. Vigorous stream flow is maintained, which transports sand and gravel through the cave. Grooved and polished boulder surfaces found at several levels throughout the cave illustrate the abrasive action of this transported sediment. A smaller cave 200 metres to the east is on another tributary stream, but as yet no accessible cave passage has been discovered to this cave.
It is important to note that you must not enter the caves unless you are an experienced caver. Please read the warning signs at the site.
After exploring this area, return a short distance and locate Cave Track on your left. This track ascends along a steep spur to the north and returns you to the top of the plateau and the official Labertouche Cave carpark. From the carpark, follow the vehicle track north as it winds it way to the Robertson Creek Fireline. Turn right and follow the fireline over the summit of South Hells Gate and onto the South Hells Gate Track. This section of the trail is often used by 4WD enthusiasts and is steep, muddy and deeply rutted. Take care of any vehicles using this track. At the bottom of the first steep descent take a hard left turn and follow the track that heads south to Dugout Track. Turn right onto Dugout Track and follow it south for approximately 900m. You can in fact follow the road back to your vehicle but if you keep a keen eye out to your right you will be able to locate the start of a hiking trail that runs parallel to the road and is a lot more enjoyable to walk along. After approximately 1km you will arrive at yet another track junction. Turn left then left again after a short distance and follow this track down hill and back to the trail head.
Looking for more walks in or near Labertouche Cave Geological Reserve? Try these trails with a similar difficulty grade.
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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.