Trail summary
Hike overview
Mount Baw Baw to Mushroom Rocks is a great weekend hike close to Melbourne. If you love the Alpine regions Victoria has to offer, Baw Baw National park is one of the closest alpine parks to Melbourne at around 2.5 hrs drive. This hike offers visitors beautiful alpine flora and fauna as well great plateaus and the physical challenges of a 1500m summit.
This hike starts on the Village Trail. You can take a couple of paths along the up the mountain and towards Phillack Saddle. From there you head South-east along a section of the Australian Alpine Walking Track to Mushroom Rock.
Staying overnight at Mushroom rock (about 800m above sea level) will be warmer than camping on the plateaus and allows you to sleep among some gorgeous boulders and rock formations.
Day 2 will see you turn around and return along the same path, perhaps varying your route slightly with the alternative Village Trail which will have you coming through Baw Baw Village itself.
Tips
Maps can be found on the Parks Victoria Website. I suggest taking the eastern part of the Village Trail as your first leg. The start of the trail is opposite the GAFIA Lodge and begins with a quaint little bridge crossing the Tanjil River (really a alpine creek)
This hike can be done in any season, but please make sure you prepare accordingly. I last did this in October and there was still a nice dusting of snow at higher levels.
Baw Baw has some of the longest and windiest stretches of roads I've driven on. Be wary if you have passengers who get car sick.
Details provided by Philip Jiricek
Map and GPX file
Max elevation: 1567 m
Min elevation: 1242 m
Total climbing: 1201 m
Total descent: -1201 m
Photos by Matthew Kovacs
Getting there
Closest towns to this walk: Tanjil Bren, Noojee, Erica, Rawson, Walhalla
Google Maps or any GPS will easy take you to the main Baw Baw car parks.
Heading east from Melbourne though, most people will follow the Princess Fwy eventually turning off on to Main Neerim Rd and continuing towards Noojee. From there you simply follow the Mount Baw Baw Tourist Rd all the way to the Baw Baw car park.
During winter seasons, you will need to pay a park entry fee.
Track grade
Grade 3 (Moderate) - Walks for Most Fitness Levels: Grade 3 on the AWTGS represents moderate walking tracks. These are ideal for walkers with some fitness who are comfortable with some hills and uneven terrain. While suitable for most ages, some bushwalking experience is recommended to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Tracks may have short, steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps. The total distance of a Grade 3 walk can be up to 20 kilometers.
About the region
The Baw Baw National Park is a national park located on the boundaries between the Central Highlands and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia. The 13,530-hectare national park is situated approximately 120 kilometres east of Melbourne and 50 kilometres north of the Latrobe Valley.
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Looking for things to do in Baw Baw National Park or nearby? Try these similar hikes or bushwalks.
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Gear to consider
What you carry in your pack depends on factors like weather, terrain, time of year, the type of adventure, and your personal preferences. Unsure what gear to bring? My free planning, food, and packing checklists offer a great starting point, covering essentials for day hikes, overnight trips, and multi-day adventures. Use them as a guide to customise your kit to suit your needs, always prioritising safety above all else.
Explore safe
Plan ahead and hike safely! Always carry enough water and pack clothing layers to adapt to changing conditions. Bring essential safety gear, including a torch, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), and a reliable communication device. Check official government sources for trail updates, temporary closures, and access requirements. Before heading out, review local weather and bushfire advice, including warnings and planned burns. Most importantly, let someone know your plans before you go. Being prepared ensures a safer and more enjoyable hike! Stay Safe, Explore More, and Always #ExploreSafe
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.
3 Reviews on “Mount Baw Baw to Mushroom Rocks Hike (30km)”
Glen Butler
If you start at Mushroom rocks, you can eat and stay at Baw Baw and make it a luxury walk/ski and heaps quicker to drive!
I down loaded the GPX file and completed this hike on Friday the 10th and 11th of May.
The first thing I would like to say is that anyone attempting this walk with the gpx map – DO NOT TRY the route that starts by heading in a southerly direction from Mt Baw Baw to the Alpine track. The last two or three kilometers of the track prior to meeting up with the Alpine track is completely overgrown, and passes through a couple of bogs without proper boardwalks to protect the bogs. The signage is absolutely dreadful. I do not think anyone has maintained this track for at least 10 years – the remnants of old sign posts that we found were testament to this. Seriously don’t bother attempting it – it is not only bad for the environment, you have to make your own path – it is also potentially very dangerous – especially if you get wet from the bushes and bogs and get caught in a snow storm.
We began our hike by taking the northerly route to the Alpine track from Mt Baw Baw. Take care in following the GPS – we missed a turn off and had to back track (once again terrible signage). Once on the Alpine track you can’t really get lost, there are yellow markers nailed into the snow gums – although the trees are staring to grow over the markers. We only made it to Mushroom rocks at dusk and quickly pitched our tent – in doing so we missed an opportunity to pitch our tent in one of the awesomely sheltered rock overhangs. This would have been better for us because after we pitched our tents it rained and hailed so we had to stay in our tent the whole night.
The hike takes 5-6 hours so next time I will leave Mt Baw Baw earlier – before 11:00am so I can pick a sheltered camp site before dark. The other thing to note is that the drop toilet next to the Scout hall is not marked or signed so it is not easy to find. It is about 100 m from one of the camp sites and through a narrow path – down hill.
On the way back we decided to try the Southern route back to Mt Baw Baw village from the Alpine track – once again I do not recommend you try this – we kept thinking we would get to a decent path soon – but that never happened. If it wasn’t for our GPS we and the GPX may we would have been hopelessly lost in the poor visibility we hiked in.
We also became completely saturated and our boots water sodden as we wallked through the bogs and overgrown bushes (sometimes we had to push/barge/scramble through dense shrubs well above head height to try and stay on the gpx track. It wouldn’t have been fun if it started snowing or if there was white out.
Great – Thanks Darren. Much appreciated!
Great hike- Thanks Darren! Perfect for beginners who are breaking into the hiking world. Just a few things, the first ~2km’s on the The Village Trail is through some thick shubbery (almost bush bashing) and a bog! Don’t stop becuase you will be bitten by flies. About ~13km’s on the way to Mushroom Rock there is a flowing water source under a wooden bridge (for anyone low on water).
HI, can I just clarify: is this a 30k round trip, or 30 each way? Thanks
Here’s my 2cents:
1) First time hiker.
2) Fitness almost non existence.
3) 65kg body weight carrying about 16kg.
4) Carried 4litre of water, but ran out of water the last 5km back.
5) Solo hike. 5.5hours Mt Baw Baw – Mushroom Rocks; 6 hours return back on the same exact route (did not detour to Baw Baw Summit as per website suggestion because leg was jelly).
6) It was hell. had to stop every few metres up a climb after prolonged walking. That last stretch entering into Mushroom Rocks was torturous, on the way in was steep downhill, foot was hurting mad, on the way back was uphill leg was burning.
8) Did not die.
Great! Just been looking for the next weekend walk, and here it is. Thanks!
Hi the link to the gaps files seems to be broken, any chance of this being fixed. Keen to do this after my prom hike cancelled due to flooding.