Northern Brisbane Ranges Circuit Hike (19.5km)

The Northern Brisbane Ranges Circuit is a 19.5 km, grade 3 walk in Brisbane Ranges National Park in Victoria, and it usually takes around six hours. Starting from Sapling Gully Picnic Area in the park’s northern section, the circuit links management tracks, walking trails, and the occasional animal pad as it weaves through a series of gullies and spurs that give this part of the range its character.

It is a route with a strong sense of place. You will move between open woodland and pockets of grass trees, with regular chances to look out across the volcanic plains to the north. The walking is generally straightforward, and the track is mostly easy to follow, but there are sections where scrub has crept in and narrowed the line, so it pays to watch your footing and keep an eye on where the track continues.

You might also notice small traces of the area’s gold mining past. Now and then, old bottles or pieces of broken crockery turn up beside the track, scattered and sparse, but enough to hint at the history held in these hills.

In terms of effort, this is a moderately challenging day out rather than a big climb. Most of the elevation changes come in short bursts as you drop into gullies and work back up onto the spurs, with only a few stretches that feel like sustained uphill walking.

One practical thing to keep in mind is navigation north of Reids Road, where the trail network becomes noticeably more complex. With multiple intersecting tracks, it is easy to wander onto the wrong line without realising. Pause at each junction, confirm your direction, and stay deliberate with your choices, because while many of the tracks eventually link up again, a wrong turn can add a surprising amount of distance to your day.