Olinda Falls and Valley is a 14km, grade 3 hike located in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. The hike should take around 4 hrs to complete.
Hike overview
The Olinda Falls and Valley Circuit is a very picturesque walk through the Olinda Forest area. This is a highly varied walk through some really beautiful native bush, but the R.J. Hamer Forest Arboretum provides some highly varied introduced trees. It can almost feel like a walk around the world. This version includes a short side trip to the Olinda Falls. You'll likely hear and see a lot of birdlife here as well, especially the Lyrebird.
Start at Woolrich Lookout, near the toilet block you'll see the Dam Rd track, follow that then follow Sequoia, Rock, KC, Rifle Range Gully and then Bartlett to reach the road. Follow that briefly looking out for Cascade Track on the right. Follow this until you see the side track off to the Olinda Falls to the right. The falls are quite small, but a worthwhile short visit. Return back to Cascade Track to follow that north until you reach Barbers Road. Turn right and shortly you'll see VW Track to your right. This is a fairly gentle walk uphill until you reach Barges. Take this left, follow to the junction to continue on Barges until you reach the junction with Georges. Continue along this, note it passes some junctions and eventually meets Eagle Track to take you to Valley Picnic Ground. From here you can take Black Hole Track, then Yallambee Way to join Matthias then back up to Woolrich Lookout.
Route and GPX file
Max elevation: 508 m
Min elevation: 254 m
Total climbing: 1085 m
Total descent: -1087 m
Tips
The area is a real maze of trails with many possible combinations to take. It is essential to take a map to ensure you don't get lost.
- There tends to be a lot of vandalism of signs, so don't rely on these being there.
- Leeches can be encountered so bring your favourite leech repellent/remedy.
Trail location
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Getting there
Make your way to Olinda, follow the Olinda-Monbulk Road for 900 metres approx, turn left onto Chalet Road. Look for the carpark at the lookout.
Gallery
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About the region
Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges is a whole life experience away, offering breathtaking scenery, romantic hideaways and indulgent adventures. The Dandenong Ranges is a haven of hidden delights with scenic winding roads to quaint hilltop villages. There is an abundance of artist studios, craft stores and renowned gardens to explore as well as walking and cycling trails through mountain ash forests and clean, refreshing air.
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Gear to consider

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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.
1 Review on “Olinda Falls and Valley (14km)”
Completed most of this track in Dec 2022.
There is currently a warning sign a the intersection of the KC Track and the Black Hole Track that advises that the track is closed and restricted to Authorised Personnel only due to the 2021 storm damage. It is unclear if the sign is referring to the KC Track (which continues Straight) or the the Back Hole Track (to the Left.) So we doubled back a little way and took the Mathias road to Predator track, then followed Bartlett road to re-join this Hike.
We did see lots of leaches when we sat down for lunch on the side of the track.
You could easily make this hike longer or shorter by taking one of the various side tracks although I would recommend a GPS and/or a map and compass.
Very much enjoyed this hike and recommend it as a great day hike close to Melbourne.