Grade 1

Organ Pipes Trail Walk (3km)

Organ Pipes National Park

Victoria

3km

1.25 hrs

Grade 2

Circuit

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8 Reviews

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Quick overview: Experience the beauty of Victoria's Organ Pipes National Park on this easy, 3km circuit trail. Starting and ending at the Visitor Information Centre, the trail is just 20km from Melbourne's CBD and near Calder Park. Discover the park's unique basalt columns, the Organ Pipes, formed by cooling lava, and traverse the expansive Keilor Plains, one of the world's largest lava flows. Along the way, enjoy bird watching, photography, and picnicking opportunities amid revived native plant life.
Trail hiking organ pipes track 768x403

Hike length

3km

Average duration

1.25 hrs

Trail Difficulty

Grade 2 (Easy)

Hike Type

Circuit

Technical details

Max elevation: 123m
Min elevation: 55m
Total Ascent: 131m

Start: Visitor Information Centre
End: Visitor Information Centre
Location: Organ Pipes National Park
State: Victoria
Nearest town: Calder Park
State capital distance: 20km
Latitude: -37.66726574328341
Longitude: 144.76614832356475

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 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.

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Trail details

Hike summary

The Organ Pipes Trail commences at the Visitor Information Centre and follows the walking track to explore the many wonderful features of the park. The Organ Pipes, a set of basalt columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava, are the parks best known feature. Visitors can enjoy the fantastic range of picnicking, walking, bird watching and photography opportunities available.

1. Keilor Plains
Walk through the small gate to the two viewing platforms. All around you are the basalt Keilor Plains, one of the world's largest lava flows. These plains, formed by lava which came from volcanoes near Sunbury, are fairly flat except where streams, like Jacksons Creek below you, have cut deep valleys.

2. Native plants revival
As you walk down to the Organ Pipes look closely at the trees and shrubs. In 1972 this area was covered with weeds, mainly thistles and boxthorn. Each year since the weeds have been removed more native trees and shrubs have established. The task of re-establishing native grasses and herbs has been more difficult, but there is now a substantial field of Kangaroo Grass (themeda triandra) on the north side of the track.

3. The Organ Pipes
About a million years ago, molten lava flowed over the Keilor Plains from Mount Holden and other nearby volcanic hills. It filled the depressions and valleys of the former land surface, then cooled and solidified into basalt. Here at the Organ Pipes, it is believed that the lava filled a river valley running at right angles to Jacksons Creek and was perhaps 70 metres thick. Once a surface crust had formed, the lava beneath cooled very slowly. During cooling, the lava contracted and surface cracks developed (as they do in a drying mud puddle). As it continued to harden, the cracks lengthened until the basalt mass was divided into columns.

Over the million years since the lava flow, Jacksons Creek has cut a deep valley through the basalt and revealed the Organ Pipes.

4. Sandstone Bedrock
Walk down the stream for 200 metres, past wellestablished trees and you will see yellowish rocks across the creek. These are sandstones and mudstones, sedimentary rocks laid down under the sea. Fossils in these old rocks suggest they were formed about four hundred million years ago. The old river valley now filled by the Organ Pipes was cut in this sedimentary bedrock.

5. Rosette Rock
Now walk back upstream. About 400 metres past the Organ Pipes, look across the creek to see Rosette Rock, a radial array of basalt columns like the spokes of a wheel.

6. Tessellated Pavement
Three hundred metres further on is the Tessellated Pavement, which consists of the tops of basalt columns 'filed down' by Jacksons Creek.

7. Scoria Cone
You can now return to the car park by the shortcut path shown on the map. The carpark is on an eroded scoria cone - a small volcano that ejected molten volcanic rock called scoria. Scoria is reddish-brown and light in weight; it has many airholes because it was full of steam when ejected.

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Track difficulty

Grade 2 (easy) badge

Grade 2 (Easy)

Gentle tracks with some variation
These walks are still accessible for most people, but introduce mild hills, occasional steps, and slightly uneven surfaces. No prior bushwalking experience is required.

Tracks are usually well-defined and hardened, but you may need to manage small changes in elevation and footing. Distances can extend up to 10km, making these a good step up from Grade 1 for those building confidence.

Good to know: Small hills and longer distances can add up quickly if your fitness or pacing is off.

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Planning essentials

Practical Information:

Access to the Organ Pipes, Rosette Rock and the Tessellated Pavement is via a sealed but very steep path. Just below the picnic area the slope reaches a gradient of 1 in 4. This walk should only be undertaken by fit, surefooted visitors.

Map and GPX file

Organ Pipes Trail Walk (3km)

Total distance: 3310 m
Max elevation: 123 m
Min elevation: 55 m
Total climbing: 244 m
Total descent: -243 m
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GPX files, maps and content are copyright Trail Hiking Australia. Not to be copied, redistributed or uploaded to other platforms including AllTrails.

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Safety and preparation

Planning this hike?

Small oversights can compound quickly in Australian conditions. See how it happens in the Interactive Safety Scenarios. Then refer to the Hiking Safety Systems, planning calculators, and make sure a trusted contact has your trip plan before heading out.

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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..

Let someone know your plans →

Planning something more serious? The comprehensive trip intentions form is designed for remote, overnight, and off-track trips where your emergency contact needs more detail. Register your advanced plans here →

Free checklists

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.

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Getting there

Organ Pipes National Park

Organ Pipes National Park is just off the Calder Freeway about 20km north-west of Melbourne.

Need a rental car to get you to the hike? Find one here →

Get there with Google Maps

Access Conditions:
  • 2WD Access
  • Bitumen Road
  • Speed Bumps
  • Large Car Park
  • Public Toilets
  • Picnic Shelter
  • Picnic Table
  • BBQ Facilities

Accommodation nearby

Find hotels, cabins, and campgrounds near the trailhead. Click the button below to open an interactive map automatically centred on this hike's location — no searching required.

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Or browse accommodation in nearby towns: Airport West, Calder Park, Essendon, Gladstone Park, Keilor, Tullamarine

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About the region

The Organ Pipes National Park is located at the eastern-most edge of one of the world's largest ancient volcanic lava flows, stretching 350 kilometres from the edge of Melbourne to the western border of Victoria.Towering above charming Jacksons Creek, the impressive basalt columns that resemble organ pipes were formed about a million years ago when huge quantities of molten lava were ejected from volcanoes near what is now Sunbury and flowed over the Keilor Plains. These plains are fairly flat except where streams such as Jacksons Creek have cut deep valleys over the years.

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Weather on the trail

Organ Pipes National Park

The map below shows the rain forecast for the trail area. Tap the toggle in the top right corner to explore other layers including wind, temperature, UV index, thunderstorms, fire danger, and weather warnings — all useful for planning a safe hike.

Trail Reviews

8 Reviews on “Organ Pipes Trail Walk (3km)”

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Acknowledgement of Country

Organ pipes trail walk (3km) trail hiking australia

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.

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia
Last modified:
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