Silver Mine Walk (16.5km)

The walk can be undertaken as a single 16km loop, or seperated into an overnight trip - with a well established campsite near the river bank. Note that McKillops Road, on the opposite side of the river, overlooks the campsite.

Starting from McKillop Bridge, the Silver Mine walk links fire access and other minor tracks in a varied and interesting route, including a section of the bank of the Snowy River. The path is broad, well graded and carefully benched where it sidles steep hillsides.

The initial walk up the Deddick 4WD track includes a couple of steep sections but is otherwise well graded. As you climb Deddick track you will pass the junction where the Silver Mine Walk exists back onto the 4WD track. The management vehcile only track which you follow from Deddick trail down to river, past several mine sites, is also easy to follow. There is a campsite with fire-pit at the junction of this vehcile track and the river. When you are near the highest point of the walk on the main track, be vigilant to avoid missing the turn-off to Silver Mine Track. There is currently a large tree branch at the beginning of this track, so you may need to walk a couple of meters further to get onto the track. Missing this turn can take you off route, as we experienced. The views along this next stage are incredible.

The segment of the walk which follows beside the Snowy River is impacted by post-fire re-growth. Parks Victoria advise to walk along the foot of the slope where it meets the flood plain, rather than to follow the water's edge. To this end, new signposts have been erected along the trail. There are also signposts where the walking track deviates away from the river and up an old driving track. This junction could be difficult to find if following the riverbank rather than the marked trail. Once you are at the river, heading back to the bridge, follow the signposts carefully, and you will have no trouble making it back to Deddick Trail. Possibly new signposts have been erected since the last update. There are also signposts where the walking track deviates away from the river and up an old driving track. This junction could be difficult to find if following the riverbank rather than the marked trail.

From this point the track follows a dry creek bed for approximately one kilometre and there are many fallen trees across the path which will need to be negotiated. Once the track does start to climb out of the creek bed, it passes through several switch backs while traversing over a steep ridge. The track then crosses over another dry creek bed before climbing to an intersection with the Deddick Trail. This dry creek crossing is another location where walkers may have difficulties in finding the path. At this location, the path follows the creek bed for a short distance of no more than 20 metres before branching away again. Walkers should not proceed along the dry creek bed at this point. To do so will result in eventually re-emerging on the bank of the Snowy River at a location some kilometres south of McKillop Bridge. To try to walk back to the bridge from here will be very arduous.