The Bay Trail is a 24km, grade 3 hike located in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. The hike should take around 7 hrs to complete.
Hike summary
The Mornington Peninsula Bay Trail extends along the Port Phillip coast from Dromana to Portsea. It is flanked by the beautiful sandy bay beaches and clear waters of Port Phillip as it winds it's way along the foreshore reserve. With Arthurs Seat behind you, there is any number of places to start the trail in Dromana - as long as you head south! The township of Dromana was proclaimed in 1861 and was well established as a seaside resort by 1881. It's not hard to imagine the pier busy with steamships taking holiday makers and produce to and from Melbourne. The sealed wide pathway offers an easy walk along the Dromana coast to the rocky cutting of Anthonys Nose - where Arthurs Seat falls steeply into the sea.
The path continues through the campsites and carpark and onto McCrae past the tallest lighthouse in Port Phillip. It winds through the tall banksia and tea tree with campsites on one side and the beach on the other to the pier at Rosebud (named after a shipwreck!) then through Capel Sound to the town of Rye. At the base of the aptly named Whitecliffs is an historic lime kiln that tells the story of how local limestone was mined and turned into lime to help create many of the buildings in Melbourne.
Head over Whitecliffs and through the Moonah trees along the foreshore of Blairgowrie, past the picturesque yacht club marina to Sullivan Bay and the Collins First Settlement site. It was here in 1803 the first official European settlement of Victoria was established. From here it's on to Sorrento and up the hill behind the pier where the tram tracks built in 1889 for the Sorrento Tramway Company can still be seen. Through the Sorrento Park with its awesome playground and diverging a bit to take in part of the Sorrento Portsea Artists Trail known as Millionaires Walk between Point King Road and Lentell Avenue. To refresh, finish up at a favourite 'watering hole' in Portsea village.
Of course for those still with energy to burn, you could tie this into the Mornington Peninsula 100km Walk that includes walks around Point Nepean, The Coastal Walk and the The Two Bays Walking Track.
The trail has now been extended to Mornington and through to Frankston where it then heads inland out towards Hastings and the Westernport Bay where it finishes up in the hinterland town of Red Hill, right in the heart of the Peninsula's wine country.
For more information on this extension and the various sections visit The Bay Trail Extended.
Route and GPX file
Max elevation: 31 m
Min elevation: 3 m
Total climbing: 211 m
Total descent: -200 m
Gear you might need
As well as including the Ten Essentials, my planning, food and packing checklists provide an summary of things to consider on your day, overnight and multi-day hikes. Every person and every hike is different, so customise your kit according to your needs. Download your free checklists here >>
Location
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.
About the region
Breathe in the fresh sea air, sample innovative local cuisine, and soak up the relaxed alfresco lifestyle of the Mornington Peninsula, just an hour from Melbourne. Explore the galleries, spas and cafes in breezy seaside villages, cool off with a day on the beach, or escape to the hinterland for gourmet delights at boutique wineries.
Gallery
If you have any great photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here.
Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. If requested, you will be credited for any photos you provide and can ask they be deleted at any time.
Let someone know before you go. Register your trip intentions here. Your trip intentions will be emailed to your emergency contact.
Does this hike info need updating? maybe the route, features or access conditions have changed? Suggest an edit here.
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.