Walhalla Goldfields Rail Trail is an 8.5km, grade 3 hike located in the Walhalla Historic Area, Victoria. The hike should take around 3 hrs to complete.
Hike overview
A short rail trail in beautiful mountain countryside, featuring tall forests and the meandering Thomson River. An old mining area with the historic village of Walhalla close by. Walk or cycle through steep cuttings with many twists and turns along the old railway formation.
Gold was discovered at Walhalla in 1863, and created an impetus to build a railway. A campaign started in the 1880's, but it wasn't until 1910 that a narrow guage line was built from Moe to Walhalla. However by the time the line was finished, the gold had started to peter out, and the miners used the railway to leave the area. The line was closed in stages, and the final section from Moe to Erica was closed in 1954.
The wonderful concrete and steel bridge at Thomson was almost used by the army for demolition training, but a campaign by the Walhalla Goldfields Railway group finally succeeded in overturning that decision. The railway is open between Thomson and Walhalla with a collection of completely restored rolling stock, and bikes can be carried on board.
Route and GPX file
Max elevation: 437 m
Min elevation: 233 m
Total climbing: 183 m
Total descent: -345 m
Trail location
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Getting there
Travel via Monash Freeway (M1) and Princes Highway (A1) to the Moe turn off and follow the signs to Erica approximately 170 km east of Melbourne.
Gallery
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About the region
Walhalla, a rich gold producer for 50 years, is a remote and picturesque mountain township. It is hard to imagine a more difficult site for a town than the steep, narrow valley of Stringers Creek as it winds down through the dense forests of the Baws Baws. Yet in its heyday, between 1880 and 1895, more than 4000 people lived there. The town is the start of the 650 km Australian Alps Walking Track to the ACT. But most people come to discover the remnants of a community that defied a forbidding environment in its quest for gold. The best way to see the town is on foot.
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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.