Hike at a Glance
Max elevation: 1250m
Min elevation: 534m
Total Ascent: 805m
Track grade
Grade 5 (Difficult) - Walks for the Most Experienced: Grade 5 represents the most challenging walking tracks on the AWTGS. These are only recommended for very experienced and fit walkers with specialised skills, including navigation and emergency first aid. Tracks are likely to be very rough, very steep, and unmarked. Walks may be more than 20 kilometers. These challenging walks demand a high level of fitness and experience to navigate difficult terrain, significant elevation changes, and potentially unformed paths.
Explore safely
Planning this hike? Most incidents develop before you even start. Safe outcomes depend on how navigation, hydration, environment, load and judgement work together. Small oversights can compound quickly in Australian conditions. See how it happens in the Hiking Safety Systems Foundations. Then use the Hiking Safety Systems, planning calculators, and make sure a trusted contact has your trip plan before heading out.
Leave a trip plan
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.
Planning 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.
Getting there
Getting to the trailhead: Yarra Ranges National Park.
Need a rental car to get you to the hike? Find one here.
Accommodation nearby
Find accommodation close to the trailhead including hotels, cabins, and campgrounds. Use the interactive map to explore available options in nearby towns.
Nearby towns: Belgrave, Emerald, Healesville, Lilydale, Marysville, Monbulk, Montrose, Mount Dandenong, Olinda, Warburton
Similar walks nearby
Looking for more walks in or near Yarra Ranges National Park? Try these trails with a similar difficulty grade.
Gallery
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Suggest an edit
Notice something different about this trail? Whether it’s a new feature, a route change, or a closure, share your update so we can keep our info accurate and helpful for fellow hikers.
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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.
5 Reviews on “Mount Donna Buang to Dom Dom Saddle Hike (22.7km)”
Mt Boobyalla track cleared by Parks Vic and volunteers from Melbourne Walking club!
The key variable with this walk is how long it has been since the walking track over Mt Boobyalla has been cleared. If it has been a long time, you will need hot-pink plastic coloured tape to tie to bushes to mark the trail, because you will be following a single rut through impenetrable chest high undergrowth. If you lose that rut, you need to be able to back-up to where you had it. The problem is worse where a 70m eucalpt has fallen across the track, creating a slippery mess of broken branches and crushed undergrowth. Bashing your way around the mess and finding that rut as it continues on the other side of the mess is difficult. However, if the path has recently been cleared it would be a walk in the park. As for the other bits – the fire-breaks are really hard yakka, but impossible to lose. The roads are beautiful.
That’s a great comment and update. You are right, this is not often walked, so its a lot about picking your timing or expecting a lot of challenging navigation.