Length: 14km
Duration: 5-6hrs
Grade: 4
Style: Return
Start: Mount Howitt Carpark
End: Mount Howitt Carpark

Location: Alpine National Park
Closest Town: Licola
Distance from CBD: 323km
State: VIC
Latitude: -37.20501269
Longitude: 146.6803489

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Alpine National Park...

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Mount Howitt is a 14km, grade 4 return hike, located in Alpine National Park, Victoria. The hike should take approximately 5-6hrs to complete.

Hike Summary

The Mount Howitt hike starts at the carpark on the Howitt Road, 81 km north of Licola via the Tamboritha Road. The first 5 km passes though pleasant Snow Gum woodlands and small, open snow grass plains. The memorial Vallejo Gantner Hut near Macalister Springs was built in 1970 as a refuge for bushwalkers. It has a unique copper clad inclined 'A' frame design.

Beyond the hut the track follows a narrow ridge, with spectacular views into the headwaters of the Macalister River (west) and Wonnangatta River - Terrible Hollow (east).

After a climb of 0.5 km the Australian Alps Walking Track is reached. Turn left, it is only a fairly short walk to the open rolling summit of Mount Howitt and Howitt West Peak. The view from here is one of the best in the Victorian Alps. Nearby is the jagged Cross Cut Saw, The Razor, The Viking and Mount Speculation, and in the distance Mount Buller to the west, Mount Buffalo to the north and Mount Feathertop to the north west.

About the region

The Alpine National Park is a national park located in the Central Highlands and Alpine regions of Victoria, Australia. The 646,000-hectare national park is located northeast of Melbourne. It is the largest National Park in Victoria, and covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, including Victoria's highest point, Mount Bogong at 1,986 metres and the associated subalpine woodland and grassland of the Bogong High Plains. The park's north-eastern boundary is along the border with New South Wales, where it abuts the Kosciuszko National Park.

Getting there

Drive to Licola and at the road junction near the bridge take the Tamboritha Road (don't cross the bridge). You will drive past bush camp sites before the road will turn into a dirt road. 48km from Licola you will reach the Arbuckle Junction, turn left and follow Howitt Road for another 37km to the Mount Howitt Carpark.