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Length: 3km
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Duration: 1.5hrs
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Grade: 2
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Style: Circuit
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Start: Visitor Information Centre
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End: Visitor Information Centre
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Location: Organ Pipes National Park
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Closest Town: Calder Park
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Distance from CBD: 20km
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State: VIC
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Latitude: -37.667257
Longitude: 144.766127
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Select items to indicate conditions for access to the trail.


2WD Access


4WD Access


Public Transport


Bitumen Road


Gravel Road


Steep Road


Winding Road


Speed Bumps


Vehicle Ford


Entry Fee


Large Car Park


Small Car Park


Accessible Parking


Accessible Toilet


Public Toilets


Drinking Water


Untreated Water


Picnic Shelter


Picnic Table


BBQ Facilities


Campfire Pit


Camping Area
Keep the Trail Features current...

Organ Pipes National Park...
Select items to indicate features found along the trail.


Concrete Path


Timber Boardwalk


Gravel Path


Sandy Trail


Rough Trail


Undefined Trail


Prams & Strollers


Manual Wheelchair


Motorised Wheelchair


Bicycle Trail


Mountain Bike Trail


Historic Rail Trail


Dog Friendly


Urban Walk


Coast & Beach


Historic Lighthouse


Waterfalls & Lakes


Rainforest Walk


Goldfields & Mining


Heritage Walk


Aboriginal Art


Alpine Region


Alpine Huts


Exposed Ledges


Rock Scrambling


Steep Terrain


Bush Bashing


River Crossings


Scenic Viewpoints


Well Marked


Drinking Water


Untreated Water


Fishing Spots


Swimming Spots


Overnight Campsites


Trail Running


Horse Riding
Hike Summary
The Organ Pipes Trail commences at the Visitor Information Centre and follows the walking track to explore the many wonderful features of the park. The Organ Pipes, a set of basalt columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava, are the parks best known feature. Visitors can enjoy the fantastic range of picnicking, walking, bird watching and photography opportunities available.
1. Keilor Plains
Walk through the small gate to the two viewing platforms. All around you are the basalt Keilor Plains, one of the world's largest lava flows. These plains, formed by lava which came from volcanoes near Sunbury, are fairly flat except where streams, like Jacksons Creek below you, have cut deep valleys.
2. Native plants revival
As you walk down to the Organ Pipes look closely at the trees and shrubs. In 1972 this area was covered with weeds, mainly thistles and boxthorn. Each year since the weeds have been removed more native trees and shrubs have established. The task of re-establishing native grasses and herbs has been more difficult, but there is now a substantial field of Kangaroo Grass (themeda triandra) on the north side of the track.
3. The Organ Pipes
About a million years ago, molten lava flowed over the Keilor Plains from Mount Holden and other nearby volcanic hills. It filled the depressions and valleys of the former land surface, then cooled and solidified into basalt. Here at the Organ Pipes, it is believed that the lava filled a river valley running at right angles to Jacksons Creek and was perhaps 70 metres thick. Once a surface crust had formed, the lava beneath cooled very slowly. During cooling, the lava contracted and surface cracks developed (as they do in a drying mud puddle). As it continued to harden, the cracks lengthened until the basalt mass was divided into columns.
Over the million years since the lava flow, Jacksons Creek has cut a deep valley through the basalt and revealed the Organ Pipes.
4. Sandstone Bedrock
Walk down the stream for 200 metres, past wellestablished trees and you will see yellowish rocks across the creek. These are sandstones and mudstones, sedimentary rocks laid down under the sea. Fossils in these old rocks suggest they were formed about four hundred million years ago. The old river valley now filled by the Organ Pipes was cut in this sedimentary bedrock.
5. Rosette Rock
Now walk back upstream. About 400 metres past the Organ Pipes, look across the creek to see Rosette Rock, a radial array of basalt columns like the spokes of a wheel.
6. Tessellated Pavement
Three hundred metres further on is the Tessellated Pavement, which consists of the tops of basalt columns 'filed down' by Jacksons Creek.
7. Scoria Cone
You can now return to the car park by the shortcut path shown on the map. The carpark is on an eroded scoria cone - a small volcano that ejected molten volcanic rock called scoria. Scoria is reddish-brown and light in weight; it has many airholes because it was full of steam when ejected.
Getting there
Organ Pipes National Park is just off the Calder Freeway about 20km north-west of Melbourne.
Tips
Access to the Organ Pipes, Rosette Rock and the Tessellated Pavement is via a sealed but very steep path. Just below the picnic area the slope reaches a gradient of 1 in 4. This walk should only be undertaken by fit, surefooted visitors.
GPX File
Max elevation: 123 m
Min elevation: 55 m
Total climbing: 131 m
Total descent: -131 m
Hikes Nearby
32 thoughts on “Organ Pipes Trail (3km)”
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Did this hike with my daughter a couple of weeks ago and the shortcut path back to the carpark is very slippery, muddy and steep
Julia Claire
Fiona Gooding
Fiona Gooding
My husband and I did the walk today and found the Rosette Rock is currently fenced off due to repair work. It is still possible to see it tho.
Sharon Gallagher
Sharon Gallagher
Maty J Lewis looks cool!
Maty J Lewis looks cool!
So steep to get down there though and getting back up is even harder
Chris Vdv can we please do this hike?! ?
Sounds good to me.
Kim Wright let’s start here!
Yes!
Kim Wright no dogs though. ?
Laura Jones add it to the list
I need to actually write them all down or something ?
I might write them in my diary.. we should definitely get a start on some of them one weekend
Nicole Stephanie perfect ?
Kirsty Sims Laura Vining we should do this one!
Definitely!
I just saw this and didn’t realise it popped up because you tagged us and I was going to tag you both haha looks great!
Tepene we gotta go here
Phillip Moore you should do this
Already been there ?
Adrian Pace this is on my list of things to do and it’s been on the list for years! Even though it’s so easily accessible!
Marl Alfonso
ltnc, thx for posting
Nice post thanks a lot
Brendan Kolehmainen this is what I was talking about pretty sure you and I can turn it into a 5 hour walk ?
Or a 3 day ?
Here, take my like