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Length: 25km
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Duration: 6-7hrs
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Grade: 3
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Style: Circuit
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Start: Starling Gap Campground
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End: Starling Gap Campground
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Location: Yarra State Forest
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Closest Town: Powelltown
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Distance from CBD: 101km
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State: VIC
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Latitude: -37.81429219
Longitude: 145.8010547
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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
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Yarra State Forest...
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
This beautiful circuit hike follows the remnants of historic tramways past a number of sawmills that operated in the early 20th
century. The route to the Ada Tree passes a number of old mill sites, scattered with historic mill machinery and sections of tram lines.
The circuit commences near the old Portas Mill site and follows a short section of bush trail before returning to Big Creek Road. You will follow this road fore approximately 3.7km before you will need to locate a walking track on your right. This track heads south East through tall mountain ash forest, interspersed with myrtle beech and sassafras to the New Ada Mill site. A lot of the Mill Sites are not obvious so you will need to keep a sharp eye out for remnants of our past. The trail then heads due south to a 4-way trail junction.
Turning East at this point the trail then follows the Little Ada River to the site of the Ada Tree. Heading south from the Ada Tree, follow Federal Track to another trail junction. Turn west and follow the trail past the New Federal Mill site and back to the 4-way junction you were at earlier. A short detour south to the Ada No 2 Mill Site is well worth the ten minute return as it is an area which contains the most prolific display of sawmill history.
From the junction, follow the Ada River Walking Track as it twists and turns north west, past the Ada No 1 and Ada Mill Sites and back to the Starling Gap Campground.
The Ada Tree
The Ada Tree, a giant mountain ash that is one of Victoria's largest trees and also one of the largest known flowering trees in the world. Estimated to be at least 300 years old, the Ada Tree stands about 76 metres tall with a circumference of 15 metres.
Starling Gap Campground
An attractive ridge top site designed mainly for free car/tent camping.
The well grassed camping/picnic ground descends from the roadside parking area surrounded by lush green wet sclerophyll forest - large Mountain Ash with a dense understory of Blackwood, wattles and tree ferns. Shade to the parking area is limited until late afternoon.
Facilities include fire pits, picnic tables, shelter and public toilet. The area is well maintained.
Nearby are old sawmill sawdust heaps and tramway graded tracks. Starlings Gap is the centre of over 100k of walking trails. The Gap can be crowded with bush walkers at weekends.
Getting there
There are various access routes but perhaps the simplest is to find your way to Powelltown (assuming you come from the West), then look for the turn off to Big Creek Road on your left (roughly 6km after Powelltown). Follow the signs to Ada Tree and keep right at the junction of Fitzpatrick Road. After a few more km you will locate the campground on your right.
Tips
- This area can have a lot of leeches so bring your favourite leech remedy or repellant.
- May be muddy in places, sturdy footwear and gaiters recommended.
GPX File
Max elevation: 850 m
Min elevation: 672 m
Total climbing: 1063 m
Total descent: -1063 m
Hikes Nearby
17 thoughts on “Starling Gap Ada Tree Circuit (25km)”
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As per grading system, this walk cannot be grade 3, as it is more than 20 km.
The grading system is a guide and is speculative based on a number of conditions and factors. This is not a difficult hike, even though it exceeds the suggested 20km length. As such it has been graded as a grade 3 trail.
For more information on trail grading. Please visit this page as it clearly explains why discrepancies may occur in the grading. https://www.trailhiking.com.au/preparing-to-hike/track-grading/
Don’t forget to take salt packets
Asher Vander Reyden this is the one i did, you go from snakes to leeches in metres. weird as walk, but kind of beautiful all the same.
Social isolation .. Jill ??
Michelle there’s probably 1000 people thinking the same thing right now ?
Jill Wren yep..
Leesa Swanson Fiona MacLennan I think this one would be nice, not much elevation so maybe Bill Evans could join us?
Suzie Sharp sorry I’m in lock down
Suzie Sharp sounds good to me! Now if only this virus would bugger off so we can unnecessarily travel again ??
Hola… (totally fb stalking here ?)
Ive done some of this treck… definitely not steep. And if you want to break if up plenty of beautiful camping spots (incl @ starlings gap)
Tracky Dax ?
But you’ll be joining us too yeah Tracky Dax??
Suzie Sharp so can an old fat man handle it?? Lol
Leesa Swanson heck yeah! Lovs to
Bill Evans absolutely, not much elevation, it is 25km but I’m pretty sure you will be fine ?
Suzie Sharp oh the pain!!!!?