Update 31/08/2022: West track off the Tarra Valley Rainforest loop walk is closed due to storm damage. Walkers can still access the Cyathea Falls from the east track. Please return the same way and do not attempted to walk the loop.
The Tarra Valley loop is is a wondrous hike through the magnificent Tarra Valley, home to some of the best primeval rainforest in Victoria.
This trail features an array of waterfalls, including Cyathea Falls and Tarra Falls, and many endangered Slender Tree-ferns (Cyathea cunninghamii), as well as ancient specimens of Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii).
There's a great picnic area in the Tarra Valley - perfect for a quiet lunch with your friends and family.
During the walk you'll have great views of the Ninety Mile Beach and surrounds, as well as the chance to observe the recovering native forest, decimated by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
This section of the GST connects with the Tarra Valley settlement offering accommodation such as caravan parks or three-star bed and breakfast.
Grade 3 (Moderate) - Walks for Most Fitness Levels: Grade 3 on the
AWTGS represents moderate walking tracks. These are ideal for walkers with some fitness who are comfortable with some hills and uneven terrain. While suitable for most ages, some bushwalking experience is recommended to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Tracks may have short, steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps. The total distance of a Grade 3 walk can be up to 20 kilometers.
Total distance: 21145 m
Max elevation: 723 m
Min elevation: 350 m
Total climbing: 1123 m
Total descent: -1124 m
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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.
Getting there
Getting to the trailhead: Tarra Bulga National Park.
Tarra Bulga National Park is situated approximately 200 kilometres east of Melbourne. The park is reached from the Princes Highway at Traralgon by following Traralgon Creek Road to Balook. Alternatively the park can be reached from Yarram via the Tarra Valley Road or Bulga Park Road. Roads throughout the area are narrow and winding but offer marvelous scenery with panoramic views from several points, including Mount Tassie.
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: Boolarra, Churchill, Gormandale, Mirboo North, Moe, Tanjil South, Thorpdale, Toora, Trafalgar, Traralgon, Traralgon South, Welshpool, Yarram, Yinnar
About the region
With its lush gullies, giant mountain ash trees and tree ferns, Tarra Bulga National Park is one of only four major areas of cool temperate rainforest in the state. The rainforest is a haven for plants and wildlife. Discover a wide variety of birds including the pilotbird, yellow tailed black cockatoo, eastern whipbird, and currawongs. Visit in the evening when the forest comes to life as possums, owls and bats emerge to feed. If you're lucky, you may see a lyrebird scratching the forest floor looking for food or catch a glimpse of some of the other inhabitants like wombats, swamp wallabies, gliders and platypuses.
Similar walks nearby
Looking for more walks in or near Tarra Bulga National Park? Try these trails with a similar difficulty grade.
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3 Reviews on “Tarra Valley Loop Hike (21.1km)”
Completed 4.10.22 in 9hrs (not 6). Several passable fallen trees and some mud lower than ankle deep. Recommend spraying lower legs with DEET or similar for leeches.
Currently (apparently from 11th March, 2022- and we just tried to walk it on the 23rd April 2022) the Tarra Valley Link Track and the Diaper Track section of the walk is closed due to fallen trees. If walking anticlockwise it is possible to walk from the information centre to the Tarra Valley Car Park however it is a long slog back along the road to the visitor centre