The Pinnacle Walking Track Trail Hiking Australia

Length: 11km
Duration: 4hrs
Grade: 3-4
Style: Return
Start: Jerusalem Creek Day Visitor Area
End: Jerusalem Creek Day Visitor Area

Location: Lake Eildon National Park
Closest Town: Eildon
Distance from CBD: 155km
State: VIC
Latitude: -37.279316
Longitude: 145.97039

Keep the Trail Access info current...

2WD Access

Bitumen Road

Gravel Road

Small Car Park

Winding Road

Steep Road

Campfire Pit

Vehicle Ford

Edit Access Conditions

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...

Rough Trail

Steep Terrain

Well Marked

Edit Trail Features

Lake Eildon 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

The Pinnacle Walking Track is an 11km, grade 3-4 return hike, located in the Lake Eildon National Park, Victoria. It leads to the summit of The Pinnacle which has an elevation of 920m. It should take approximately 4hrs to complete.

Hike Summary

The Pinnacle is a rarely climbed peak but is well worth a visit if you're in the area. Despite its modest height (under 1000 metres), The Pinnacle has impressive views in all directions.

This hike commences at the Jerusalem Creek Day Visitor Area where the trail head marker can be located about 50 meters along Jerusalem Creek track (to the South-West), on the left hand side. From the roadside, the walking track is well defined and makes use of orange metal triangle markers to aid in navigating the route.

The trail leads South-East over an open grassy rise before following the river flat of Barnewall Creek for a short way until the vegetation closes in. This section of the track can be a little muddy and slippery if there has been wet weather. The trail crosses the creek via a small wooden bridge, shortly after the first sign-post for Pinnacle Track is reached (1.4km from start).

From here you will begin a gradual climb out of the gully, strictly following the ridgeline and markers. The ascent is gradual to start with but becomes quite steep, especially as the trail gets closer to the summit of The Pinnacle. A second set of signposts are reached close to 4km in and this is the beginning of Rocky Spur where an arrow points to Taylors Creek Rd to the North (your left), another points back to Jerusalem Creek Ford (start of the trail) and the third (to the right) is for Pinnacle track which continues southward towards the summit.

The trail levels out slightly from this point, but only for a moment until the final few steep ascents to The Pinnacle summit. Just before the summit there are views out to the East where Mount Torbreck can be seen. Views from the top of The Pinnacle are a bit obscured by trees but glimpses of the landscape beyond can be achieved, out to the North-West Mount Howitt can be seen on a clear day. The summit of The Pinnacle is unmarked but has been reached once the track begins to slope away to a seasonal road closure gate where Pinnacle Walking Track intersects and ends at Pinnacle Track (4x4).

Return to Jerusalem Creek Ford (where the hike began and car is parked) via the same route back down. Like the route up it is also marked with orange triangle markers.

Jerusalem Creek Camp Area

There are a half-dozen designated camping areas at Jerusalem Creek, each with about 10 sites. These need to be pre-booked using the Parks Victoria website. Seasonal closure is in place for Jerusalem Creek Camping Areas from the Thursday following Queens Birthday weekend to the Thursday before Cup weekend. The closure is for regeneration and maintenance purposes. Areas 1, 2 and 8 remain open for camping during this time.

About the region

Lake Eildon National Park is in the northern foothills of Victoria's Central Highlands, 150 km north-east of Melbourne. Situated on the shores of Lake Eildon, the park protects 27,750 ha of rugged hills with open woodlands through to dense forest. It is very scenic and offers the opportunity to experience an array of wildlife, natural and historic features and a wide range of recreational activities.

Getting there

The trail head is 155km from Melbourne's CBD on Jerusalem Inlet, 10 km south of the township of Eildon and reached by following Jerusalem Creek Rd. Once past all Jerusalem campsites a small vehicle ford (concrete base) must be crossed before parking at the Jerusalem Creek Day Visitor Area (space for about 4 cars), on the left.

Tips

Pet lovers, note: this is the only camping spot in the national park in which dogs are permitted.

Contributed by Andrew Hunter-Graham

GPX File

Total distance: 10948 m
Max elevation: 915 m
Min elevation: 305 m
Total climbing: 656 m
Total descent: -656 m

Download GPX File

You need to be registered and logged in to download GPX Files. If you aren't you will automatically be redirected to the registration/login screen before being returned to this page to download the file. By downloading any GPX files from this site you agree its use, and reliance upon, is entirely at your own risk. I will endeavour to ensure the accuracy and currency of the data, but accept no responsibility in this regard, or the results of any actions taken, when using the digital route files.