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Victoria-Arch

  • Length: 12km

  • Duration: 6hrs

  • Grade: 5

  • Style: Return

  • Start: Harrop Track

  • End: Harrop Track

  • Location: Grampians National Park

  • Closest Town: Dunkeld

  • Distance from CBD: 347km

  • State: VIC

  • Latitude: -37.2654318

  • Longitude: 142.2696394

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Grampians National Park...

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Victoria Arch is a 12km, grade 5 return hike, located in the Grampians National Park, Victoria. The hike should take approximately 6hrs to complete.

Hike Summary

The Victoria Arch hike explores an isolated pocket of the Victoria Range Remote and Natural Area in the Grampians Victoria. As the name suggests, this hike visits an unusual rock formation that creates an arch which can be explored and climbed.

The hike commences on the Hutt Creek Track just south of the Hutt Creek crossing on Harrop Track and follows a rough rock climbers track most the the way to the Mordor Rock climbing wall on the south end of the maze. Keep an eye our for tape and rock cairns which mark the route.

From the road, follow the trail east for a few kilometres before climbing up over the range across open rock slabs and through rock gullies. Once leaving the road the rest of the hike is completely off-trail and quite challenging with dense undergrowth. Once on top of the range head down to the western edge of the maze, a large rock formation, and follow its western side along a gully. Exit the end of the maze and follow its high south wall around until its end then head north up a rocky gap about a bit wider than your body.

Enter through the gap then turn right and continue along the rock until you are directly under the arch. If you are brave enough, climb up the smooth sloping slab under the arch and exit the other side to look across towards Mount Thackeray. The climb is for very experienced climbers only.

When looking thru the arch, to the right is a narrow steep chimney that can be climbed to gain the summit. There are a few obstacles along the way but once past them the chimney can be climbed.

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Additional Walk - Manja Shelter (2.5km return)

After completing this hike it is well worth heading south approximately 400m along Hutt Creek Track to the Manja Shelter Walk. Manja(pronounced Manya) meaning 'hands', has some of the best examples of hand stencils in Victoria. A total of 90 stencils have been recorded in these two shelters. It is believed that hand stencils were used to record a visit to a site, and to renew the ties a person had to a particular place. At this site there are also animal tracks and many human stick figures. Manja is located in an impressive sandstone outcrop. Have a walk around and try to imagine what it would have been like to live here before Europeans arrived.

About the region

Renowned for rugged mountain ranges, rich cultural heritage and breathtaking scenic views, the 168,000 hectare park is ideal for a wide range of outdoor activities. The many walking tracks will take you on a journey to waterfall vistas, ancient geological rock features and forests. There are guided tours, and with a large network of roads available, car touring is a great way to explore. Renowned as the major attraction in the region, the Grampians National Park is a must-visit destination for all travellers, backpackers and day-trippers in Victoria. The spectacular setting of the mountainous landscape boasts a wide array of attractions and activities for visitors to the region. The Grampians National Park (also Gariwerd), commonly referred to as The Grampians, is a national park located in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The 167,219-hectare (413,210-acre) national park is situated between Stawell and Horsham on the Western Highway and Dunkeld on the Glenelg Highway, 260 kilometres west of Melbourne and 460 kilometres east of Adelaide.

Getting there

From Melbourne, Follow National Highway M8 and A8 to Wonwondah-Dadswells Bridge Rd in Laharum. Take Northern Grampians Rd/C222 and Brimpaen-Laharum Rd to Henty Hwy/A200 in Brimpaen Turn left onto Henty Hwy/A200 then follow Billywing Rd to Harrops Track

Tips

  • The area is a lot more open now after the recent fire a year or so back.
  • Good views across to Mount Thackeray and The Fortress.
  • This is a remote area so be careful when climbing and do not go beyond your abilities
  • The trail is not well defined so ensurure you have good navigation skills

GPX File

Total distance: 12902 m
Max elevation: 701 m
Min elevation: 236 m
Total climbing: 858 m
Total descent: -856 m
Download file: Victoria Arch.gpx

Note: The GPX file does not necessarily follow any trail markers although there are some along the route. The route is not obvious in many places.

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43 thoughts on “Victoria Arch (12km)”

  23. Was out there on the Labor day long weekend and I’d suggest allowing up to 8 hours – the regrowth is extremely thick atm and the going tough. There are cairns in places on the exposed rock shelves but we didn’t see any tape. Be prepared with not only map and compass but a gpx file loaded on a device to check location and proximity to route as you go. Oh and wear long pants, the boronia will shred your legs otherwise 🙂

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