Length: 51.2km
Duration: 2-3 days
Grade: 4
Style: One Way
Start: Warburton
End: Powelltown
Location: Warburton
Closest Town: Warburton
Distance from CBD: 84km
State: VIC
Latitude: -37.86078187
Longitude: 145.7448402
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2WD Access
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Bitumen Road
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Accessible Toilet
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Rough Trail
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Concrete Path
Timber Boardwalk
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Prams & Strollers
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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
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River Crossings
Scenic Viewpoints
Well Marked
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Overnight Campsites
Trail Running
Horse Riding
Hike Summary
This is a fascinating journey on foot along well-preserved timber industry tramways, past old bush mills and relics of yesteryear hidden amongst the forest, reminders of when gangs of foresters called this wilderness their office.
The route as described includes a very worthwhile out-and-back to the famous Ada Tree, a 75.1 metre-high mountain ash considered one of Victoria's largest living trees and estimated to be over 300 years old.
If you are seeking to complete the full length in one push this is best done as a multiday walk. Most guides advise walking from Warburton to Powelltown, this ensures the climbing is of a mostly-gentle gradient, ascended over a longer distance early on, and the steep section along High Lead - which rises/drops 500m in only 2km - is tackled as a downhill rather than uphill. [NOTE: the Run guide to Walk Into History describes the route beginning in Powelltown and travelling to Warburton via the Ada Tree, should you wish to complete it in this direction].
The Warburton/Big Pats Creek to Powelltown traverse is an approach that delivers most of the climbing over a 9km singletrack stretch. This was once the main thoroughfare for timber workers traipsing on foot to and from the Warburton township for their working week spent in the isolated bush mills.
The trail rises up from Big Pats Creek towards Starlings Gap campsite and picnic area, an excellent place to pitch the tent for an overnight stop.
From Starlings Gap, a mostly-benched trail follows an old tramway downstream along the Ada Valley, through tall, wet forest and more temperate rainforest, with views across tea tree and melaleuca zones.
Reaching a major trail intersection, The Crossing, walkers can choose to explore a short out-and-back trail leading north to the New Ada Sawmill site (which, of course, is not new at all!), or head further east to explore the New Federal Mill, once the biggest and most prolific producer of the area, and the impressive Ada Tree, one of Victoria's biggest. Or you can skip the out-and-back and instead go straight to the rapid descent into the Big Creek valley, via the knee-crumbling High Lead, dropping 500m in 2km.
Reaching the valley, it's a moderate walk through stunning rainforest pockets and multiple creek crossings as you follow old tramway trails all the way into Powelltown.
There are shorter walk options (see Alternatives header). Our guide takes on the full-shebang from Warburton but you can always begin at Big Pats Creek (most people do).
Or, to halve the distance and take out the big drop down High Lead, try the Starlings Gap to Ada Tree return, at 24km and 422m of climbing.
Those seeking a still shorter, but no less impressive experience, can drive to near the Ada Tree, and complete a beautiful 5km loop walk to the tree and back to the car.
For more information about this trail go to Visit Warburton
More information
For more information about this trail go to Visit Warburton
About the region
With the Yarra River meandering through the town, lined with gorgeous trees and numerous parks, Warburton offers a relaxing experience. The Lilydale-Warburton Rail Trail begins here. Warburton is where it all begins. Just one hour from Melbourne, the Warburton Valley is life at nature's pace. Always green, Warburton is where the Yarra River runs clear.
Getting there
From Melbourne City to Yarra Valley (via Eastlink Tollway) - Make your way onto the Eastern Freeway and travel towards Ringwood. The Eastern Freeway turns into the Eastlink Toolway after Springvale Road. If you have an Eastlink or Citylink pass, continue on the Eastlink Tollway and go through the Mullum Mullum tunnel - make sure to stay in the left lane as the turnoff is straight after the tunnel ends. Turn left after exiting the tunnel towards Ringwood. Turn left onto the Maroondah Highway towards Lilydale. Once past Lilydale, turn right at the Warburton Highway turnoff to explore the Warburton Valley. Slight right onto Warburton Hwy/B380. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on Warburton Hwy/B380. Turn right onto Little Yarra Rd/C425. Turn left onto Reids Tramline Walk.
By Public Transport Public Transport Victoria has regular trains heading to Lilydale Station. From Lilydale Station, catch a Martyrs bus to travel to Warburton .
Tips
Best completed in summer and shoulder season; muddy, slippery, potentially snowbound and difficult going in winter; car shuffle required if walking one way. There is no direct public transport between Powelltown and Warburton.
GPX File
Max elevation: 796 m
Min elevation: 156 m
Total climbing: 1891 m
Total descent: -1848 m
Alternatives
Begin your walk at Big Pats Creek, thereby cutting off the transit section from Warburton. You can also terminate your walk at High Lead Car Park, saving another 11km (from Big Pats Creek trailhead to High Lead is 31km).
GPX File
Max elevation: 796 m
Min elevation: 194 m
Total climbing: 1683 m
Total descent: -1701 m
For a shorter walk that is out-and-back with less climbing, you can park at Starlings Gap, and walk out to The Ada Tree and back. This is a 'highlights route' as it takes in the most spectacular parts and includes most of the historical artefacts to be discovered, plus Ada herself! It's still a decent distance, however, clocking in at just over 24km and 422m of ascent, so you may want to camp at the New Federal Mill site, 9.5km in (or 14.5km if you complete the Ada Tree loop before pitching your tent).
GPX File
Max elevation: 808 m
Min elevation: 695 m
Total climbing: 566 m
Total descent: -566 m
Or, for an even quicker burst, try the 5km loop (142m ascent) that goes into the famed big tree from the Ada Tree Picnic Area - it's short but worth the drive in, such is the bang for your rainforest-buck."
GPX File
Max elevation: 808 m
Min elevation: 731 m
Total climbing: 182 m
Total descent: -182 m
Hikes Nearby
35 thoughts on “Walk Into History (51.2km)”
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Reyne get ready!
Emily Mcintyre
Gerard Higgins
Bryan Sinnott
Id love to that after uni finishes on October 13th xx
Yep I’d be up for that. I’m back from my trip after 5th of Nov. My parents live in warburton and have a self contained home on the ground floor. I could arrange a nights stay if that was of interest.
Brad Atkinson list it
??
Vaughan Bowman
Grace Purton-Long ???
Julia Roodhouse
2-3 days ??? More like 2-3 weeks !
Julia Roodhouse ? there’s a meet up group we should check it out. Although I think it’s very popular
Warren Doyle; Sarah Black this looks good but 2-3 days! ??
Karina Mark
Nice *saved link*
lets do it!
Has anyone done that track recently? I’m planning on doing it next week with dogs and I’d like to find track updates (eg do I need to pack a machete? is there water at campsites?)
.
Completed this trail in full recently, absolutely stunning – thought I’d share some thoughts I would’ve liked prior to setting out.
Warburton section is quite nice, there is an option to wade through the Yarra. BPC to Starlings is a gentle gradient. We did the hike on some very hot days and only bumped into one tiger. There is no water at any of the campsites. At Starlings gap, 300m down the track towards the crossing there is a creek the flows through the path that can be collected for filtering – very clear cold water. At the Ada camps there are rivers that flow nearby both that are quite easy to find. High lead is steep however we met a lot of people who were purposely avoiding this section and so losing a lot of the full experience. I would definitely say that with a paid of good boots and poles high lead is definitely not worth avoiding / missing out other sections over. Just past high lead, right before it spits you out onto the Yarra Junction – Noojee Road, there is a fork – one path continues forward and another bears left (south). The one forward seems logical however will only result in a painful thicket of blackberry bush. Take the left turn. One you exit here, you actually have to venture down the pioneer fireline a little before again picking up the signs for walk into history – this would be easy to get wrong I would imagine.
All in all, a really pretty hike, the history is great as is the towering mountain ash, and the Ada Tree sections Myrtle and Beech rainforest.
Delwyn Davis
All the good ones are in Victoria Cameron Forrest
Elise Pritchard
Apologies everyone. That is not the correct image. My post sharing seems to have a glitch.
This is the correct one
Michael Wilson
How about YES !
Simone Ewenson
Jhester Chu
Bek Liffman
2 nights camping…good luck with those leeches.
Leonie Rizzi Do it in winter?
Leona Xu never want to do it.
Looks like this might just be my next trip. Can anyone who has done this what the availability of water is like out there?
I just did part of this with my 8 year old son. First overnight backpacking trip.
Think I might have been a bit ambitious. We started at High Lead carpark and things went OK until High Lead ascent. Walking up was a lot of not fun! Lots of stops on the way up. I can’t imagine walking down it, the suggested way. one fall and you’d roll to the bottom.
We then walked on to Ada 2 Mill camp for a break. Talked to some people camping there and I grabbed some water from the Ada river to treat and filter (probably overkill, but new to this) and saw some Lyrebirds scratching around. No toilets at this camp.
Then on to Starling’s gap with lots of breaks because High Lead had pretty much wrecked us. We camped there for the night. Nice camp place, long drop toilets, no water.
Then we walked down from Big Pats picnic area. That’s a nice walk, downhill all the way.