Soon walkers on the Grampians Peaks Trail will be able to tailor their hike to suit their ability, timeframe, and budget, with changes to the booking system expected to come into play by September.

 

The 164km Grampians Peaks Trail (GPT) has been open for bookings and hiking for over 18 months, however the current booking system has offered only a very structured and pricey itinerary for walkers.

Read more: Grampians Peaks Trail: Ultimate Guide to This 13 Day Hike in Gariwerd

As it stands, the only option for walkers wanting to hike the entire length of the GPT is to book a spot at every single campground. This creates a 13 day / 12 night itinerary, coming to a total of $524.70 (plus one night of off-trail accommodation at Halls Gap) for the most basic camping option. The trail can also currently only be walked from north to south. 

However upcoming changes to the booking system, expected to be complete by September, will allow walkers to pick and choose where they stay, which direction they walk, and the number of days they walk as well. 

‘With the trail open for more than a year, we have listened to hikers’ feedback and better understand patterns of use,’ it reads on the GPT page of the Parks Victoria website. A government body taking on community feedback and making changes accordingly? We LOVE to see it.

The upcoming booking system changes will allow walkers the ability to:

  • Hike the trail in either direction – north to south, or south to north
  • Skip hike-in campgrounds so to increase daily hiking distances and overall shorten the number of days spent on the trail
  • Start their hike at more spots along the trail to enable more single overnight hikes
  • Add additional days stopover in Halls Gap 
  • Book more easily with the use of an interactive map

The current booking system functionality is running until 31st of December 2023, however the expected changes have been announced early to give walkers the choice of when and how to book their future hike.  

 

Feature photo thanks to @disco_steww