6 Best Great Ocean Road Day Hikes (That Are Worth a Road Trip)

Forget the drive-by snapshots, Explorer Josh takes the Great Ocean Road at walking pace, uncovering coastal trails, misty canyons, and the best campsites to toast a long day’s trek.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Sure, the 12 Apostles are showstoppers, but if your road trip only involves pulling over to see the lookouts, you’re just skimming the surface. The Great Ocean Road is a hiker’s dream – a twisting, sea-sprayed route where the real magic happens off the bitumen and in the wild.

Duck into dripping rainforest gullies, emerge onto wind-thrashed clifftops and scour the leafy canopy for dozing koalas or echidnas bumbling through the scrub.

Pack the car with snacks, an esky of campsite brews, and zero regrets about dirtying your boots. Chase waterfalls into the misty depths of Great Otway National Park, navigate heathland buzzing with birdlife, and cap each day by watching the sun drop over Victoria’s southwest coast. Lace up – this route is for more than just road tripping.

Where to Stay on the Great Ocean Road

Nothing beats rolling straight from your swag onto the trail, and the Great Ocean Road delivers plenty of sleep-under-the-stars spots. Victoria’s national park and state forest campgrounds are dotted between coastal climbs and towering stringybarks, prime for fireside banter and a post-trek bevvy.

Stock up at The Bottle-O in Geelong before you hit the coast – because every great hike deserves a proper wind-down.

1. Point Danger to Bird Rock (Surf Coast Walk)

Best Coastal Stroll

Distance: 6.4km
Duration: 1.5-2 hours
Difficulty: Beginner

You barely need to leave Torquay’s asphalt before the first waterfront walk unfurls. The Point Danger to Bird Rock stretch of the 44km Surf Coast Walk (section three of twelve) serves up classic beach nostalgia with knockout ocean views in this out-and-backer.

Set off from the ANZAC War Memorial at Point Danger, then cruise past Torquay’s main break, where wetsuit-clad warriors slice through the waves. A boardwalk skims over Spring Creek before the gravel track climbs towards Rocky Point, where the Surf Coast’s full sweep sprawls ahead.

Read more: How to Stay Safe on the Beach this Summer

A solid leg-loosener for road-trip-ready limbs, the steady ascent to Bird Rock lookout only cranks up the drama. Jan Juc’s crumbling cliffs and rolling whitewater steal the limelight, with a caffeine stop at Swell Cafe fuelling the return leg.

Nearest Campground: Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park

2. Point Addis and Bells Beach Loop Trail

The All-Terrain Trek

Distance: 10.8km
Duration: 2.5-3 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate

Halfway between Jan Juc and Anglesea, the Point Addis and Bells Beach Loop is the Great Ocean Road’s pick for hiking diversity, shifting from wave-lashed sands to scrubby bushland in one lung-filling hit. Launch from car parks at either end and tackle the limestone climbs, rolling dunes, and shoreline expanses best timed for low tide.

The track twists through a tangle of coastal gums, golden wattle, and bursts of eye-popping pigface, with regular ocean glimpses and the occasional paraglider swooping overhead.

At the western end, interpretive signs along the Koorie Cultural Walk honour the deep connection of the Wathaurong people. Further east, brace yourself for Southside Beach’s clothing-optional stretch.

Beyond the northeastern headland, Bells Beach roars to life with world-class swells. Home to the legendary Rip Curl Pro, it’s worth lingering in the car park to watch the locals carve up the breaks.

Nearest Campground: Anglesea Family Caravan Park

3. Lake Elizabeth Loop

Best Bushwalk Circuit

Distance: 4.5km
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Difficulty: Beginner

Hidden deep in the Otways, the Lake Elizabeth Loop is one of the region’s best bushwalks – a shady waterfront route winding through towering mountain ash, damp gullies, and fern glades. Palming aside overhanging fronds, you’ll descend into a valley where a landslip-formed lake stretches between skeletal tree trunks, their ghostly silhouettes mirrored in the still water.

Cross the bulrush-fringed boardwalk and keep an eye out for early morning platypuses rippling the surface, while wrens, robins, and Grey shrike-thrush dart between the undergrowth. Stay after dark to spot glowworms glinting in the soil banks.

Don’t believe the sign saying the track takes 3.5 hours over 3.5km – neither is true. For an overnight stay, pitch a tent at the walk-in campground near the trailhead car park, first swinging by the Forrest General Store, 6km away, for last-minute supplies and good coffee.

Nearest Campground: Lake Elizabeth Campground

4. Beauchamp Falls Track

The King of Campground Access

Distance: 2.7km
Duration: 0.5-1 hour
Difficulty: Intermediate

A stone’s throw from one of the Otways’ most spectacular waterfalls, Beauchamp Falls Campground is prime real estate for hikers who like to slumber alongside the trail. From camp, it’s a short but sweaty descent through towering Mountain ash and fern-blanketed undergrowth, the falls’ distant roar growing as you pass the halfway mark.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

At the bottom, a 20m cascade tumbles over a rocky ledge into a deep, icy pool. The rocks are slick, so tread carefully if you fancy a dip – and watch for submerged obstacles beneath the surface.

Back at camp, pitch your tent in the spacious picnic clearing, light a fire in one of the communal pits, and soak up the rainforest hush. Just a heads-up – no booze is allowed between 10pm and 6am in undesignated sites – so stash the esky before calling it a night.

Nearest Campground: Beauchamp Falls Campground

5. Lorne Waterfall Circuit via The Canyon

Waterfall Wildcard

Distance: 7.7km
Duration: 2-2.5 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate

When Lorne’s cascades are pumping, this circuit is a stunner – but even if they’re more of a trickle, the route is worth every stomp. The Lorne Waterfall Circuit via The Canyon crams in three falls, a thigh-thumping ascent, and a rock-hopping scramble through a mossy chasm.

Psst, if you’re looking for a longer version: Chase 5 Waterfalls in 2 Days on the Lorne Waterfall Circuit

From Allenvale Road car park, the track shadows St George River, winding past alpine cottages where chooks and roos fossick beneath gnarled fruit trees. Phantom Falls kicks things off, either viewed after a creek-bed detour or a climb to its tumbling crest. Next up: The Canyon. A boulder-strewn wonderland of tangled roots and moss-smothered rock walls.

Take a short side trip to Henderson Falls – a shady, fern-fringed lunch spot – before rejoining the circuit past the Wonwondah Falls viewing platform and looping back downhill to the car park alongside Allenvale Campground.

Nearest Campground: Allenvale Campground

6. Port Campbell Discovery Walk

Iconic Views Without the Crowds

Distance: 4.3km
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate

Skip the 12 Apostles Lookout crowds and soak up the Great Ocean Road’s greatest hits on the Port Campbell Discovery Walk – a clifftop ramble with blockbuster views, minus the elbow jostling. Kicking off in Port Campbell, cross the suspension bridge from the holiday park, climb the 191-step staircase to the western headland, and let the Southern Ocean sprawl steal the show.

This out-and-back beauty threads through thick coastal heath, opening to an eastward vista panorama of Sentinel Rock and those famous limestone stacks. Come dusk, keep your eyes peeled for wallabies, kangaroos, and Peregrine falcons riding the salty updrafts.

At trail’s end, reward yourself with a dip in Port Campbell’s patrolled, wave-tempered bay, then laze under the Norfolk Island pines with a feed of fish ‘n’ chips.

Nearest Campground: NRMA Port Campbell Holiday Park

The Great Ocean Road is made for more than just drive-by sightseeing. Make the most of travelling by car and let this road trip land you in the thick of nature. Swap out the well-trodden tourist path and embrace the region’s hiking trails. Whether you’re rock-hopping, cliff-scrambling, or dune-conquering, every step earns a proper post-hike wind-down. Don’t forget to swing by The Bottle-O, load up on campfire refreshments, and raise a tin to a great day’s ramble on the Great Ocean Road.

FAQs Great Ocean Road Hikes

What is the best time to hike through the Great Ocean Road?

It would be best to hike in slightly milder temperatures, so it’s not too cold or hot (perfect campfire weather too). Think autumn (March-May) or spring (September-November).

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• 10 Waterfalls Worth Chasing in Victoria