Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk – A Gorgeous, Gruelling Hike Near Melbourne

We sent Jess to see why this 8km loop track less than an hour from Melbourne is so popular. Was it worth the hype?

We acknowledge that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Wurundjeri 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.

Quick Overview

Beginning at MacKenzies Flat Picnic Area, the 8.4km Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walking Track follows Link Tracks One and Two through the Lerderderg State Park in Victoria. With the flexibility to stop after 20 minutes and swim at Grahams Dam, or continue up the steep sections for epic views down the valleys, this track has something for everyone.

Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk Facts

Distance: 8.4km
Duration: 3-5 hours
Elevation gain: 357m
Nearest town: Bacchus Marsh
Navigation data: Strava Link

There are plenty of opportunities to swim, wade, and fish during the first hour of the walk

About Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk

The Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk is one of the most popular walks near Melbourne. Ask anyone about a good day hike near the city and this one will always get a mention.

The walk starts at MacKenzies Flat Picnic Area with river access for swimming (no camping allowed, sorry!). Families and groups love this spot. They can spread out on the grass, laze about in the sun, and take a dip when they want to cool off.

While the more adventurous members of the group disappear for three to five hours to tackle the challenging circuit walk, the rest can go fishing or enjoy swimming in the Lerderderg River or Grahams Dam.

Lerderderg Gorge History

Approximately one million years ago, significant movement and uplifting of rock along the Rowsley Fault line resulted in the creation of Lerderderg Gorge. The cliffs are made up of complex layers of slate, sandstone, quartz, and siltstone.

The Wurundjuri and Wathaurung tribes are thought to have visited the Lerderderg Gorge region due to the abundance of shelter and food it would’ve provided. There are no known sites of occupation in the gorge, but eight archeological sites of significance have been identified – mainly scarred trees and grinding grooves.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

The scale of the State Park will surprise you, and this is only a tiny slice of it

How to Get to Lerderderg Gorge

Lerderderg State Park is located northwest of Melbourne in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, near Bacchus Marsh and the similar Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk. The drive takes approximately fifty minutes.

By Car

Follow the Western Freeway (M8) towards Bacchus Marsh. Take the Gisborne Road exit. Shortly after, you’ll turn left onto Lerderderg Gorge Road. MacKenzies Flat car park is at the end of the road.

Note: This car park has about thirty spots, but on a weekend (or even just a sunny day!) that’s nowhere near enough to accommodate the amount of people who’ll be turning up. This walk is POPULAR.

Arrive early (before 10am) for the best chance of securing a spot. If you miss out, you’ll be forced to park up to one kilometre away along Lerderderg Gorge Road. Please be sure not to block private driveways if you end up parking here.

Skill Level

Intermediate

This beautiful hike is a challenging grade 4 trail. The terrain is rough and there are extremely steep sections. On multiple occasions, I needed to use my hands to make it up rocky sections, and walking poles are strongly recommended to prevent slipping down nerve-wracking slopes.

You’ll be walking up 300m to reach the ridgeline, and the same again on the way down. Consider the weather forecast on the day you attempt this as the ridgeline is very exposed. There’s no possibility of filling up your water from a stream once you leave the river at the base of the gorge.

As we descended Link Track One, I passed a woman who groaned ‘this isn’t a walk!’ – and she’s right. This is a hike. It’s tough. The section from MacKenzies Flat to Grahams Dam is a ‘walk’, but after that, expect a challenge.

The best time to walk this circuit is in the warmer months because of all the river crossings. In winter, many are impassable or cover the track completely. We visited in spring and found the track was level with the water in multiple places, so this is advice worth following.

Essential Gear for Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk

• First aid kit
• Hat, sunscreen, sunnies
• Water (two litres is ideal)
• Hiking poles
• Hiking boots
• Insect repellent
• Toilet paper (toilets had run out on our visit)
• Bathers
• Towel
• Map or AllTrails route downloaded to your phone
• Snacks

Day Hike Gear List: Packing List for a Day Hike

You’ll want your swimming gear for this one!

What It’s Like to Hike Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk

My partner and I arrived at MacKenzies Flat at 9am to find that the small car park was already over half full. After a quick toilet stop (there are two drop toilets provided), we got going. The walk starts with a river crossing that to a seasoned hiker, is very odd. You won’t need to worry about getting your feet wet as an artificial rock pathway has been created for your convenience.

Lumps of concrete decorated with river rocks are your bridge across the river

Clockwise or anti-clockwise?

The hiking route is a lasso shape. You’ll walk along the river for about 20 minutes, encountering a couple more river crossings before reaching Graham’s Dam. At this point, you’ll need to decide to turn left or right to begin the loop section of the hike. After completing the circuit, you’ll walk back along the same riverside path that you started on.

We opted to take the anti-clockwise direction and turned right at Graham’s Dam (route marker LER501). This is because there’s an insanely steep section of smooth rock that you’ll encounter just after route marker LER502 (a handy reference if you’re using the same paper map as us), which is a lot easier to go up than it is to go down. You’ll still have a very steep descent to encounter on the way back down Link Track One, but it’s all part of the fun!

Note: Lots of people still opt to go in the clockwise direction, so it’s not impossible, but in terms of choosing the path of least resistance… anti-clockwise is our pick.

This is a great trail to bring a map on as trail markings are inconsistent and can be vague

Grahams Dam

This gorgeous swimming hole emerges about 20 minutes into your walk from MacKenzies Flat. The trail to get there is flat, relatively wide, and easy to walk. There are a couple of sections where the trail winds through large boulders, and it’s easy to forget how close to the CBD you are.

This section of the trail was quite busy with families and friends making the short, scenic trip for a dip.

The trail through here is flat. Sidling between these boulders is as tough as it gets

It’s worth noting that while Grahams Dam is a spectacular spot for a swim, it’s also exceptionally popular, and if the sun is out, there’s likely be plenty of people there. If you’re looking for a secluded and peaceful place to wild swim – this isn’t the watering hole for you.

Arriving at Grahams Dam, we crossed the river, made a right, and then made another river crossing in quick succession. Navigating through here was a little tricky but thanks to the map we eventually figured it out.

Link Track Two

After passing Grahams Dam (turning right!), the trail continues by the river along Link Track One, slowly rising and falling. The track more hazardous through here and we slowed our pace to remain upright on the loose shale rock underfoot. Rounding a corner we saw a small herd of feral goats on the opposite bank – I’m not sure who was more surprised!

Note: stay away from these guys. They might look cute, but they aren’t tame. Their horns can inflict serious damage.

Eventually, after yet another river crossing, we arrived at trail marker LER502. This signals the start of a 300m+ ascent and boy, it’s a doozy. The first part required both hands and lots of big steps to find large enough footholds in the smooth rock. After accomplishing that section, and enjoying glimpses of the river increasingly far below during frequent rest breaks, it was a long, steep climb up a dirt path.

Ignore the trail that branches off to the left at about the halfway point, you’re headed up, up, and more up.

The Ridgeline

After an extreme slog we reached a small clearing and got our first view of a valley. We I celebrated reaching ‘the summit’ way too early here. Turns out, there’s a long, long way to go. Mostly uphill.

We came across a lot of people having breaks along this ridgeline, and after about 15 minutes of ascent in the sun, we chose to do the same. I’ve never relished a Mentos so much.

We hadn’t planned on a break for this short hike, but we bloody needed one after that hill, which technically we still hadn’t reached the top of

Now that we’d stopped, the flies had much more convenient access to our still faces so we decided to march on after about five minutes. This section is extremely rocky and depending on your agility, you may need to use your hands again in places. I certainly did.

Stop for too many photos and you’ll probably end up providing a taxi service for flies, like my chin

Eventually though, the track flattens out and you’ll emerge onto a section of the Blackwood Ranges Track. This section of it is a wide, flat, vehicle access trail that trends downwards.

Despite us being there on a spring day, the hot morning sun made it feel like summer and the relief we felt at reaching this point was immense. The views towards the city were also a nice reward.

Link Track One

After 600m on the Blackwood Ranges Track, we saw a small sign on our left pointing towards Link Track One. This was our pathway back to the Lerderderg river and the final confirmation that it was literally – in the best possible way – all downhill from here.

As a lover of the downhill, I was thrilled. Time to sit back and relax, I thought. The hard work is done.

Alas, this downhill section turned out to be bloody direct about getting downhill.

It was steep. The hairiest moment was when I reached out to a tree for support, only to have it collapse under my weight. Sorry, tree. Walking poles would’ve been a great idea for this hill. Without them, my partner and I relied heavily on the sideways crab walk, inching forward, occasionally going backwards, or leaning on each other.

It took us ages to get down and was not even remotely similar to the cruisy daydream of a descent that I had been clinging to.

If you spun to the left you saw down a valley with mountain peaks on either side. To the right was views of the distant Melbourne CBD

Despite this, the visibility was epic. At one point we could see all the way to the city. The views on this downward stretch were arguably better than those on the ridgeline. So, if you’re just coming for the views and don’t want to complete the full circuit, you could walk about halfway up this track and get a great reward for comparatively little effort.

Lerderderg River

All too soon we heard peals of laughter and were passing a steady stream of people headed past us up the mountain. We were close to Grahams Dam again.

This had been empty when we started our walk at 9am, but it was now approaching midday and people were splashing about, jumping off the rocks into the water, and having a blast. The vibe was awesome.

Read more: Staying Safe Around Swimming Holes and Waterfalls

Dripping in sweat and thoroughly exhausted, we passed by the revellers and rejoined the track along the river back towards MacKenzies Flat, enjoying the wildflowers and beautiful flora along the way.

Arriving back at the trailhead we found it filled with yet more families having a day by the water, multiple picnics in full swing, and a line of cars waiting for our single car spot. Whoa. This place got busy fast.

With large rocks to sunbathe on and plenty of shallow areas suitable for wading and little kids, this spot is perfect for families

Is the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk Worth the Hype?

All up we took just under four hours to complete the circuit, with two hours and fifty minutes of that representing walking time. The rest was made up of multiple breaks to admire goats, watch a bird shepherd her babies along the track, enjoy views, gasp for breath, and splash around in rivers.

I’ve put this hike off for a long time, assuming it would more resemble a queue through the trees than a break from the crowds, but I was thoroughly mistaken. Despite the number of people on the track being far more than we typically enjoy hiking with, the crowd thins out after Grahams Dam and everyone we met after that was friendly and said hello to each other.

If you base yourself by Grahams Dam or the picnic area, you can expect noise. But you know what? It’s happy noise. There are no car horns, yelling, or sirens. If you’re bothered by the sounds of people having a great afternoon then head out on the circuit hike and you’ll easily carve out a space away from others. The views are phenomenal and the feeling of accomplishment once you finish? Nothing beats it.

It’s an excellent walk hike and we highly recommend it. If you live in Victoria, and you love hiking, this one needs to be on your list.

This view is up Link Track One and is a good one to aim for if you don’t want to complete the full circuit. However you decide to enjoy the park, there’s a good time to be had here!

Tips For Hiking Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk

• The map shows the trail incorrectly at route marker LER504. If you’re following the trail anti-clockwise, you’ll cross the river and want to turn RIGHT, not left as the map indicates. The trail follows the river right before veering back to the left and arriving at the marker LER504. Not a huge problem but this derailed us for a few minutes
• If you don’t want to deal with consulting a paper map and backtracking to ensure that you’ve taken the right path, download the route from AllTrails instead. We encountered a number of other hikers who were successfully relying on that for navigation
• This is a hike, not a walk. It’s hard
• If you prefer a more solitary walk with fewer hikers, head out early. This trail is very busy after 11am
• This is a tough walk to do in the sun. Time your walk for either end of the day to avoid the heat
• This area has been heavily mined for gold in the past and there are old mine shafts scattered about the park. While the pull to explore is strong, for safety, please stick to the trail

There might be a lot of trees but they don’t give much shade. Make sure you’re sun smart and bring plenty of water for a good day on the trail

FAQs Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk

What’s the difference between a national park and a state park?

National Parks are large areas of land, that are actively being protected to preserve the natural flora and fauna of the region. State Parks are pretty much the same, they’re just smaller. If this topic interests you, we’ve also got an explainer on the differences between National Parks and State Forests.

Is it safe to swim in the Lerderderg River?

People swim in the Lerderderg River every day. It’s a beautiful spot to have a dip and cool off, if you’re confident in the water. Please be aware that this river is not patrolled. If there’s been a lot of rain, it can be unexpectedly deep in places. If you’re not a confident swimmer or you haven’t had swimming lessons, don’t attempt to swim here. There’s nothing wrong with sitting on the edge and putting your feet in to cool down instead.

Are dogs allowed on the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit?

Dogs are NOT allowed at MacKenzies Flat Picnic Area, in conservation areas of the Lerderderg State Park, or on the walking track to Grahams Dam, which is part of the circuit walk. Sorry about the capitals, but it’s really frustrating when people break this rule and we saw two people with dogs on the trail to Grahams Dam on the day we visited. I’d say they could claim ignorance but there was a massive LED sign on the road in reading ‘No Dogs’ so they were just flouting the rules. Please leave your dogs at home or take them on one of the 14 best dog friendly walks near Melbourne instead.

Is Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk 2WD accessible?

Yep. The roads are bitumen all the way so you could even ride your road bike here if you wanted. It’s smooth as bro.

Do you need hiking boots if you only want to visit Grahams Dam?

No. The section of trail from MacKenzies Flat Picnic Ground to Grahams Dam is flat, wide, and easy to walk. I’d still recommend closed-toe shoes in case of snakes, but you won’t need hiking boots for this section.

Can I go fishing in the Lerdergerg River?

Yep. Fishing is allowed in the Lerderderg River. MacKenzies Flat is great for Brown trout and Blackfish. Make sure that you have a valid Victorian Fishing License, and avoid the people swimming!

Does the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Walk start at O’Briens Crossing?

No. O’Briens Crossing is the start of the Lerderderg Gorge East Walk and it’s on the other side of the state park, near the Cowan Track. If you’re near O’Briens Crossing, you’re nowhere near the start of the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit.

What other walks can I do in Lerdergerg State Park?

From the East Walk to Lower Chadwick Track, to the 32km single-direction Lerderderg Gorge Walk, there are a LOT of walks and hikes to enjoy in Lerderderg State Park. The easiest way to get your head around the options is with a map of the area.

Isn’t Werribee Gorge near Lerderderg State Park?

Yup, Werribee Gorge is only a 20 minute drive away and the Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk is similar in both length, terrain, and difficulty to the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit Hike.

What does ‘leave no trace’ mean?

Leave no trace principles exist to keep our national parks, state parks, state forests and wild places in as natural a condition as possible. We’ve written a whole article on leave no trace. In the Lerderderg State Park, this looks like taking out all rubbish that you take in, using the toilets provided, and taking your picnic dishes home to wash (don’t use detergent in the river!) If the bins are full, don’t stack your rubbish next to them.

Want to explore more excellent hikes near Melbourne?

• Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk – A Tough Hike Near Melbourne
• Four Hidden Hiking Gems in Melbourne’s Outer-East
• The 17 Best Day Hikes Near Melbourne