Wander through some of Australia’s beautiful temperate rainforest to the wondrous alpine wonderland of Mushroom Rocks in Baw Baw National Park.

 

We Are Explorers acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Countries on which these adventures take place, who have occupied and cared for these lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

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Mushroom Rocks Highlights

  • Towering granite boulders shaped like mushrooms
  • Amazing trees
  • Birds, including Eastern whipbirds
  • Hike some of the Australian Alps Walking Track
  • Snow, if you’re lucky!

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

 

Mushroom Rocks Quick Facts

Distance: 3km
Duration: 2 hours at a casual pace. Give yourself extra time for exploring around the rocks

Skill Level

Beginner-Intermediate

The hike is Grade 4. Care should be taken after or during snow and rainfall.

Read more: 7 Tips for Rainy Day Hiking

 

How to Get to the Mushroom Rocks

The walk begins at Mount Erica car park, 183km or 2 hours 35 minutes from Melbourne.

 

Nearby Accommodation

Essential Gear for Mushroom Rocks

  • Waterproof footwear if it’s been snowing
  • Water and snacks
  • Binoculars to spot whipbirds
  • Camera and wide-angle lens
  • Rain jacket

What it’s Like Visiting Mushroom Rocks

With a work trip to Gippsland on the agenda, I wanted to squeeze in an adventure on my way across from Melbourne. Checking the weather forecasts, I was delighted to find that it’d been snowing in the alpine! 

Equipped with only a small hire car, it sounded risky to head too far up into the mountains,  so I chose somewhere not too far from the main highway to explore. 

 

 

Starting in Melbourne, I drove through the town of Moe, up towards Erica, and followed the signs to Mount Erica car park in Baw Baw National Park. The track to the car park is unsealed and bumpy, but my little car made it up easily. This is still a designated road, so no hire car rules broken here, as long as you’ve read the fine print about unsealed roads!

Being from Western Australia (where to see snow, you need to head to the hills before the roosters crow, battle the hordes, and hike for hours just to see some icing sugar on the rocks), I was ecstatic to see snow from the car!

I was grinning like a little kid all the way to the car park! I jumped out of the car, threw on my backpack, and trudged up the sloshy path towards Mushroom Rocks. 

The Gunaikurnai people of the Wurundjeri language group are the Traditional Custodians of the area, so tread lightly and respect the significance of the area. Places like Mushroom Rocks would’ve been used as shelter and meeting places for the Brayakaulung clan for thousands of years.

I admired the huge tree ferns and towering timbers on my way up through the temperate rainforest, and heard the call of the Eastern whipbird loudly announce itself in the silence. 

 

 

The change from rainforest to alpine vegetation was like a line in the sand. Snow gums protected me from the drizzle that was beginning to set in over the mountains. Granite boulders began to border the track, as did the cold white stuff on the ground.

The Mushroom Rocks are impossible to miss! You know you’re there when you become surrounded by immense tors of interesting shapes. I scampered around in the snow for a good hour. This place was incredible, and the snow just made it even more magical. 

 

 

After a few hours of playing in this fairy tale land of ferns, boulders, and snow, it was time to turn around and head back down the trail, to the car, and onto the next adventure.

 

FAQs Mushroom Rocks

How long is the Mushroom Rocks hike?

The hike to Mushroom Rocks in Baw Baw National Park is 3km total and takes around two hours to complete (depending how long you spend marvelling at the giant tors!).

Is the Mushroom Rocks track good to do in winter?

Yes, as long as you’re prepared with waterproof shoes and a jacket, the Mushroom Rocks track is beautiful in winter and may even feature snow!

 

Walk More Unique Trails in Victoria

This piece was brought to you by a real living human who felt the wind in their hair and described their adventure in their own words. This is because we rate authenticity and the sharing of great experiences in the natural world – it’s all part of our ethos here at We Are Explorers. You can read more about it in our Editorial Standards.