The Grampians is about 250km west of Melbourne. With the imminent duplication of the Western Highway all the way from Melbourne to Stawell it’s quick and easy to get here, as it also is from Adelaide and the Great Ocean Road. You can travel to the area by public transport. If you don’t have your own car, we recommend that you base yourself in Halls Gap. This will allow you easy access to many nearby walks.
Every walk in the Grampians National Park, including the new, long-distance Grampians Peaks Walking Trail (GPT). There are 86 walks in total.
We’ve used the Australian Walking Track Grading System to grade the walks (to show how easy or hard they are). This system takes into account the length of the walk, the amount of time it takes to complete it, the gradient (how steep it is, how many steps there are), the quality of the paths and track markings, and the recommended experience required to do the walk.
Each walk is graded for the hardest single part of that walk, which sometimes results in an unrepresentative grading. Where this is the case, we have included more information in the walk description.
Grade 1 walks are usually short and along flat, well-formed tracks. There are no steps, the track is clearly sign-posted and no bushwalking experience is required.
Grade 2 walks are usually less than 10km, on clearly sign-posted, formed tracks. They can have gentle hills and occasional steps and require no bushwalking experience.
Grade 3 walks are usually less than 20km, on formed tracks with some signposting. Steps are common and there may be some obstacles and natural hazards along the way. Some bushwalking experience is recommended.
Grade 4 walks can be any length; the distance doesn’t affect the grading. The tracks can be rough, have many steps and obstacles, be indistinct in places and there could be limited signage. Bushwalking experience is recommended.
We also provide walk profile graphs so you can see how steep a walk is and what altitude it reaches. These graphs make it easy to compare the difficulty of the walks.
You can walk in the Grampians all year round. In early summer, from November till sometime in January, the heat begins, the land dries out and the weather is usually stable.
Then comes late summer, lasting till near the end of March. This is the hottest and driest time of the year, with long days and warm nights. Creeks usually dry up during these months. In hot weather start early and walk in the cooler part of the day. The temperature will always be cooler up high so we may choose to head for the hills. Light coloured clothing such as a long sleeved shirt and long trousers will help to keep
the sun off you. Drink plenty of water and take frequent rests in the shade.
Autumn arrives late March and the country cools down. It’s a fabulous time for walking with pleasant days and often chilly nights. It can sometimes be smoky at this time of year due to prescribed burning activities.
Winter has usually arrived by June, with cool to cold days and some frosty mornings. We quite enjoy the fresh, cool air and prefer this to the heat of mid-summer. Just avoid the rainy days and choose your day wisely if you are going up into the mountains, or else you may experience our bleak mists and freezing winds. Rain jackets, over trousers, warm hats and gloves are always in our daypacks at this time of year. On the plus side, the creeks will be flowing and waterfalls will be at their best.
We all look forward to the arrival of spring, usually by late August / early September. Seasonal spring rain brings with it a rush of fresh growth, different wildflowers start appearing and we get some warmer days.
Before you know it, the heat of early summer approaches once again.
Rain comes at any time of the year, although mostly from about April to November. The annual rainfall in the Grampians varies
from about 500mm in the north to about 1000mm in Halls Gap and a bit more further south, so head north if it looks like wet
weather.
You can check the local weather forecast for the next week. Click on the town on the map – Horsham for the northern Grampians, Stawell for the central Grampians and Hamilton for the southern Grampians.
The Grampians Peaks Trail (GPT) is the fourth and longest walk in the Walk Victoria’s Icons series. It traverses the entire length of the Grampians National Park, from Mt Zero in the north to Dunkeld in the south. Along its 165km journey, the GPT provides access to dozens of spectacular peaks, utilising about 60km of previously existing trails, many of which have been upgraded, as well as about 100km of brand new trail. The entire route can be walked as one 13-day journey, staying in the purpose-built Hikers’ Camps along the trail, or in shorter sections or day walks, staying in off-park accommodation. Expect range upon range of mountains, breathtaking panoramic scenery, magnificent wildflower
displays and heaps of native wildlife.
The Grampians Walks book contains a fascinating chapter on the history of the GPT and the unique construction methods used.
No, walking is free, including on the GPT. And it’s free to enter the National Park. The only cost is if you want to stay overnight at the Hikers’ Camps along the GPT.
You’ll need at least two litres of water per person for a full day hike – more if it’s particularly hot. There are water tanks at all Hikers’ Camps along the Grampians Peaks Trail (GPT) and all other car-based camping areas in the national park. They are only filled by rainfall so you can’t totally rely on them. There are also water tanks at places where the GPT crosses a road and these ones are more reliable as they are filled up by parks staff. If you’re doing a day walk I would just bring water with you.
We are often asked if you can drink the water in rivers and creeks. Unless it’s the middle of winter or there’s been recent rain you can’t rely on there being any water in them. Most of them dry up totally during the warmer months. We recommend that you don’t drink the water from streams. That said, we do it ourselves when the water is flowing well and we are 100% sure of what’s happening upstream.
Mobile phone reception is still poor to non-existent in some parts of the national park, although it is improving all the time. The higher you go the more likely that you will have reception. A satellite phone or sat sleeve will allow you to raise an alarm even when there’s no mobile reception, but they are expensive to buy and operate.
We recommend you download the free “Emergency Plus” app. This app will provide you with your exact gps position (location). If you have phone reception, you can provide this information to emergency crews.
That’s a tough one to answer! It’s the same as anywhere else. Prepare well, come well equipped and take care.
Let someone know before you go. That’s common sense but lots of people don’t bother. Tell your contact what to do if you don’t return by a certain time. After your walk, it’s very important to check back in with the contact person to let them know that you’re back safely.
Plan carefully. The terrain in the Grampians is undulating and there are often steep ascents and descents. The tracks can be rough and rocky, slowing progress. On Grade 3 and 4 walks, we suggest you allow more time than you would to cover the same distance elsewhere.
Always plan your walk to return well before dusk.
Dress sensibly to suit the weather conditions. Many of the walks in this book are in the open with little, if any, shade. In hot weather, a hat with a wide brim, sunglasses and sunscreen are all essential. If the weather is likely to be cold and wet a quality waterproof jacket with a hood is essential. Breathable materials such as Gortex are best. If you’re heading for the higher peaks, carry a warm jumper, waterproof over trousers and a warm hat. It can get seriously cold up high, especially when the wind howls. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much a warm hat will help. On chilly days, warm gloves are also welcome.
The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) is in the process of installing over 3000 Emergency Markers throughout Australia, including the Grampians. The aim is to aid rescuers should they be needed. The posts are green and are labelled GNP (for Grampians National Park) followed by a three-digit number e.g. GNP019. If you have a serious accident or need rescuing, call 000 and give the closest GNP number to assist emergency services. We refer to these markers in the detailed walk notes in the book.
Bushfires are a very real threat in the warmer months. Many are started by lightning strikes during summer storms. Our recommendation is that you download the VicEmergency App and set up a watch zone for the Grampians area so that you’ll receive emergency alerts. It is not safe to be in the park in extreme fire danger weather. The national park will be closed on code red fire danger days.
There are plenty of accommodation, caravan park, camping and dining options available in the Grampians area. There are also campgrounds within the national park which provide simple facilities such as pit toilets, picnic tables and sometimes drinking water. These must be pre-booked and paid for online.
Dedicated Hikers’ Camps are provided along the GPT, exclusively for walkers booked onto the track. These also need to be booked in advance.
For all national park camping information and bookings, please refer to the Parks Victoria website.
Halls Gap and Dunkeld are the two main tourist towns adjacent to the national park. Other nearby communities of Wartook, Pomonal and
Moyston have limited facilities, while the larger regional towns of Hamilton, Horsham, Stawell and Ararat have all of the services that anyone might want. There are Visitor Information Centres at many locations in the region and we recommend a visit to
http://www.visitgrampians.com.au
There are 11 purpose-built Hikers’ Camps along the GPT, plus one group camp for schools etc. There is no dedicated GPT camp in Halls Gap but there is plenty of camping and accommodation available there.
Each camp is unique and has been constructed to blend in as much as possible with the landscape. Make sure you are well prepared as the camps are typically in high, remote places that are often windy and cold.
There are three types of camps: Back Country, Standard and Signature.
Back Country Camps have an open air gathering area with a timber screen to block some of the wind (but no building), one unisex toilet and 10 camp pads (some timber, some sand).
Standard Hikers’ Camps have a large enclosed communal shelter (except Bugiga which has an open-ended shelter), two unisex toilets and 12 timber or sand camp pads.
Signature Hikers’ Camps have a large enclosed communal shelter, two unisex toilets, four standard
timber tent pads, five large timber tent pads, group gathering area, three four-person huts for Licensed Tour Operators’ use.
All of the camps have non-flushing “long drop” toilets where the waste is collected in tanks. At vehicle accessible camps, the tanks are pumped out regularly. Toilets at remote campgrounds have removable toilet waste pods that are helicoptered out, emptied and then returned to the camp.
There’s more information and images of the camps in the book.
We offer free postage if you want to order one now. If you want to have a look first it is available at local outlets including:
Halls Gap: Newsagency and Absolute Outdoors
Dunkeld: General store, Roz Greenwood Old and Rare Books and the Visitor Information Centre
Hamilton: Bellcourt Books, Hamilton
Pomonal: General Store, Pomonal Estate
Moyston: General Store
Horsham: Wimmera Outdoors and the Visitor Information Centre
Ararat: Visitor Information Centre
Contact Monica by email: [email protected]