Where can we go bushwalking near Melbourne?

January 25, 2008 5:34 PM

Where can we go bushwalking near Melbourne that is accessible by public transport?

Me and my friends desperately need to get out of the city for a day and go on a bushwalk. We have no access to a car and cannot afford to hire one right now, so where is a decent bushwalking track that has some nice views and will occupy us for at least 3 hours, that we can access via bus or train?

posted by lazy robot to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

Try looking in the book 40 Bushland & Park Walks in Metropolitan Melbourne by Tyrone Thomas. From the blurb: "...walks are graded as easy or medium and all walks are circuits or retraces, thereby facilitating transport access. Many walks can be reached by public transport."

I'm not sure where you could get a copy, but you could do a lot worse than starting at the Map Shop, on Little Bourke Street, between Elizabeth and Queen Streets. Alternatively, Bogong Equipment next door also has a good selection of bushwalking guides.

Another option would be to get in contact with The Melbourne Bushwalkers. A quick scan of their website shows that they organise regular walks, many of which are public transport accessible. I'm sure carpooling would also be an option on some walks.
posted by tim_in_oz at 8:30 PM on January 25, 2008

Dandenong Ranges National Park.
I haven't been out there by public transport for a while, but Sherbrooke Forest is definitely walking distance from Belgrave station.
posted by goshling at 12:33 AM on January 26, 2008

Seconding the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Train it to the end of the Belgrave line, and then keep walking east. Plenty of stuff to do in Belgrave on the way back, too.
posted by Griffynn at 3:32 AM on January 26, 2008

Catch the train to Lilydale, then the bus to warburton. Beautiful walking tracks start from there.

Failing that? Train to Belgrave.

Also, dandenong ranges national park.
posted by mattoxic at 6:07 AM on January 26, 2008

One tree hill is very nice, you can get off the train at ferntree gulley and climb the thousand steps, or walk up one of several trails. It's my favourite walk.
posted by tomble at 4:55 PM on January 26, 2008

Oh, and I do go bushwalking occasionally, and plan to do more once the weather cools down a little. If you're interested in things like the Cathedral Ranges or other more distant walks, drop me a line (email is in my profile) and I'd be happy to give you a lift.
posted by tomble at 4:57 PM on January 26, 2008