West Melbourne and Beyond

Black Hill Reserve Kyneton

Black Hill Reserve is just 5 minutes drive away from Kyneton. This makes a visit to Black Hill Reserve a great idea for a walk if you are a daytripper to Kyneton or rarely visit the area.

Background

On 260 acres of rare bushland Black Hill Reserve is known for its amazing granite rock formations. The standout rock structure being 'The Monolith', one of the largest granite features in Victoria.

The Black Hill Reserve is also known for its wide range of native wildlife. You may encounter anything from echidnas, phascogales, sugar gliders, many bird species, wallabies, kangaroos and possums.

Introduction

There are a number of well-defined walking tracks for visitors to explore. There are three main walks to enjoy the natural beauty of the reserve with probably the main walk for once-off visitors being the 'Ridge' track.

A rotunda with covered seating near the entrance of the reserve is for visitors to relax and picnic and contains background information on the history of the area.

WARNING: There are no toilet facilities at the Black Hill Reserve.

Walking Trails

The walks are all relatively short and not too strenuous, making it suitable for families and walkers of all ages. The most challenging walk is the 'Ridge' track but the other two main walks are easy both in length and difficulty as they do not have much in the way of up or down elements.

Black Hill Reserve — *Image: West Melbourne and Beyond. Walk beginning.*

Here are lengths of all three main walks:

Ridge Track: 2.7km
Circuit Track: 3.9km
Revegetated Area Track: 1.7km

As mentioned earlier if you don't live locally and will likely only ever visit here once then the best walk to to is the 'Ridge' track. This is because this walk offers higher viewpoints to view the surrounding countryside that the other walks do not offer you. Due to the short lengths of the walks if you can, we recommend also doing the 'Circuit' walk for a once-off visitor.

Ridge Track

The 'Ridge' track clocks in at 2.7km so is easily accessible distance wise for almost all walkers. This is the premiere track at Black Hill Reserve.

Flinders Peak walk beginning — *Image: West Melbourne and Beyond.*

The beginning of the walk is the most flat section of the walk. The track is well maintained quite wide and flanked by trees on both sides.

As you continue further, the walk will moderately increase in difficulty and will encounter a few very small bridges and stepped paths. Nothing is particularly hard to traverse and is more a reflection of the small ascent of the'Ridge' Track.

Even with the stepped paths you can see that the track is very clear and easy to follow.

The 'Ridge' track continues its ascent and soon you will start to see the famed granite boulders in much greater frequency.

After you'll reach what I'll call the main lookout point. While nothing is official like you will find on some walks you will get nice panaoramic views of the countryside similar to the photo below.

This is also a great point at which to take a selfie. It's a bit difficult to get a full unobstructed panoramic photo but the view is still pretty nice.

It's worth scrambling about on the rocks and taking as many photo's as you fancy at this point. There is one other main place to take photo's after this point but this is primary photo opportunity point 1.

Once you leave this point you will continue to climb slowly and come upon the next prominant spot on the walk where the granite boulders reach there peak in number. You will come across a point in the track that ascends and goes around some large granite bounders. The track can get a bit confusing at this point and you may need to backtrack a bit if you get temporarily lost.

Nothing major and this will only happen if you like scrambling about the granite boulders and try to complete a full circle around one of them. It's such a short walk it's best to try and see everything.

Once you've had your fill of the granite boulders you'll continue until you come across one fianl point that offers a panoramic view of sorts. The views are not as good as at the first point but it will be your final opportunity to get a panoramic photo.

At this point your panoramic photo might look something like this. Not the most amazing but it is what it is.

After this you will begin your descent down and back around the mountain. This is a pretty mild descent so even those with not the best knees should be fine. Your surroundings will pretty much look just the photo below.

As you keep descending you will eventually come to a junction point where the 'Ridge' track joins the 'Circuit' track. Turn right onto the 'Circuit' track and in just a few minutes you will reach the rotunda as the start of the walks.

Location

Black Hill Reserve is located at 110 Blackhill School Rd, Kyneton VIC 3444 about 1 hour 30 minutes from Flinders Street Station.

If living in Daylesford then Black Hill Reserve is only 36 minutes drive away.

When

Open daily.

In A Nutshell

Black Hill Reserve in Kyneton is a must-visit for nature enthusiasts, offering a unique blend of geological features, flora, and fauna, along with a variety of trails suitable for even those with moderate fitness levels. The granite boulders are a standout feature and make for perfect selfies.

More Information

Map and information brochure produced by Friends of Black Hill is available here:

Black Hill Reserve Brochure 2016

Disclaimer: Use at your discretion. This information may be out of date. The copyright is held by Friends of Black Hill.

Tips

Wear sturdy footwear suitable for hiking, as some parts of the track can be uneven.
If intending to do the 'Ridge' Track be aware that there is both an ascent and descent. For some people hiking poles may be recommended.
There is no toilet facility so keep this in mind when visiting.
Carry water, especially during warmer months, and be prepared with sun protection as sections of the walk are exposed.

Visit Castlemaine

If you've enjoyed Black Hill Reserve there are plenty of reasons to keep exploring the region. Why not visit Castlemaine? Check out our guide on the great things to do in Castlemaine.