Lerderderg State Park

Lerderderg State Park is almost  a hidden gem for Victorian's.  Compared to well known areas such as the Great Ocean Road, Lorne, Mt Dandenong, the You Yangs or Mount Macedon it has a very low profile.  Only 90 minutes from Melbourne, Lerderderg State Park is definitely worth  a visit.

Very nice scenic vista at Lerderderg State Park

What's so nice about Lerderderg State Park is that it has quite a lot of water relatively speaking.  If you go bushwalking out west towards Ballarat or Bendigo the bush tends to be scrubby and not particularly scenic.  Old gold mining areas tend to be dry with not much to see. No raging rivers but it does have water!

Quite a view

There are quite a few picnic areas so if strenuous walking is out of the question you can have a nice picnic instead.  Google the locations for:

• Shaw's Lake
• O'Brien's Crossing
• Mackenzie's Flat

for a nice picnic spot.

Most walks are not too long and not too difficult or strenuous.  However, always be prepared, carry enough food, water and wear appropriate clothing.

Casual river crossing

The most well known walks are:

• Mackenzies Flat to Grahams Dam – 3km, 1 hour return
• Blackwood Mineral Springs to Shaws Lake to Sweets Lookout – 3.5km, 2 hours return
• O’Briens Crossing to Byers Back Track to The Tunnel – 3km, 1.5 hours return

Getting There
Lerderderg State Park is approximately 90 km drive from the Melbourne CBD, so it's about 90 minutes drive.

Please refer to Google Map to see Lerderderg State Park's relative distance from Melbourne and general location.

Information from external websites
Parks Victoria info here.
Lerderderg State Park Visitor Guide.  Link last checked 1-Feb-2023.