160 kilometre Grampians Peak Trail opened in western Victoria

A new 160 kilometre hiking trail running the length in Victoria’s Grampians National Park will be open to the public from tomorrow.

Looking to meet growing demand for multi-day hiking trails, the Grampians Peak Trail spans some of the Park’s most spectacular peaks and is one of the longest trails in Victoria.

The Trail is a 13-day/12-night journey starting at Mt Zero and travelling south over the ranges that make up Gariwerd and ending in the town of Dunkeld, 270 kilometres west of Melbourne.

The $33.2 million project was originally slated to open last year but faced construction delays as a result of heatwaves, a wet winter and the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has 11 campgrounds, featuring raised tent pads, communal shelters, and small huts at two campgrounds, hikers will be able to experience the stunning night sky of this ancient landscape. For most of its length it is a grade 4 walk with steep climbs and descents.

First conceived more than 20 years ago, the Trail has been built in stages, with the first stage, a 60 kilometre section from Halls Gap to Bugiga, involved improving or slightly modifying existing tracks, opened in 2015.

As advised by Tammy Schoo, Parks Victoria’s acting Area Chief Manager for the Grampians National Park work to complete the remaining 100 kilometre required construction in remote areas with materials brought in by helicopter.

School advised “this project has been in the pipeline for well over 20 years from the first idea, so today is a milestone.

“It’s been a really complex project both in its planning and its construction.”

The trail extends over the ancestral lands of the Djab Wurrung and Jadawadjali people and Parks Victoria worked with traditional owners to guide the trail alignment and shape the visitor information and stories.

More than 90 wildlife species live in the park and 900 types of plants - 49 of which are unique to the national park.

The project was jointly funded through $23.2 million from the Victorian Government and $10 million  in Federal funding provided through the Horsham Rural City Council.

Advising that 34,000 walkers a year are expected to use the Trail by 2025, generating $6.39 million in economic benefits and tourism development opportunities, Victorian Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio advised “the value of our parks and reserves has become more evident in recent times, which is why we’re boosting investments in projects that protect our natural places and support local communities and regional economies.”

Early in the Trail’s development, conservation groups raised concerns about what is known as “infrastructure creep”, which refers to the expansion of accommodation and other recreational infrastructure in pristine areas.

Images: The Grampians Peak Trail (top and below) and the Trail/s launch event as held today (middle). Images credit: Parks Victoria.