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If you’re keen to get out into nature, but don't want to spend half a day in the car getting there, we hear you. To help keen hikers get moving this summer, the good people at AllTrails have put together a guide to the top-rated hikes within two hours of Melbourne – so you can cash in on more time on foot, and less time behind the wheel.
Pinetree Walk – Berwick Botanic Park
Distance: 2 kilometre loop
Drive: Around 50 minutes from Melbourne
A cheerful ramble through manicured gardens and around tranquil ponds, Pinetree Walk feels like a botanical postcard come to life – brilliant for first-time hikers who want a taste of the trail without breaking too much of a sweat.
Queenscliff Beach via Point Lonsdale Beach
Distance: 9.3 kilometres out-and-back
Drive: 1 hour 20 minutes from Melbourne
This stretch between Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff stitches beach and promenade together so well you’ll forget you’re technically still on the trail. The relatively hearty distance means you’ll have definitely earned your post-walk fish and chips, and you’ll still have a little energy left in you for a drink and a dance when you get back into the city.
Safety Beach Foreshore
Distance: 3.5 kilometre foreshore stroll (extendable)
Drive: 1 hour 10 minutes from Melbourne
A classic Mornington Peninsula fave, this waterfront path lets you soak up the bay breeze and the pretty panorama of Port Phillip as sailboats drift by. The smooth shared pathway for walkers and cyclists is lined with cafés and facilities – this one’s very much giving 'saunter along with an ice cream in hand' vibes.
Wirrawilla Rainforest Trail – Toolangi
Distance: 0.8 kilometre boardwalk
Drive: 1 hour 30 minutes from Melbourne
Tiny but terrifically lush, this rainforest loop feels like stepping into another ecosystem: shaded canopies, soft mossy hues and boardwalks that gently guide you through a whispery fern world. It’s less a workout, more a breathing exercise for the soul – but still worthy of a place on the list.
Big Rock and Flinders Peak Walk – You Yangs Regional Park
Distance: 9 kilometre return (full route)
Drive: 1 hour from Melbourne
Start at the regional park’s welcoming visitor centre and ascend to Big Rock’s sweeping granite platforms, then continue up to Flinders Peak for wildly impressive views of the western plains. This hike mixes friendly paths with steeper, heart-raising steps – tackling this one is a big achievement, and the easy zoom back into town means you’re not too far from your favourite pub for a post-hike feed.
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