[category]
[title]
Few Victorians can forget the utter devastation caused by the 2024-25 bushfires that ripped through the Grampians National Park. But here’s some good news: the Grampians Peaks Trail, one of Victoria's most spectacular multi-day hikes, has officially reopened. This autumn, seasoned adventurers and weekend wanderers can get back on track (literally) to experience the rugged landscape as the next chapter unfolds.
Stretching 164 kilometres from Mount Zero (Mura Mura) in the north to Dunkeld in the south, the trail is once again fully accessible for the first time since the fires. If you’re thinking, “Didn’t the trail reopen last July?”, you’re not wrong. While parts reopened last year, significant damage to remote sections meant the central and southern stretches remained off-limits for overnight hikers – until now.
After months of careful restoration, five key hike-in campgrounds – Barri Yalug, Duwul, Durd Durd, Yarram and Wannon – are now open, making the full end-to-end adventure possible once more.
Recovery efforts began as soon as possible following the fire, supported by $36 million funding from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments. Work has focused on critical biodiversity protection and visitor site recovery, including repairs to roads, walking trails and campgrounds plus improvements to plumbing, phone charging and solar power systems.
You’ll notice the signs of recovery everywhere: fresh track work underfoot, newly installed steps guiding steeper climbs and improved markers leading you through the rugged terrain.
Kyle Hewitt, Recovery Project Officer – Assets, said rebuilding the campgrounds and track was a challenge: “The post-fire inspections of the track quickly identified large sections which no longer had the cut-vegetation corridors which once guided people on their journey. A lot of work has occurred to deliver stabilisation and definition works on approximately 20 kilometres of track to allow a safe and sustainable opening of these sections.”
But it’s not just the infrastructure that’s bouncing back. The landscape itself is stirring – green shoots emerging from blackened trunks (called epicormic sprouting) and signs of wildlife returning.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to lace up your boots, don those gaiters and grab your walking poles, autumn is the perfect time to do it – the Grampians are calling. You can find out more via the Parks Victoria website.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.