If you’re on the hunt for a great half day walk near Melbourne, Werribee Gorge should be top of your list. This trail has it all; great views, the chance to dip your feet in the cool river, wildlife, and even a touch of adventure when you traverse the side of the gorge aided by cables!

It’s a really interesting trail, and not too difficult providing you don’t mind the short cable section which we’ll outline in detail with photos in this post so you can judge for yourself.

Here’s everything you need to know about this fantastic trail.

Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk

Trail stats

Distance: 7.64 km
Elevation: 293 metres
Difficulty: Moderate

There are several car parks which you can start the trail from but we chose the one at the end of Myer Road so will describe the route from there. The trail begins by heading downhill on a rocky path which was slightly slippery but not too bad.

It’s not long before you reach the next car park and then follow a wide, level track and it’s nice enough but nothing special. In fact, it had me wondering if this walk was going to be worth the hype. Luckily the beginning is no indication of how good it gets later on!

You’ll pass an unmarked trail to your right but don’t take that one, continue straight and then your trail will narrow and curve left. It starts to head uphill here on a mixture of sand and rock before you begin descending again and hit another car park. This is beside a popular picnic spot (Meikles Point) which has a toilet and water - although the water was marked as needing to be filtered.

From here the trail begins to get much more interesting!

Time to look out for wildlife!

You’ll be heading along a narrow path with the water on your left and gum trees to your right and the views are really pretty. This is known as a good area to spot platypus but to be honest unless you are here really early in the morning or at dusk that seems quite unlikely!

Just a little further along this section are signs for koalas. We kept our eyes open but as we were hiking in the middle of the day we didn’t get lucky.

The gorge cables

After ten minutes or so flat walking you’ll reach the gorge and our favourite bit of the whole trail. To make your way around the gorge and back onto the normal hiking trail at the other end requires walking along a fairly narrow cliff.

You are not very high above the water (I could have dipped my foot in easily when we visited in the summer) so it’s not that there is a massive drop or anything to worry about. The cable is there to steady you if you need and you can use your hands to help you get around.

My boots have lost most of their tread and I found it slightly slippery but if you’re worried just take it slowly and use the cable the whole time and it should be fine. I think the fact that it is not a big drop to your left makes this section feel easier than it would if you actually had to worry about a major fall. It is fairly narrow and slanted at points but because of the cable it feels more fun than daunting!

Just past the cables is a little beach where you could stop for a paddle but there’s a bigger one further along so we’d recommend waiting for that.

After you’ve passed the cables there aren’t any more sections quite like that but there are a couple of very short scrambles (which I slid down on my bum) and one narrow ledge to cross (again without a drop).

For the ledge there is one part for your feet and one you can hold on to above so it feels very secure, and we loved how it added a touch of adventure to the hike.

Heading on to the viewpoints

Once you’re past the ledge it’s ordinary trail all the way! You’ll begin heading uphill and you’ll start to get bigger and bigger views. This section of trail was quite exposed and we hiked on a really hot day so it felt harder than it actually was! The track is rocky but it’s not difficult terrain.

It’s not long before you reach a viewpoint on your left. It’s a pretty spot, although you can’t see fully into the gorge.

From here you continue uphill for just a little longer before reaching another viewpoint on your left which offers great views of gum trees and rolling hills which were parched yellow on our visit.

You could see the road in the distance but it was quiet (apart from the cicadas!) and unobtrusive so it made a lovely last place to stop and take it all in before beginning the descent back to the car park.

After the second viewpoint the trail is easy and it’s just a very short distance back to the car park. The variety of terrain and pretty countryside views make this one of our favourite trails close to Melbourne.

Getting to Werribee Gorge

The trailhead for the Werribee Gorge Circuit is an hour west of Melbourne. You can find the exact location on Google Maps by clicking on this link.

Packing suggestions for the walk

Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:

Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Bushman Spray: Good for keeping off the mozzies and any other bugs. Check it out on Amazon.
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon

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