The best dog friendly hikes & bushwalks Victoria
A great overview to find some inspiration on where you can go for a day trip or weekend away in Victoria. This list is ordered by length to help you find walks within you (and your dogs) capabilities. Keep in mind, if there is no short walks where you are travelling, you can always just do part of a longer walk!
Please note this list is definitely not exhaustive and will be continually updated as I visit or discover new dog friendly walks in Victoria!
Short dog friendly walks in Victoria (less than 2km)
Great Ocean Road and Otway National Park (Otway Ranges)
Stevensons Falls
A lovely waterfall that is easy to walk to that is mostly flat and is classified as wheelchair friendly now its had work done (although the incline across the river at the start seems steepish to me). It’s a short drive from the town of forrest but does include gravel roads that are winding so drive carefully. This is a really good walk if your short on time or just can’t walk long distances but would still like to see a waterfall.
On busy days there can be quite a lot of people on this walk so if you have a lead reactive dog you may want to visit during quieter times of the year. Towards the waterfall end of the walk the track is a bit narrow and now that it is a boardwalk it is more difficult to step off the track and get some space.
There is several spots at the start and middle of the walk where you can access the water (down a small slope) for your doggo to have an on-lead paddle and also some areas to rock hop around (on lead).
You can also see photos on my track notes for Stevensons Falls.
Lake Elizabeth
Like Stevensons Falls, Lake Elizabeth is also in the region near the town of Forrest. The dog friendly (on lead) Lake Elizabeth walk, is a lovely walk that starts in a picnic area and eucalyptus forest near the Lake Elizabeth Campground. As you meander further into the walk along side the creek the canopy closes and you start to get sections of rainforest understory like huge tree ferns towering over you before the track arrives at the lake.
Dogs can generally paddle at the viewing platform when the water level is right or you can continue on to the right hand side to do part or all of the loop walk around the lake. This will take you past a flat, beach like area for easy on-lead paddling on the way.
Also Read:
Dog Friendly Trips
Ocean View Lookout - Short Option
Ocean View Lookout is on the Great Ocean Road near Moggs Creek. You can walk to the lookout via a short, steep return walk that leaves from in town in Moggs Creek or a longer loop walk from the the Moggs Creek Picnic area.
This post on Dog friendly walks on the Great Ocean Road has a more comprehensive list of options in the area.
Medium Size Dog Friendly Walks in Victoria 2-6km
High Country
Apex Lookout Bright
One of the bonuses of all the forestry land around Bright is that most of the walks in the area are dog friendly.
The Apex Lookout walk is actually through a nice section of native bushland. You park a good part of the way up the hill where you can find a safe spot to park at the top of Mount Porepunkah Road. The Apex Lookout track leaves from this multi road junction. You traverse the side of a hill, gaining in elevation slowely to you reach the top. The top has views out towards the town of Bright as well across to high country mountain ranges. Be aware the lookout is also accessible by 4wd so you will usually share the view with others.
Otways and Great Ocean Road Region
St Georges River Walk
This is a really nice walk that starts from the Allenvale Mill Car Park out the back of Lorne and continues all the way to the coast (or reverse, leave from the Coast). If you have more than one car you can do this one way, otherwise, it can be done as a return walk back along the same track. It can also be turned into a loop returning back along the Cherry Tree creek walk, an option that requires about 700 metre walk on the gravel road to get back to the Allenvale Mill Car Park (a bit stressful on a busy weekend day, the return option may be a better choice). Though usually a loop walk lover, I personally prefer to return on the same track as i like the vegetation better along St Georges River Walk than the Cherry Tree walk.
There is a handy PDF map by the Surfcoast Shire that shows all the walk options in Lorne, how they all interlink and where you can start from.
High Country
Canyon Walk Bright
I am yet to finish this walk all the way to the end (I tried to tackle it on too hot a day and decided to turn back so my doggo could have a swim instead) but it’s definately worth doing, even if you can’t do the whole distance. It starts as a nice walk along the river in Bright turns into really great views onto ‘the canyon’.
Longer dog friendly walks and overnight hikes in Victoria (6.1km +)
Otways and Great Ocean Road Region
Surf coast walk section
There are some long sections on the Surf Coast walk and you could actually turn this into an over night hike by booking dog friendly accommodation at the other end if your dog is accustomed to doing longer walks.
Otherwise walk section for parts of sections as a return walk or use multiple cars to do a car shuffle/get dropped off and walk back.
