Yarra Ranges National Park
A vital catchment for Melbourne s water supply, Yarra Ranges National Park is home to forests of Mountain Ash, rainforest and fern gullies, and the endangered Leadbeater s Possum. Stretching from Healesville to Warburton, from the headwaters of the Yarra to Marysville, this national park was declared in 1995.
Snow in winter, great views from the twenty-one metre lookout tower all year round. Delightful drives along the Acheron Way between Warburton and Marysville, or along the Warburton-Healesville Road. Enjoy cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snow play at Lake Mountain.
See spectacular rainforest at The Beeches Rainforest Walk on Lady Talbot Forest Drive. Drive the world famous Black Spur between Healesville and Narbethong and have a picnic and short walk at Fernshaw along the way.
Dom Dom Saddle Picnic Area: The toilets at Dom Dom Saddle are relatively new, and include a good accessible unisex facility. There is an information shelter, but it lacks a hard floor, good lighting and good accessible path. The view is excellent, and generally accessible. The walking trails leading from this site are very steep, making them quite inaccessible.
Donna Buang Rainforest Gallery: The Donna Buang Rainforest Gallery is a platform that gives visitors a fantastic opportunity to view old growth trees from canopy height. It is fully accessible. The structure begins at road level and extends out into the tree canopy while the ground drops away rapidly beneath. There are accessible toilet facilities directly adjacent to the car park.
Mount Donna Buang: This beautiful site features a 40 metre long observation platform (one of only three of its type in Australia) which takes you into the rainforest canopy 15 metres above the ground. A 350 metre long elevated walkway takes you through the rainforest. There is a designated accessible toilet.
At an elevation of 1245 metres, Mount Donna Buang summit features a lookout tower which is 21 metres high and offers panoramic views over Melbourne, the Yarra Valley, Dandenong and Cathedral Ranges, Mount Baw Baw and the Alps. The lookout tower has many steps, but there are a number of good lookout points by the roadside on the drive up the mountain. This area is closed to vehicles at times in winter because of snow. Snow influences the accessibility of facilities here.
Fernshaw Picnic Area: Fernshaw is a mostly flat parkland setting and there is a reasonably accessible designated unisex toilet. Large logs mark the perimeter of the car park. Gaps have been left for accessing the picnic area. There are two wood fired barbecues.
Lake Mountain: The picnic facilities at Gerratys are of a good standard. Overall accessibility of the site largely depends on conditions, as the whole area is generally snow covered in winter. The toilets include facilities marked as accessible, but they are not compliant with current standards.
O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail: Nestled above the floor of the Upper Yarra Valley, O Shannassy Aqueduct Trail follows the historic open channelled O Shannassy Aqueduct, meandering through pristine forest which has been protected for nearly 100 years for water harvesting. The trail, stretching 30 kilometres in its entirety, passes mature fern gullies, creeks and plantations, many aqueduct engineering works, bridges, syphons, huts, distance marker posts and old maintenance sheds. It also offers spectacular views of the valley below. The Aqueduct was constructed between 1911 and 1915, and decommissioned in 1997. The maintenance track, known as Road 18, has been opened up progressively for walkers, horse-riders and cyclists, following transfer of land ownership from Melbourne Water to Parks Victoria.
Donnellys Weir: At present Donnellys Weir picnic area is poorly accessible. There is a creek crossing involved when accessing the site by vehicle, which may be difficult when the creek s water level is high. Wheelchair access from the car park to the picnic area is hindered by a narrow gate entrance. The picnic area is good, with shelter provided, but there are no designated accessible toilets. park. Logs around the edge.
The 80 km drive from Melbourne via the Maroondah or Warburton Highways takes between one and two hours. The park stretches from Healesville to Warburton and beyond to the headwaters of the Yarra River and north to Marysville. Some public bus transport is available.
