Lerderderg Heritage River Walk

The Lerderderg Heritage River Walk is an 8.9 km circuit along the Lerderderg River from Jack Cann Reserve at Blackwood, through gold country wet forest and ferny gullies. Dogs are allowed on lead on this particular walk, which is the exception rather than the rule in Lerderderg State Park, so it pays to know exactly where the boundary sits before you set off.

The walk. AllTrails puts it at 8.9 km and grades it moderate, about two and a half to three hours moving. It runs on a mix of established fire trail and narrower riverside track, past historic water races and the remains of the Crown Dam. The start is at Jack Cann Reserve, opposite the Garden of St Erth.

The rules. Parks Victoria manages Lerderderg State Park. Dogs on lead are permitted on the Lerderderg Heritage River Walk, on Byers Back Track and at O'Briens Crossing, and they are prohibited in the park's conservation and reference area zones, at Mackenzies Flat and on the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit. Those are hard boundaries, so read the signage at junctions rather than assuming a side track is fair game. Prospecting, fossicking and digging are not allowed along the trail, and solid fuel fires are banned in this section.

Water. The river is beside you for most of the circuit. There is no drinking water at Jack Cann Reserve, so carry everything you both need.

Getting there. From Melbourne take the Western Freeway, exit toward Greendale and continue to Blackwood, roughly an hour and a half. Park at Jack Cann Reserve, which has toilets and picnic tables. Public transport does not realistically reach it.

Nearby with the dogs. The shorter Whipstick Loop Walk covers the same country in less time, and Blackwood Mineral Springs Caravan Park takes dogs if you want to make a weekend of it.

When to go. Autumn and spring, in the morning. Check Parks Victoria alerts after heavy rain, because the river rises and the low crossings go first. Good for big runners with a long attention span.

Sources

• Byers Back Track, Parks Victoria · parks.vic.gov.au
• Lerderderg State Park, Parks Victoria · parks.vic.gov.au
• Lerderderg Heritage River Walk · alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.