Domino Trail

The Domino Trail follows the old 1880s railway line from Trentham to Lyonville through Wombat State Forest, about 6 km one way and roughly 11.7 km on the return leg. It is a proper half-day dog walk on flat gravel, and it is on lead the whole way.

The walk

Rail trail grade means flat and steady rather than trivial, because nearly 12 km of gravel is still most of a morning at walking pace. Allow around two and three quarter hours for the out-and-back, with occasional seats along the corridor and a picnic area overlooking Trentham Lake near the Trentham end.

Most people walk out to Lyonville, rest, and walk back, and that is a sensible shape for a dog too. The trail runs through forest country with wallabies, echidnas and the occasional Powerful Owl in the area, which is exactly why the lead rule exists.

Leash status

Dogs are welcome through Wombat State Forest on lead and under control, per Parks Victoria's dog-friendly parks position, and the trail corridor itself is managed by Hepburn Shire. One thing to watch: the forest is being converted into the new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, where dog rules are tighter than state forest rules, so read the trailhead signage rather than assuming last year's arrangement holds.

Water and hazards

Carry all the water you and the dog need, because there is nothing reliable between the two ends and the forest creeks are not a safe drink. The surface turns muddy and puddle-prone after rain. Toilets sit at the Trentham railway station complex and at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville.

Pepsi: nearly twelve kilometres on gravel is a long way for a dog who normally does the block. Turn at halfway the first time and check the paws that evening.

Getting there and parking

Park at the old Trentham Railway Station on Station Street, where the visitor information centre and main car park sit together. Hepburn Shire has at times had the Stony Creek bridge closed with a detour via Victoria Street, so check the council page before setting out. Trentham is roughly ninety minutes from Melbourne via the Calder.

More walks nearby

The lead finally comes off at the Trentham Off-Leash Dog Park, and the Lerderderg Heritage River Walk adds a river-flavoured option further into the forest.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel takes dogs in the beer garden for lunch, and Akyra Lodge is a pet-welcoming base in town. More routes are on the Victoria trails guide and the Trentham destination page.