The easiest hikes in Dandenong Ranges National Park, by the numbers
Of the 23 trails in Dandenong Ranges National Park in our dataset, 12 (52 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 12 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Lyrebird Track has the lowest rating: 4 ft of gain over 1 mile, 4 ft per mile.
Across the 12, gain runs from 4 to 347 ft and distance from 1 mile to 4 miles; the median gain is 158 ft and the median distance 1.5 miles.
12 of the 12 are point-to-point routes.
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyrebird TrackVictoria | 1 | 4 | 4 | 23% | 784 to 1,567 | 2.8 | |
| 2 | Monbulk Road TrackVictoria | 1.9 | 38 | 20 | 12% | 814 to 1,178 | 12 | |
| 3 | Olinda Creek RoadVictoria | 3.3 | 39 | 12 | 16% | 813 to 1,395 | 16 | |
| 4 | Kyeema TrackVictoria | 1.4 | 93 | 66 | 6% | 1,855 to 1,930 | 16.1 | |
| 5 | Prices RoadVictoria | 1.1 | 160 | 145 | 9% | 965 to 1,080 | 18.8 | |
| 6 | Camelia TrackVictoria | 1.5 | 131 | 87 | 6% | 1,063 to 1,163 | 19.8 | |
| 7 | Poplar TrackVictoria | 1 | 347 | 347 | 23% | 1,298 to 1,622 | 26.3 | |
| 8 | Fireline TrackVictoria | 1.4 | 253 | 181 | 18% | 1,091 to 1,504 | 26.6 | |
| 9 | Mathias RoadVictoria | 2.3 | 156 | 68 | 11% | 1,452 to 1,650 | 26.8 | |
| 10 | Coles Ridge TrackVictoria | 1.5 | 297 | 198 | 12% | 980 to 1,267 | 29.8 | |
| 11 | Monbulk-Emerald TrackVictoria | 4 | 201 | 50 | 7% | 600 to 754 | 40.1 | |
| 12 | Falls RoadVictoria | 2.7 | 337 | 125 | 10% | 1,467 to 1,912 | 42.7 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Dandenong Ranges National Park" here means the 23 trails in Dandenong Ranges National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Dandenong Ranges National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Lyrebird Track.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.