Dandenong Ranges and the 1000 Steps

The Dandenong Ranges are Melbourne's backyard forest, a line of low mountains about an hour east of the city where the air turns cool and the bush turns lush. Much of the range is protected in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, a landscape of towering mountain ash, tree ferns and damp gullies that feels a world away from the suburbs below. The most famous walk is the 1000 Steps, officially the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, which starts at the Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground in Upper Ferntree Gully. It climbs steeply past a creek and through rainforest, with plaques commemorating Australian soldiers who fought on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War, to One Tree Hill at the top; walkers can loop back down via the Lyrebird Track. It is a serious workout and hugely popular with locals training for fitness, so expect company and set your own pace. Elsewhere in the park, Sherbrooke Forest is known for superb lyrebirds, which you may hear mimicking other birds or glimpse scratching in the leaf litter, especially early in the day. Around the walks, the hill villages of Olinda, Sassafras and Kallista offer cafes, tea rooms, antique shops and nurseries, and the region is famous for its gardens, including the National Rhododendron Gardens at Olinda, at their best in spring. SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, at the summit, offers views back over the city. Puffing Billy departs from Belgrave at the foot of the range, so the steam train and the forest combine naturally. Entry to the national park is free. Parks Victoria notes that the Ferntree Gully car park is often full by 10am on weekends, that dogs are not allowed on the 1000 Steps, and that the park closes on days of Extreme fire danger or severe weather.

Plan around the crowds and the weather. For the 1000 Steps, arrive early on weekends or come on a weekday; if the main car park is full, One Tree Hill Picnic Ground at the top is an alternative starting point. Without a car, take a Belgrave line train to Upper Ferntree Gully station, about 1.2 kilometres from the bottom of the steps. Wear good shoes, as the steps can be slippery after rain, and carry water. Until 19 November 2026, Parks Victoria is running night deer-control operations, with some areas temporarily closed between 4pm and 7am, so check signs at access points and finish walks in daylight.

A good day out combines a morning walk with lunch in a village and an afternoon garden or Puffing Billy ride. Drive the scenic Mount Dandenong Tourist Road through the forest between Upper Ferntree Gully, Sassafras and Olinda, stopping for tea rooms and gardens. In spring the rhododendrons, azaleas and tulips are spectacular, and in autumn the European trees in the village gardens turn red and gold.

Fire safety is important in summer. The Dandenongs are among the most bushfire-prone areas in the world, and the park closes on Extreme fire danger days; check the Parks Victoria website and VicEmergency before you go. Note that some facilities change from time to time; the Grants Picnic Ground cafe, for example, is temporarily closed. The hills are cooler and wetter than the city, so pack a layer even in summer.