Blackwood - Lerderderg Heritage River Walk
The Lerderderg Heritage River Walk is one of the most enjoyable and accessible bushwalks in the Wombat State Forest. Beginning at Jack Cann Reserve opposite the Garden of St Erth, the walk follows the upper reaches of the Lerderderg River through towering eucalypts, lush fern gullies and peaceful forest. Much of the route follows historic water races built during the gold rush, providing a fascinating glimpse into Blackwood's rich mining heritage.
Although the walk is relatively gentle, there are a few short hills and creek crossings via timber bridges. The walk passes the site of the former Crown Dam, built to store water for local gold mining operations. Along the way you'll also pass old mine workings, stone-lined water races and attractive river viewpoints, making this an excellent walk for both history enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Spring brings colourful wildflowers and winter has colourful fungi. After rain the Lerderderg River flows strongly and the fern gullies are particularly picturesque.
A summary of the Lerderderg Heritage River Walk is:
Distance: Circuit 8.0km
Time: 3 hours return
Gradient: Fairly flat
Quality of Path: Formed track and crosses small creeks via bridges
Quality of Markings: Sign posted
Lerderderg Heritage River Walk
Map by Trail Navigator
Picnic Facilities
Picnic facilities, car parking and public toilets are available at the Jack Cann Reserve at the start of the walk.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs are allowed in State forest but must be under direct control at all times and are expected to be on a leash in picnic and camping areas or when near other visitors.
Horses and trailbikes are not permitted on the trail.
Getting There
The Lerderderg Heritage River Walk starts and ends at the Jack Cann Reserve near the Garden of St Erth at 189 Simmons Reef Road, Blackwood. It is located approximately 1.5 hours from Melbourne and approximately 40 minutes from Ballarat. The walk is also easily accessed from the towns of Daylesford, Trentham and Woodend.
Review:
A really enjoyable walk which passes through a range of vegetation zones including eucalypt bushland and lush tree fern gullies with creeks and little bridges. The walk is mainly along old hand-dug miners' water races and is quite flat. The route basically heads off in the north west direction close to Lerderderg Road and crosses that road a couple of times. The western side of the loop is close to the road while the eastern side tracks near the Lerderderg River.
After a short distance from the start point, you reach the intersection of the west side and east side loops. You can go in either direction, but we decided to take the left loop and go in a clockwise direction. The route is well signposted if you keep an eye out for the orange triangle makers. Phone reception was fairly poor and we used the Trail Navigator App to make sure we were on track since there were a few side sides which should be ignored. Make sure you download the map before you start.
At the furthest point of the walk, the river is impressive with huge logs piled up after flooding events and the river splitting and converging back together. There is an avenue of tree ferns beside the path. There is a sign 'Lerderderg Heritage River Walk' indicating to continue to follow the river at a point where a track on the right heads up to a road. There is meant to be the remains of the Crown Dam with interpretative signage in this general area. Somehow we missed this but maybe it is reached as a detour via this track. There is a section of track from this point which is a bit overgrown.
We did the walk in winter and there was a really nice range of fungi and flowering plants and bushes such as pink heath. After rain the tracks were a little muddy but very manageable.
Photos:
Location
189 Simmons Reef Road, Blackwood 3458 View Map
Web Links
→ Lerderderg Heritage River Walk (AllTrails)
→ Lerderderg Heritage River Walk (Bushwalking Victoria)
→ Lerderderg Heritage River Walk (Bushwalking Blog)
→ www.exploreoutdoors.vic.gov.au/activities/walking-in-victoria/lerderderg-heritage-river-walk
