Toolangi - Tanglefoot Loop Walk

The Tanglefoot Loop, in Toolangi State Forest, is a 10 kilometre loop hike that will take about two to three hours to complete.

The hiking trail is lush with ferns, tall eucalypts and other greenery and has some short steep hills and obstacles over the path. The track winds through Mountain Ash forests, mainly regrowth from the 1939 forest fires. There are many older giants in the gullies, some 200 or more years old. The walk is moderately difficult where it descends into the rainforest gullies.

The trail starts from the Wirrawilla Picnic Area, although it can be accessed from the Monda Carpark off Monda Road at the southern end of the walk as well. This grassy picnic spot sits against a backdrop of Mountain Ash forest.

From the picnic area you can access Tanglefoot Loop walk or the Myrtle Gully Loop walk. A short drive will take you to the start of the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk, a lovely short walk through cool temperate rainforest.



Walk Summary:
Return 10km (2-3 hours)
Short steep hills, formed track
Signposted
No steps
No experience required

Review:

It can be a very confusing to find this route because there is a track called "Tanglefoot Loop" which extends along this Tanglefoot Loop walk and well as another walk, Myrtle Gully Circuit Walk.

The walk starts at the carpark for Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk where there is a shelter with a table, shaded table and drop toilets. The carpark is located just off Sylvia Creek Road, along a road called Quarry Road.

The walk start point is left of the toilets and there are a couple of unshaded picnic tables within the first 50m. Initially the path is wide and well maintained but is muddy and runs beside a creek which you can hear beside you.

You will come to a "link track" intersection which heads uphill to the left. This connects the west side of the walk to the east side of the loop.



We decided to keep heading straight ahead on the west side of the loop which gradually climbs uphill. The initial park of the track was really well maintained with fallen logs cut and bracken cut back from the track. This lulls you into a false sense of security. Further ahead the trail is basically unmaintained with long sections of blackberries beside and over the track. This really spoils this part of the walk.



After an hour we reached Monda Road.

At Monda Road turn left and walk along the road. After 100m there is a carpark and the entrance to the east side of the loop. This area has lots of beautiful tall trees.



The return part of the loop is downhill all the way and is a lovely walk through tunnels of tree ferns and ferns beside a huge gully. The track has lots of leaf litter. There are some seats beside the track for the rest. This part of the track has a number of bridges which cross creeks and wet areas.



When you reach the "link track" which is also named Quarry Road, turn left and follow the track downhill for a few hundred metres until the west side of the loop is reached. You have passed this point before. Turn right and return to the carpark. If you don't use the "link track", you will continue onto the Myrtle Gully Circuit Walk which is another 8km to return back to the carpark. The Gully Circuit Walk track is extremely unmaintained and has many trees and bushes over the track.

There is plenty of places where lyrebirds have been scratching the ground but we didn't see any. Thankfully we didn't come across any leeches but when we did the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk we did get some leeches (which is typical for this walk).

Photos:

Location