High Country Life

Hiking is an enjoyable way to experience nature at a pace you feel comfortable with and can be enjoyed by almost everyone.

Follow the trail from towering Alpine Ash trees to areas dominated by Snow Gums, inhaling fresh alpine air while working up an appetite for an exquisite dinner at Craig’s Hut.

Easy

Walking our stunning outdoors by foot is an incredible way to experience our glorious outdoors, and with some tips and precautions hiking can become a wonderful activity for almost everyone. While exploring trails solo can be rewarding and memorable, beginners should begin their hiking experience with guided trips that show them the ropes, provide assistance getting acquainted with gear, as well as introduce trails that suit their fitness level and ability.

High Country offers something for every hiker – from casual strolls through the woods to more challenging treks – no matter your pace. Beginners, children, families and those with limited mobility will especially love its many easy trails that provide a pleasant, gradual progression without extreme elevation changes – ideal for easy 3-8 mile treks perfect for beginners, children and families alike!

This short hike is an ideal place for children and family pets alike to take a leisurely stroll through an exquisite forest filled with second-growth Douglas firs, moss and ferns. Don’t miss the Grove of Patriarchs; here, some of the state’s oldest trees lie down to display their massive trunks! Kids will delight in crossing its charming suspension bridge and exploring this wonder of ancient trees!

The Mt Stirling Experience is an overnight hiking adventure designed to introduce newcomers to Victoria’s High Country and give them an ideal introduction to hiking. This hiking tour combines two nights accommodation at BullerRoo, scenic drives, hiking tours and gourmet dinner experiences into one unforgettable adventure – offering plenty of opportunities for bonding among loved ones, fresh air, fun memories and lasting bonds!

As its name suggests, this trail provides the ideal spot for viewing high country sunrise and sunset views. The panoramic panoramas offered from here are absolutely spectacular while its moderate difficulty rating makes hiking through these parts relatively simple for those in good physical shape.

As part of its spring migration period, this hike offers the opportunity to see flocks of waterbirds as well as native fauna such as Franklin’s Gulls, Mallard Ducks and White-faced Ibis.

Moderate

If you’re already comfortable hiking easy trails but looking for more of a challenge, why not give one of our moderate hikes a try? These hikes typically travel above treeline in various alpine environments and provide amazing views. With steep ascents common on this level of hiking, make sure your daypack contains items for navigation, sun protection, insulation and illumination as well as first aid, emergency sheltering needs as well as food, water and extra clothing (see Ten Essentials below) before embarking.

Hiking is a sport that demands both physical fitness and mental readiness, requiring adaptability to changing conditions that could determine its enjoyment.

“Strenuous” hiking involves long and often difficult trails that will test you to your limits, typically taking several hours or even an entire day to complete. Terrain on such hikes may prove more treacherous than on traditional hikes.

Some of the world’s premier hiking trails can be classified as strenuous; however, you don’t have to be an ultramarathoner to appreciate them. These paths are ideal for experienced hikers but also suitable for everyone from families to single adventurers.

No matter your hiking experience level, challenging trails offer the perfect way to stretch yourself while taking in some of nature’s most stunning sights.

Discover the wilder side of Mt Buller with an overnight guided hike! Navigate forests filled with towering Alpine Ash trees and areas dominated by Snow Gums while taking in stunning wildflower displays and listening out for the calls of lyre birds. Spend a night at Craig’s Hut – made famous in The Man From Snowy River movie set – where incredible mountain scenery will unfold beneath an open starry sky – then join Tim from Under the Southern Sky photography workshop during two-day trip!

Intermediate

Hiking is an activity suitable for people of all ages and abilities to experience nature’s splendor. With proper planning and preparation, children of any age can hike age-appropriate trails under adult supervision. It is essential to educate kids on trail safety and etiquette as well as ensure they come prepared with clothing, water and food to support this endeavor.

Lasting Adventures offers overnight hikes for children aged nine years or older that provide them with expert guiding, meals and all of the essential gear. Their Overland Track offers the ideal introduction to backpacking and camping skills – it includes meals as well as all necessary camping gear!

Assuming you have prior hiking experience and are in good physical shape, a hiker’s experience and fitness level determines its difficulty level classification: easy, moderate or strenuous. Hikes designated easy are suitable for most walkers while those rated moderate require some prior hiking experience while strenuous hikes necessitate extensive experience and an outstanding level of physical fitness.

Hikers looking for a challenge can take on more difficult trails either with a guide or independently, while beginners can access DECinfo Locator online to access trail maps and resources on state-managed lands, campsites, lean-tos and conservation easements.

Blue Ridge Parkway trails feature diverse biological and geological environments that cater to hikers of all levels, making them suitable for hikers of any experience level. There are also historic sites where visitors can learn more about our nation’s past through hiking.

Experienced hikers looking for an overnight adventure at Mt Stirling Alpine Resort will find this guided and camping-oriented trek an amazing adventure. Craig’s Hut, built for The Man from Snowy River movie back in 1982, will make for spectacular photography opportunities after this hike and as an added treat, Under the Southern Sky will host an after hike workshop where expert astrophotographer Tim will teach participants how to capture stunning images of the night sky in this iconic location.

As you trek, be sure to bring the Ten Essentials. These items cover navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid and fire – helping ensure a more enjoyable and safer hike!

Advanced

As an advanced hiker, you know what it means to trek long distances over challenging terrain. You relish a challenge and are not intimidated by exploring unknown regions on your adventure hikes. This type of hiking is known as thru-hiking: an extended point-to-point hiking route which may take several months from start to finish and should only be attempted if your physical condition permits it.

One of our most popular advanced hiking trips, Sequoia High Country Adventure is an unforgettable journey into the backcountry of Sequoia National Park to camp by alpine lakes and meadows while watching sunrise over some of North America’s highest peaks. Along the way you will witness sunrise from some of North America’s tallest mountains while experiencing scenic sweeping views, walking through giant firs and spruces forests and traversing challenging mountain passes – an adventure you won’t soon forget!

Experienced backpackers should consider taking on the Alpine Trail of Pickets and Thorntons hike for an amazing Victorian High Country hiking experience. Take in Alpine Ash forests, snow gum-covered alpine regions, breathtaking views above tree line, Craig’s Hut – built specifically for movie Man From Snowy River but now one of Victoria’s must-visit landmarks – plus stay at Craig’s Hut – built especially to stay there during your journey!

The Ausable Chasm Trail in New York State presents experienced hikers with an exceptional challenge, often known as “The Grand Canyon of the East.” However, this path offers rewarding hiking experiences for those in good physical shape.

No matter your level of hiking expertise or ability, we have hiking trails designed for every hiker imaginable. Just make sure that the trail you select matches up with your level and ability, bringing along maps, first aid supplies, water, extra clothing rain gear and cell phones – and don’t forget your trekking pole and shoes with good tread.