Sometimes the best way to escape a busy life is to swap the traffic and queues for coffee with walking trails, waterfalls and a night somewhere surrounded by nature.
Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Macedon Ranges has everything from peaceful forest walks to longer mountain hikes. But the trails aren’t the only reason to visit. Intrepid travellers will discover stories that go back more than a century, paths only recently opened after years of closure, and native flora and fauna you’ve only ever heard about.
Here are four fabulous hikes, and places to stay if you’re not quite ready to head home.
Beautiful Turpins Falls – swimming is not recommended as the waterhole is so dark. © Visit Macedon Ranges
See Turpins Falls after its five year closure
For almost five years, getting close to Turpins Falls wasn’t an option. The popular waterfall near Kyneton was closed in December 2020 after a visitor was injured on the walking track. Heavy rain and increased numbers of visitors also caused the old steps to deteriorate, creating more safety concerns.
After years behind closed gates, Turpins Falls finally reopened in April 2026 with a new viewing platform, staircase and walking track.
The walk itself is short, around 150 metres each way, but the waterfall is the real reason to come. The Campaspe River drops over a huge wall of basalt (dark volcanic rock formed when lava cools) into the pool below. The surrounding basalt columns were created by ancient volcanic activity, giving the rock walls their unusual shape.
The pool is actually larger than an Olympic swimming pool, but don’t take that as an invitation to jump in. Swimming isn’t recommended because the water is extremely cold, and jumping or diving from the falls is strictly prohibited. Serious injuries and deaths have happened in the past, so this is definitely one to enjoy from the lookout.
Turpins Falls is only around 15 minutes from Kyneton, making the town an easy place to stay for the night. Spend the evening exploring Kyneton before heading back into the Macedon Ranges the next morning.
Take in the peaceful forest surrounding along the Sanatorium Lake walk. © Visit Victoria
Hike through the unusual history of Sanatorium Lake
At first glance, Sanatorium Lake looks like a peaceful pool hidden among the trees. Its past, however, is a little less peaceful. In 1899, a sanatorium (a medical facility where people stayed for long term treatment) opened in the area for patients suffering from tuberculosis, a serious disease that mainly affects the lungs. At the time, Mount Macedon’s cool climate was thought to be a good environment for people recovering from the illness.
The facility closed in 1910, but there were plans to build a newer and larger sanatorium nearby. A lake was created to provide water for the planned facility, except the new sanatorium was never actually built. The lake remained, eventually becoming the quiet forest destination visitors journey to see today.
The Sanatorium Lake Eco Trail is around 2.6 kilometres and takes roughly an hour. It’s a flat, gentle walk surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees, with kookaburras, rosellas and robins often found in the area.
You can also experience the Murmuring Walk, which is an audio-guided walk inspired by the environment, birdlife and natural rhythms of Sanatorium Lake. You can connect using your own device, and immerse yourself in the multilayered vocal and poetic soundtrack while experiencing the nature of Mount Macedon.
After a day in the forest, stay around Mount Macedon, where cottages, guesthouses and country retreats make it easy to turn a walk into a quiet weekend away.
Walk beneath the towering trees of the Macedon Ranges walking Trail. © Macedon Ranges Naturally
Take on the Macedon Ranges Walking Trail
If the first two walks on this list sound a little too easy, the Macedon Ranges Walking Trail should fix that.
The full trail stretches around 18.8 kilometres through Macedon Regional Park and is rated mostly Grade 3, meaning it’s a moderate hike that is still suitable for most ages and fitness levels.
The trail brings together some of the area’s best known locations, including Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, Camel’s Hump and Sanatorium Lake. You don’t have to walk the entire 18.8 kilometres either. Different sections can be explored separately, which means you can choose how much of a challenge you want to tackle.
Keep an eye on the trees and surrounding bushland while you walk. The park is home to Australian wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and echidnas.
For anyone who does take on a longer section, staying the night afterwards around Mount Macedon might sound a lot better than immediately driving back to Melbourne.
Climb a six million-year-old landscape at Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock isn’t just another mountain to climb. The strange rock formations visitors trek around today were shaped by volcanic activity millions of years ago, creating one of the most recognisable landscapes in the Macedon Ranges.
There are three main ways to explore it. The Summit Walking Trail takes visitors towards the top, the Base Walking Trail circles the lower part of the rock, and the Creek Walking Trail follows the area around a small stream. So whether you want the full climb or something a little easier, there is more than one way to see Hanging Rock.
But its volcanic past isn’t the only story to this place. Hanging Rock became famous thanks to the 1967 Australian novel Picnic at Hanging Rock, and the film that followed. The fictional story follows a group of school girls who visit Hanging Rock for a Valentine’s Day picnic in 1900, before several members of the group mysteriously disappear.
Knowing the story gives walking around the unusual rocks a slightly different feeling, particularly when you start squeezing between formations and following paths towards the summit.
If you like this story on hikes in the Macedon Ranges, check out 5 farmstays in Victoria to get amongst nature
Rex flies to Brisbane. Head to the Rex website or check out the route map below for more details.
