The Eastern Sherbrooke Forest Walk is a hilly circuit through mountain ash forest and fern gullies, starting and finishing at Grants Picnic Ground near Kallista. Allow roughly 2.5 to 3 hours for the approximately 7...
Dandenong Ranges Attractions
The Dandenong Ranges are one of Victoria’s classic day-trip and weekend destinations, combining towering mountain ash forests, historic attractions, cool-climate gardens, scenic villages and some of Melbourne’s best-known walking tracks. The current Dandenong Ranges Point inventory includes Puffing Billy Railway, Dandenong Ranges National Park, the 1000 Steps, Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, Sherbrooke Falls, Emerald Lake Park and attractions across Belgrave, Olinda, Sassafras, Emerald and the surrounding hills.
The region’s appeal comes from that mix of nature and heritage. Visitors can ride a steam train through fern gullies, walk beneath huge mountain ash trees, explore landscaped gardens, enjoy panoramic lookouts or spend time browsing the cafes and shops of the mountain villages.
Explore Dandenong Ranges Attractions
- Puffing Billy Railway – Ride the historic steam railway through forests, fern gullies and hill towns between Belgrave, Emerald and Gembrook.
- National park and forest walks – Explore Dandenong Ranges National Park, Sherbrooke Forest, the 1000 Steps and numerous shorter walking tracks.
- Gardens and seasonal colour – Visit Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens and other cool-climate gardens throughout the hills.
- Lookouts and mountain scenery – Take in broad views from SkyHigh Mount Dandenong and other elevated points across the ranges.
- Villages and family attractions – Explore Belgrave, Olinda, Sassafras, Emerald and Gembrook for cafes, shops, playgrounds, museums and family-friendly experiences.
Browse the listings below to discover Dandenong Ranges attractions, gardens, walks, villages and places to visit across the hills east of Melbourne.
Eastern Sherbrooke Forest Walk
Kallista, VIC
George Tindale Memorial Gardens
Sherbrooke, VICGeorge Tindale Memorial Gardens is a three-hectare cool-climate garden at 33 Sherbrooke Road, with flowering shrubs, lawns and winding paths beneath tall mountain ash. George and Ruth Tindale developed its diverse plant...
Mount Dandenong Observatory
Mount Dandenong, VICMount Dandenong Observatory is the summit lookout associated with SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, at 26 Observatory Road. Visitors come for views towards Melbourne, garden walks and a meal or picnic in the grounds. The name...
Olinda Creek Walking Track
Silvan, VICThe Olinda Creek Walking Track links Silvan with Mount Evelyn through the Olinda Creek valley. It is a point-to-point forest walk, with changing vegetation and some rising ground, rather than a short circuit around...
Woolrich Lookout
Olinda, VICWoolrich Lookout is a scenic picnic and walking stop in the RJ Hamer Arboretum at Olinda. Its outlook takes in the Yarra Valley and Great Dividing Range, with the arboretum’s wooded slopes forming the foreground...
Ferny Creek Reserve
Sassafras, VICFerny Creek Reserve is a community recreation space beside Sherbrooke Forest, with a playground, sports oval and picnic facilities among the trees. It provides a straightforward family stop in the hills, alongside...
One Tree Hill
Tremont, VICOne Tree Hill Picnic Ground is a forest picnic area near the upper end of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, commonly called the 1000 Steps. You can reach it by road as well as on foot, so a picnic here does not require...
Doongalla Homestead
The Basin, VICDoongalla Homestead is a historic picnic and walking precinct on the western side of Dandenong Ranges National Park. The former mansion has gone, but its stone steps, garden setting and surrounding forest make the site...
Aura Vale Lake Park
Menzies Creek, VICAura Vale Lake Park is a lakeside recreation area beside Cardinia Reservoir, with bank fishing, a picnic precinct and access for small non-powered boats. It offers a quieter outing than a large commercial attraction...
Mount Dandenong Arboretum
Mount Dandenong, VICMount Dandenong Arboretum is a free, 16-hectare collection of trees on the mountain’s eastern slopes. It is a quieter option for a picnic and an informal walk, with groups of conifers and deciduous trees changing...
Sherbrooke Art Gallery
Belgrave, VICSherbrooke Art Gallery is a community-run gallery at the edge of Sherbrooke Forest in Belgrave. Home to the Sherbrooke Art Society, it presents changing exhibitions and original works for sale in a building that began...
Devil’s Elbows
Upper Ferntree Gully, VICDevil’s Elbows is a demanding road-cycling climb from Upper Ferntree Gully into the Dandenong Ranges. The route combines Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Churchill Drive and One Tree Hill Road, with two tight turns...
1 in 20
The Basin, VICThe 1 in 20 is a well-known road-cycling climb along Mountain Highway from The Basin towards Sassafras. Its forest setting and sustained gradient make it a popular way to test climbing fitness on the western side of the...
Morrison Reserve West Playground
Mount Evelyn, VICMorrison Reserve West Playground is a free family playspace off Mikado Road in Mount Evelyn, with a farmyard theme and views towards the Yarra Valley. Its replacement playground has been completed, retaining the rural...
Wright Forest
Cockatoo, VICWright Forest is a bushland reserve between Cockatoo and Emerald, with eucalypt woodland, intersecting walking tracks and the Puffing Billy railway running through the landscape. It suits visitors wanting a forest walk...
Hancock’s Daffodils
Menzies Creek, VICHancock’s Daffodils is a specialist daffodil grower in Menzies Creek, with seasonal bulb, potted-flower and cut-flower sales. Its former spring display garden is closed to public visits, so this is no longer a...
Montrose Community Playground
Montrose, VICMontrose Community Playground is a community-built, all-abilities play space within Montrose Recreation Reserve at 950 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road. A large climbing net, sensory garden, animal sculptures and...
Gembrook Hill Vineyard
Gembrook, VICGembrook Hill Vineyard is a family wine producer in the Upper Yarra, known for cool-climate wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Blanc de Blancs. Its hillside site gives it a different setting...
Karwarra Australian Plant Garden and Nursery
Kalorama, VICKarwarra Australian Plant Garden and Nursery is a free native botanic garden in Kalorama, tucked behind the Kalorama Memorial Reserve. Its two hectares show Australian plants in a landscaped setting, with a retail...
Tesselaar Nursery
Silvan, VICTesselaar Nursery is a plant and bulb business at 357 Monbulk Road in Silvan, on the eastern side of the Dandenong Ranges. Its seasonal range and growing advice appeal to gardeners, while the same flower-farm address is...
Bungalook Conservation Reserve
Kilsyth South, VICBungalook Conservation Reserve protects a patch of bushland and wetland habitat in Kilsyth South, at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Its walking paths provide a local nature outing among eucalypts, grassland and...
Cockatoo Recreation Reserve
Cockatoo, VICCockatoo Recreation Reserve is the sporting precinct listed by Council as Mountain Road Recreation Reserve, at Mountain Road and Fell Road in Cockatoo. Its grounds, courts and indoor sports facilities make it a...
Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Garden
Sassafras, VICFerny Creek Horticultural Society Garden is a four-hectare ornamental garden maintained by volunteers near Sherbrooke Forest. Mature trees, flowering shrubs and specialist plant collections provide the setting for the...
Grey Gum Track Walk
Silvan, VICGrey Gum Track Walk offers a short forest outing in the Silvan area of the Dandenong Ranges. The route combines broader tracks with narrower paths, providing a quieter walking experience among eucalypts and understorey...
Johns Hill Reserve Lookout
Kallista, VICJohns Hill Reserve Lookout is a small ridge-top reserve on Ridge Road in Kallista. Its open grassy setting offers views across the surrounding hills and countryside, making it an easy scenic stop while travelling...
Waterford Valley Golf Course
Knoxfield, VICWaterford Valley Golf Course is an 18-hole public-access golf course in Knoxfield, on Melbourne’s eastern side. The par-72 layout offers a full round among fairways, lakes and wetlands, with a choice of tees that...
Kays Picnic Ground
Olinda, VICKays Picnic Ground is a small forest picnic area beside Sassafras Creek on Monbulk Road. Mountain Ash, tree ferns and the nearby walking track make it a useful place for a quiet lunch or a short creekside outing...
Koolamara Water Reserve
Ferntree Gully, VICKoolamara Water Reserve is a wetland and local walking area in Ferntree Gully, with paths, a playground and places to pause beside the water. It suits a short neighbourhood outing for fresh air and birdwatching rather...
Liverpool Road Retarding Basin
Boronia, VICLiverpool Road Retarding Basin is a large flood-management reserve and public open space in Boronia, near the western foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. The 22.45-hectare reserve contains artificial lakes, open...
Living Bush Nature Walk
Ferntree Gully, VICLiving Bush Nature Walk is a forest circuit from the Acacia Picnic Ground in the Ferntree Gully section of Dandenong Ranges National Park. It provides a nature-focused walk near the well-known 1000 Steps precinct, with...
O’Donohue Picnic Ground
Sherbrooke, VICO’Donohue Picnic Ground is a small picnic area on Sherbrooke Lodge Road and a starting point for the walk to Sherbrooke Falls. Its lawn and forest-edge facilities make it useful for a picnic before walking, or for...
Running Rabbits Military Museum
Upwey, VICRunning Rabbits Military Museum is a community museum at the Upwey-Belgrave RSL, with military objects, photographs and displays tracing Australian service from the Boer War to more recent conflicts. Volunteer knowledge...
Trig Point Lookout
Lysterfield South, VICTrig Point Lookout is a walking destination on the Lysterfield Hills, with wide views towards Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs. At about 223 metres above sea level, it offers a different perspective from the...
Borthwick Park Playground
Belgrave, VICBorthwick Park Playground is a shaded play space in Belgrave, beside the outdoor swimming pool and community courts. Giant California redwoods give the park a distinctive setting, while the playground provides a simple...
Mount Evelyn Skate Park
Mount Evelyn, VICMount Evelyn Skate Park is a free street-style skate facility beside the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, at the corner of Gardner Parade and Birmingham Road. Its two connected levels offer different challenges for...
Peter Delahenty Art Studio
Olinda, VICPeter Delahenty Art Studio is an artist-run studio, gallery and teaching space in Olinda. Peter’s work draws on the natural world, including the forests and wildlife of the Dandenong Ranges, and visitors can...
Butterfield Conservation Reserve
Emerald, VICButterfield Conservation Reserve is a forest reserve near Emerald, beside the Woori Yallock Creek corridor. It offers a quieter nature outing, with bush tracks, creekside habitat and remnants of the area’s earlier...
Burnham Beeches
Sherbrooke, VICBurnham Beeches is a historic Art Deco estate in Sherbrooke, best known for the striking mansion designed for Alfred Nicholas and his family. Its streamlined form and woodland setting make it an important part of the...
Pie in the Sky
Olinda, VICPie in the Sky is a pie bakery and cafe on Olinda-Monbulk Road in Olinda. Handcrafted savoury pies, pastries, cakes and Devonshire tea make it a daytime food stop when exploring the mountain villages. The cafe has...
Marybrooke Manor
Sherbrooke, VICMarybrooke Manor is a Tudor-style wedding and accommodation venue at 10 Sherbrooke Road, surrounded by eight acres of gardens and forest. Built in 1940 and listed by the National Trust, the manor offers an indoor...
What are the top attractions in the Dandenong Ranges?
Popular attractions include Puffing Billy Railway, Dandenong Ranges National Park, the 1000 Steps, Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden and SkyHigh Mount Dandenong.
What are the best Dandenong Ranges attractions for families?
Family-friendly choices include Puffing Billy, SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, Emerald Lake Park, playgrounds, picnic areas and easy forest walks around the main villages.
What can you do for free in the Dandenong Ranges?
Popular free attractions include Dandenong Ranges National Park, the 1000 Steps, Sherbrooke Forest, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens and many public walking tracks, picnic grounds and lookouts.
Which towns are best to visit in the Dandenong Ranges?
Belgrave, Olinda, Sassafras, Emerald, Gembrook and Mount Dandenong are among the main visitor areas, each offering a different mix of attractions, gardens, cafes, shops and outdoor experiences.