Mt Macedon loop

Have done a few walks up Mt Macedon, but today was first time I did the Big One; the 19km loop. Was a great day and met 2 very nice fellow walkers, who ended up doing the same route as me. We actually  – initially – went our separate ways, but then met up before the halfway point and hooked up from there.

Walk starts in the main street of the Mt Macedon village.

First bit is a walk up an ascending semi-rural road (houses etc), which suddenly ‘goes bush’ when you hit the national park. The ziz-zag climb up the mountain begins and you pop out at the memorial cross.   This leg = 3.6km.  Quite steep climbing

Second section is relatively level as you walk over to the Camels Hump look out. Walking along west side of the mountain. With sidetrips (i.e. trying to find a track that didn’t seem to be there) this was 5.2km.  [added later: it was there, we just missed it]   About halfway through the walk.

Third and final leg was from Camels Hump along the east side of the mount, then doing the steep, rocky descent of Mt Towong, which seems to be a spur of the much larger Mt Macedon. The track wasn’t that dangerous and we took our time. But you do need to be careful.  This bit was 10.2km

I’d estimate over 5 hours, walking a fair bit of that time.

Grab the Parks Victoria Macedon Regional Park – Walking Trails  PDF.  It describes this walk,  and others, plus it has a map. I’ll use their numbering system from the PDF:

* Park car in main st of Mt Macedon village, near Douglas Rd

3 Douglas Road (Mt Macedon village) to Memorial Cross

4 Cross to Cameron Picnic Ground (PG)

5 Cameron PG to Camels Hump

10 Camels Hump to Days PG

11 (Days PG) Sanatiorum Lake to Zig Zag Track

12 Zig Zag to Hempills Track

13 Hemphills to Mount Towrong Track

14 Mt Towrong Track to Mt Macedon village (and car)