Mount Beauty Gorge Walk, Victoria

The 3.9km Mount Beauty Gorge Walk near Bright, Victoria, crams in mountain views and swimming holes. It is best tackled in the summer.

The Mount Beauty Gorge Walk is one of the most attractive short walks near Bright, Victoria. The trailhead is around half an hour’s drive to the west of Bright in the townlet of Mount Beauty.

This is one of those walks that packs a lot of scenic beauty into a relatively short distance, and you can tackle it on the drive from Bright to Falls Creek.

Mounty Beauty Gorge Walk length and difficulty

The Mount Beauty Gorge Walk is 3.9km return and it is of easy to moderate difficulty. The only tricksy bits come with the river crossings at the end. It should take between one and three hours, depending on your pace and whether you decide to go for a dip in one of the swimming holes.

The walk starts at the Big Hill Mountain Bike Park on the Bogong High Plains Road, and initially follows the Aqueduct Track.

The first of the swimming holes comes about 1.1km into the walk, shortly after crossing the West Kiewa River swing bridge.

The best time to do the Mount Beauty Gorge Walk

The mountain views make most of the Mount Beauty Gorge Walk lovely, but the best section is right at the end, where you get to do some rockhopping and wading towards the canyon.

This means that the best time to do the Mount Beauty Gorge Walk is during the summer. This is when water levels are lower, making the final section of the walk much less difficult.

Summer is also when the swimming holes are much more attractive to swim in. This water is coming down from the mountains – don’t expect it to be warm.

Other things to do in Bright include the Bright Splash Park, Canyon Walk and Bright Brewery.

Top Bright accommodation options include the roadtripper-friendly Bright Riverside Holiday Park, the Adina Lodge aparthotel and the conveniently central Bright Colonial Motel.