Walks around Erica: the Mt Erica summit, Mushroom Rocks and the shorter ones
The main walks around Erica sit up in Baw Baw National Park, at the Mount Erica car park. The short one is Mushroom Rocks, about 3km return to a maze of giant granite boulders. The longer one carries on to the Mt Erica summit, a peak of about 1,500 metres and a solid half-day on your feet. Closer to town, the Walhalla Goldfields Rail Trail gives you a gentle, easy hour straight out of Erica. We run the pub down in the township, and our kitchen is the last one before the park.
A quick note on the name, because it trips people up. Mount Erica is the mountain in the national park. Erica is the small town below it, in Victoria's Gippsland high country, where you will find the pub, the store and the old railway station. They share a name and not much else. If you searched Mount Erica looking for the hike, you are in the right place.
The walks around Erica, by how much you want to take on
Pick your walk by how much time and climbing you are up for. Here are the ones that make sense from Erica, easiest first.
- An easy hour: the rail trail from town. The Walhalla Goldfields Rail Trail starts near the old Erica station, off Henty Street. It follows the narrow-gauge line that closed in 1954. The path is wide compacted earth, the grade is gentle, and you can turn around whenever you like. Walk out for half an hour and back for an easy hour with the kids. The full run to Thomson is about 7km one way, so most people do a there-and-back rather than the lot. It gets muddy after rain.
- A half-day with a climb: Mushroom Rocks. This is the walk most people drive up for. It is about 3km return from the Mount Erica car park and takes around two hours once you allow time to scramble about. The track climbs gently through tall Mountain Ash and pockets of cool rainforest, with some boardwalk along the way. At the top sits a jumble of granite tors the size of small houses. Kids who can manage 3km love it.
- A full summit outing: Mt Erica. If you want the peak, keep going past Mushroom Rocks. The Mt Erica summit sits about 2.5km further on, at roughly 1,500 metres. The full return trip to the summit runs around 8 to 9km and takes three to three and a half hours. It is part of the Australian Alps Walking Track, the long-distance route that starts near Walhalla. Take this one on a clear day with a decent lunch in your pack.
- A short leg-stretch at the car park: Beech Gully. If you have driven up but the weather has turned, the Beech Gully Nature Walk is a 400 metre loop from the Mount Erica car park, about half an hour through fern gullies and Myrtle Beech. It is an easy way to see the forest without committing to the climb.
The walks at a glance
Here are the four main options side by side.
| Walk | Distance | Difficulty | Start point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Gully Nature Walk | 400m loop, about 30 min | Easy | Mount Erica car park |
| Rail trail from Erica (out and back) | Your call, up to about 7km one way | Easy, gentle grade | Old Erica station, Henty Street |
| Mushroom Rocks | About 3km return, about 2 hours | Moderate, some climbing | Mount Erica car park |
| Mt Erica summit (via Mushroom Rocks) | About 8 to 9km return, 3 to 3.5 hours | Moderate, longer day | Mount Erica car park |
The Mt Erica summit and Mushroom Rocks walk
The Mt Erica summit walk and the Mushroom Rocks walk both start from the same place: the Mount Erica car park, at the end of Mount Erica Road. The car park has a toilet, picnic tables and a creek, and it sits on the Australian Alps Walking Track, which runs 655km from Walhalla to Tharwa near Canberra.
From the car park the track climbs steadily. Mushroom Rocks is about 3km return. The rocks are granite tors, worn into rounded, top-heavy shapes over a very long time, scattered through the forest and draped in moss. You can spend a while climbing around them. Keep quiet on the way up and you may see a lyrebird scratching about in the undergrowth.
If you are carrying on to the summit, it is another 2.5km or so each way, through snow gums, to a high point of about 1,500 metres. This is subalpine country, so the weather does what it likes. In winter there is often snow and ice up top, and the track can be slippery or hard to follow under white cover. Some sections close after storms or during park works. Check the Parks Victoria site for current conditions and closures before you drive up, because they change with the season and are not always signposted at the bottom of the road.
Getting to the Mount Erica car park
The Mount Erica car park sits off Thomson Valley Road (C481), north of Erica. From town, head up toward the Thomson Dam turn-off and follow the signs to Mount Erica Road, then take it to the end. It is roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive from the pub, most of it on dirt.
The road up is steep and unsealed. In dry weather a normal car will get up it if you take it slowly, and plenty do. In winter, with snow, ice and washouts, a high-clearance or four-wheel drive is the safer bet. Either way, there is no reliable fuel at Erica, Rawson or Walhalla. The last reliable fill is Moe if you are coming from the west, or Traralgon from the south-east. Top up before you turn off the highway.
Conditions and what to take before you go
Even the short walks here are in mountain country, so a bit of prep goes a long way. Phone reception is patchy to non-existent past the town, so do not rely on your phone for maps or a rescue call.
- Layers and a rain jacket. The temperature up top can be ten degrees cooler than in town, and it turns fast.
- More water than you think. There is a creek at the car park, but treat anything you take from it. Carry your own for the walk.
- Proper shoes. The tracks get muddy and slippery, especially after rain or snow.
- Food and a map. A paper map, or an offline one on your phone, since reception drops out.
- A plan someone knows about. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Check the Parks Victoria site for closures on the day, not the week before. Conditions in Baw Baw National Park change quickly in winter.
Walks around Erica: common questions
The Mt Erica and Mushroom Rocks walks start at the Mount Erica car park, at the end of Mount Erica Road off Thomson Valley Road (C481), north of Erica. The car park has a toilet, picnic tables and a creek. It is about a 20 to 25 minute drive from the pub, mostly on dirt.
The full return trip to the Mt Erica summit is around 8 to 9km and takes three to three and a half hours, allowing time to rest. It passes Mushroom Rocks on the way. If you only want the rocks, that is a shorter 3km return, about two hours.
The Mushroom Rocks are a cluster of giant granite tors in Baw Baw National Park, worn over a very long time into rounded, top-heavy shapes that look a bit like mushrooms. They sit about 1.5km up the track from the Mount Erica car park, scattered through the forest, and you can climb around them.
Yes, but the higher walks are subalpine and often carry snow and ice from about June. The track to Mushroom Rocks and the summit can be slippery or hard to follow under snow, and the road up needs care. The rail trail from town is the safer winter option. Check Parks Victoria for closures before you go.
No. Mount Erica is the mountain and the walking area in the national park. Erica is the small town below it, where the pub, the store and the old station are. They share a name only. Most people staying in town drive up to the Mount Erica car park to start the walks.
Where to eat after a walk around Erica
Coming down off the hill, you will be hungry, and the pub is the last kitchen before the park. We are in the middle of Erica, a few minutes from the bottom of Mount Erica Road. The kitchen runs Wednesday to Sunday, lunch and dinner, with pub classics and our hot rock steak if you feel like cooking your own cut at the table.
Book a table ahead on a weekend, especially in snow season, because Erica fills up when the mountain is open. Call (03) 5165 3252 or email bookings@ericahotel.com.au. If you have driven a long way and want to stay over, we have a handful of budget twin rooms with ensuites, but there are only six, so ask early. Either way, the safe move is to book the table first.
