Parking
Start at Halls Gap Recreation Oval, with signed walking access through the botanic gardens and caravan-park side.
Overview
About Chatauqua Peak Loop Walk
Why go
- Rocky summit views over Halls Gap
- Waterfall and fern-gully variety
Heads up
- Steep, rough summit section
- Clematis Falls is seasonal
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation238–396 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
5 active Grampians alerts
- ClosureBushfire-damaged walks and picnic area remain closedThe Fortress, Red Gum, Billimina, Chimney Pots and Brownings Loop walks, plus Mafeking Picnic Area, remain closed because of track or site damage from the 2024/25 summer bushfires.Official details
- ClosureMackenzie Falls precinct closed during constructionThe Mackenzie Falls (Migunang wirab) Precinct has no vehicle or visitor access during major construction works expected to finish by the end of 2026.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grampians Tour Guide
Your drive to Chatauqua Peak Loop Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grampians National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Chatauqua Peak and Clematis Falls0:00 / 0:59
“You're nearing the Halls Gap Recreation Reserve area, the walking access for Chatauqua Peak and Clematis Falls. Head for the reserve and the signed path by the oval, rather than trying to drive to the waterfall itself.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Halls Gap and Venus Baths
- Boronia Peak: A Quieter Summit
- The Pinnacle from Wonderland
- Boroka Lookout: The Valley Below
- 233 audio storiesacross Grampians’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Short-beaked Echidna, Powerful Owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 81 trails, 62 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Chatauqua Peak Loop Walk
The routeThis is a closed 6.
This is a closed 6.3 km loop (that figure is the whole circuit, not one direction), starting and finishing at the recreation oval in Halls Gap with signed walking access through the botanic gardens and past the caravan park side. You climb steadily to the rocky summit of Chatauqua Peak, then swing around through the Clematis Falls area and drop back to town through Bullaces Glen. Most people take about 2.5 hours, and 2 to 3 hours is a sensible planning window.
How hard it feelsModerate, graded 3, and it earns that grade.
Moderate, graded 3, and it earns that grade. The climb is steady with genuinely steep pinches, the ground is uneven with loose rock and rock steps, and the last stretch to the summit involves basic scrambling on sandstone slabs where you will use your hands. Total climbing is around 313 m, with the route running from roughly 240 m up to just under 400 m. It is not suitable for anyone with mobility limitations, and young children may find the summit rocks and the sustained climb hard going.
Scenery and footingThe walk moves through dry eucalypt forest into cool fern gully country, with rocky sandstone…
The walk moves through dry eucalypt forest into cool fern gully country, with rocky sandstone terrain underfoot for much of the climb. The summit rocks are open and exposed, with sweeping views across Halls Gap Valley and out to the Wonderland and Mount Gar ranges. Wear proper footwear with grip. Clematis Falls on the return leg is worth timing well, since it is at its best after rain and can be quiet otherwise.
Wildlife and things to noticeKangaroos are recorded along this walk, so keep an eye on the open grassy edges near the start…
Kangaroos are recorded along this walk, so keep an eye on the open grassy edges near the start and finish. Look for the layered sandstone bedding and weathered outcrops on the climb, the shift from dry forest to ferns as you drop into the gully, and the small bridged sections on the lower parts of the circuit.
Rules and preparationNo booking or permit is required.
- No booking or permit is required.
- Dogs are not allowed. Assistance dogs are subject to separate entry requirements.
- Carry more water than you think you need, and take a detailed map, since the circuit includes rough ground and a summit rock section where the line is not always obvious.
If you want a different versionIf the full circuit is more than you want, the summit can also be done as a shorter out and…
If the full circuit is more than you want, the summit can also be done as a shorter out and back from the same side of town. If you want a bigger day, there is a longer route that links Chatauqua Peak with Splitters Falls.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grampians
157 sightingsShort-beaked EchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsPowerful OwlMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
24 sightingsEastern Brown SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
10 sightingsTiger SnakeMost seen around noonSighting map
29 sightingsRed-bellied Black SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grampians. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
