Parking
Start at Reeds and The Balconies Carpark off Mt Victory Road. Coming from Halls Gap, use the signed turnoff about 12 km along the road.
Overview
About Reed Lookout Walk
Why go
- Big valley views for very little walking
- Formed approach is pram and wheelchair accessible
Heads up
- Short but fairly steep incline
- Rocky footing around the lookout
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation689–715 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 Reed Lookout 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
Reeds Lookout and the Balconies0:00 / 0:50
“You're nearing the shared car park for Reeds Lookout and the Balconies, with two quite different reasons to get out of the car. Reeds gives you the broad panorama after a short uphill walk.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Grass Tree’s Flowering Spear
- Mafeking’s Brief Gold Rush
- A Quieter Climb Above Halls Gap
- Fish Falls for a Quieter Walk
- 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 Reed Lookout Walk
The short versionThis is an out-and-back of about 0.
This is an out-and-back of about 0.32 miles round trip, measured from the centre of Reeds and The Balconies Carpark to the lookout and back, so it includes the short road approach you actually walk. Allow roughly 10 minutes for the walk at a relaxed pace, plus however long you stand at the railing.
The routeFrom the car park, pick up the path around the gate and follow the sealed service road as it…
From the car park, pick up the path around the gate and follow the sealed service road as it climbs. Near the top the surface changes to a short rocky footway that leads out to the fenced viewing area, the direction-and-distance board, and the rocky peak where the fire tower stands. You can follow the rocky ground along the fence a little further for a second angle on the valley. Return the same way.
Difficulty and footingEasy overall, scored 3/10.
Easy overall, scored 3/10. The catch is the grade: it is short but fairly steep, and it comes early enough that you will notice it. The approach is a well formed, sealed road; the last stretch at the lookout is loose, uneven rock, so pay attention to your feet rather than the view while you are moving.
AccessThe formed approach is described as pram and wheelchair accessible.
The formed approach is described as pram and wheelchair accessible. Be realistic about the incline and the rocky ground at the lookout itself, which are the parts most likely to be uncomfortable or awkward. The elevation gain is modest, about 26 m over the whole approach, so it is the steepness of one section rather than the total climb that matters.
SafetyThe lookout sits above cliffs behind a fence.
The lookout sits above cliffs behind a fence. Stay inside the fenced viewing area and do not cross barriers, especially on the rocky ground along the edge where footing is uneven. Keep children and anyone unsteady close on that final rocky section.
Getting there and petsStart at Reeds and The Balconies Carpark, off Mt Victory Road.
Start at Reeds and The Balconies Carpark, off Mt Victory Road. Coming from Halls Gap, the signed turnoff is about 12 km along Mt Victory Road, on the left. Dogs and other pets are not permitted in Victorian national parks, with assistance-dog access requirements applying where relevant.
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.
