Parking
Sundial Carpark at the end of Sundial Road; the circuit starts and finishes at the carpark.
Overview
About Sundial Carpark to Rosea Carpark
Why go
- Compact circuit with a varied wooded route
- Sandstone escarpment views via Bugiga Hiker Camp and Rosea Carpark
Heads up
- Moderate climb and uneven ground
- No single headline destination at the halfway mark
Good: a compact, varied wooded circuit with escarpment views and a route that takes in Bugiga Hiker Camp and Rosea Carpark.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth knowingMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation605–708 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 Sundial Carpark to Rosea Carpark, 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
Lakeview Lookout from Sundial0:00 / 0:53
“You're nearing Sundial Carpark, the starting point for Lakeview Lookout, which is my pick here if you want a rewarding walk in about an hour. The Lakeview loop covers just 1.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mount Rosea: The Gate of the East Wind
- The Cockatoo with a Creaky Call
- The Robin on the Tree Trunk
- Brambuk: Wildlife and Wetland Walks
- 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 Sundial Carpark to Rosea Carpark
The shape of the walkThis is a closed circuit of 4.
This is a closed circuit of 4.3 km total, not a one-way walk, so the distance already covers the return to your car. It starts and finishes at Sundial Carpark at the end of Sundial Road.
Sequence and payoffFrom the carpark the track climbs to a knoll, then curves around the hillside past Bugiga Hiker…
From the carpark the track climbs to a knoll, then curves around the hillside past Bugiga Hiker Camp and Rosea Carpark before closing the loop back at Sundial Carpark. It works as a connector-style walk, so the reward is the variety of country you pass through rather than one big summit at the end.
Difficulty, footing and timeRated moderate, and a practical 5/10. Expect:
Rated moderate, and a practical 5/10. Expect:
Shoes with grip and a bit of ankle support make the uneven sections easier.
- A climb to the knoll early on, then rolling ground rather than one long sustained ascent (elevation along the route sits roughly between 605 and 708 metres).
- Natural, uneven surfaces and unpaved path, with a timber boardwalk section on part of the route.
- Around 1.5 to 2 hours as a sensible allowance with normal stops, not a guaranteed time.
SceneryYou walk through eucalyptus woodland and native shrubs, with a weathered sandstone escarpment…
You walk through eucalyptus woodland and native shrubs, with a weathered sandstone escarpment standing out in the distance. This is heathy forest country in the central Grampians, the same landscape known for dramatic outlooks over Mount Rosea, Lake Bellfield and beyond, and for its spring wildflowers.
Rules and accessAccess is from Sundial Carpark, and the loop returns to the same point.
Access is from Sundial Carpark, and the loop returns to the same point. In this walking area dogs are not allowed, and there is no camping, no fires and no firearms. Assistance dog entry is handled under separate requirements.
Worth knowingLess good: a moderate climb and uneven ground throughout, and no single headline destination at…
Less good: a moderate climb and uneven ground throughout, and no single headline destination at the halfway mark.
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.
