Parking
Chimney Pots car park off Glenelg Valley Road; the access road is unsealed and the car park has no facilities.
Overview
About The Chimney Pots Walk
Why go
- Distinctive sandstone spires and ledges
- Short loop with ridge views
Heads up
- Steep, rough footing over a short distance
- Remote car park with no facilities
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation452–737 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 The Chimney Pots 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
Chimney Pots: Around the Sandstone Towers0:00 / 0:47
“You're nearing the Chimney Pots car park, where a quieter hike takes you around a cluster of sandstone towers. The appeal is seeing those cliffs and ledges from different angles as the track circles the formation.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Possum’s Leafy Bedroom
- The Bird That Shuffles Its Wings
- Moss Waiting for Rain
- Lava Beyond the Mountains
- 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 The Chimney Pots Walk
The short versionA 3.
A 3.7 km return loop from the Chimney Pots car park, around the Chimney Pots formation and back to the same spot. Most people take about 1.5 to 2 hours. It is rated Grade 4 (Hard), and the distance undersells it.
How it unfoldsA dry creek crossing not far from the start.
- A dry creek crossing not far from the start.
- A gentle climb up to a junction, where the loop splits. You can go clockwise or counterclockwise; clockwise is a common preference rather than a rule.
- Steep, rocky climbing around the formation, with a short scrambly side trip out to a rock prow.
- Views from the prow toward Mount Abrupt and Mount Sturgeon.
- A descent through a shady green valley before rejoining the main track back to the car park.
Difficulty, honestlyThe route starts near 452 m and tops out around 746 m, so you gain and lose that height in…
The route starts near 452 m and tops out around 746 m, so you gain and lose that height in under 4 km. Expect hands-on rocky sections and steady steep grades rather than a graded path. Comfortable footwear with grip and some scrambling confidence make a real difference. If you are unsure about exposed rock, the side trip to the prow is the part to think twice about.
The rockThe Chimney Pots are a giant sandstone mass with distinct cliffs and ledges, which is why the…
The Chimney Pots are a giant sandstone mass with distinct cliffs and ledges, which is why the formation is popular with rock climbers. Walking around its base and up its flanks gives you the scale of it from several angles, and the greener valley on the descent is a nice contrast to the open rock above.
Footing and hazardsThis sits within a remote and natural area, so treat it accordingly:
This sits within a remote and natural area, so treat it accordingly:
Stay back from cliff tops and pick your line carefully on wet or loose rock.
- Slippery rock and unstable cliff edges.
- Falling trees and limbs.
- Unpaved, rough and rocky tread throughout.
Getting there and parkingThe car park is off Glenelg Valley Road, which is unsealed.
The car park is off Glenelg Valley Road, which is unsealed. There are no facilities at the car park, so sort out anything you need before you arrive.
Rules to knowDogs are not permitted, with assistance dogs the exception under the applicable entry…
Dogs are not permitted, with assistance dogs the exception under the applicable entry requirements. No fishing, firearms, fires, horses, camping, generators or bicycles.
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.
