Parking
Small car park at the Victoria Range Road trailhead. Access is remote and the approach road is suited to 4WD vehicles; plan transport, water and navigation before leaving.
Overview
About The Fortress and Mt Thackeray Overnight Hike
This is a remote loop of about 25.12 miles (40.4 km) starting and finishing at the Victoria Range Road trailhead. Plan it as an overnight trip rather than a day walk, and allow time for slow travel on rough ground.
Why go
- Dramatic sandstone formations and remote ridge scenery
- A genuine overnight route for experienced hikers
Heads up
- Long stretches of rough 4WD-road and track walking
- Remote access, difficult logistics and uncertain camp water
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation225–963 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 Fortress and Mt Thackeray Overnight Hike, 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
The Fortress: Access to the Sandstone Towers0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing the access toward the Fortress, with more driving along Victoria Range Road before the walk begins.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Falcon Holding Still
- A Small Cascade off the Wonderland Track
- The Flower Victoria Chose
- The Trail Inside a Leaf
- 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 Fortress and Mt Thackeray Overnight Hike
How the loop links upThe verified sequence runs:
The verified sequence runs:
The route description for this loop sets the overnight stop at the Mount Thackeray Hike-in Campsite, so build your day one distance around reaching it, and keep the summit for a time when you have legs for the climb.
- The Fortress
- Fortress Cave Bush Camp
- Victoria Range Road and other remote connecting 4WD tracks
- Mount Thackeray Bush Camp, then the short steep push to the Mount Thackeray summit
- More remote track walking back to the trailhead
Difficulty and footingTreat this as a hard walk.
Treat this as a hard walk. The component hikes are graded 4, and the surface is rough, rocky and sandy in places, with steep terrain near the summit. Carry a map and be confident navigating on your own. A long share of the mileage links the two highlights along Victoria Range Road and other remote tracks, which is straightforward underfoot but repetitive.
Scenery and exposureThe Fortress and the Mount Thackeray summit are the two focal points, with rocky high ground…
The Fortress and the Mount Thackeray summit are the two focal points, with rocky high ground and sunset views from the summit area. Both involve open rock and cliff edges, so stay well back from drops and take care in wind or wet conditions.
Water and overnight planningWater at the Mount Thackeray campsite can be hard to find, so carry what you need or bring a…
Water at the Mount Thackeray campsite can be hard to find, so carry what you need or bring a reliable treatment method and do not count on a refill. A headlamp is worth packing for a summit sunset and for an early start on the second day.
Rules and hazardsDogs are not allowed. Fires, horses, firearms, generators and bicycles are prohibited.
Dogs are not allowed. Fires, horses, firearms, generators and bicycles are prohibited. Be alert for unstable cliffs, slippery rocks, and falling trees and limbs. Access is by gravel and 4WD roads, so check your vehicle is suited to the drive before committing to the trip.
The honest tradeoffIf you are comfortable with remote logistics and self sufficient overnight travel, the loop…
If you are comfortable with remote logistics and self sufficient overnight travel, the loop links two worthwhile high points in quiet country. The catch is that the road and track sections carry a lot of the distance with less to look at. For a shorter option without the overnight planning, walk The Fortress or the Mount Thackeray summit as separate trips instead.
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.
