Parking
Start and finish at Sheoak Picnic Area on Garvey Track. Toilets, an information board, picnic tables and gas barbecues are at the picnic area; no drinking-water point was documented.
Overview
About Castle Rock Walk
Why go
- Panoramic river-mouth and coastal views from Castle Rock
Heads up
- Steep, rough descent with many steps
- Published 7 km return distance does not match the mapped corridor length
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Ocean Road map
Full mapElevation117–250 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Ocean Road alerts
- ClosureLorne-area walking trails closed after flood and storm damageSeveral walking trails near Lorne remain closed; do not enter closed tracks. - Phantom Falls Walk is temporarily closed because flood and storm damage affected the trail and structures.Official details
- ClosureWye Road closed after storm and flood damageWye Road is closed until further notice for road maintenance and repairs following storm and flood damage; do not use the road. Check current Great Otway National Park conditions before travelling.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Ocean Road Tour Guide
Your drive to Castle Rock Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Ocean Road. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Ocean Road audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Sheoak Picnic Area0:00 / 0:33
“You're nearing Sheoak Picnic Area, a shaded clearing among tall eucalypts where you can stop for lunch without committing to a waterfall hike. Bring your own picnic and use the tables or roofed barbecue shelter.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Ocean Road Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Allenvale Mill and Phantom Falls
- Cumberland River and Jebb’s Pool
- Sheoak Falls and Swallow Cave
- A King Parrot's Deep Hollow
- 181 audio storiesacross Great Ocean Road’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Koala, Kangaroo, Little Penguin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 109 trails, 99 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 Castle Rock Walk
The walkCastle Rock Walk is an out-and-back from Sheoak Picnic Area to a rugged lookout above the…
Castle Rock Walk is an out-and-back from Sheoak Picnic Area to a rugged lookout above the Cumberland River and coast. The published itinerary lists 7 km return and about three hours. The connected mapped corridor from the trail start to the lookout measures about 2.55 km one way; a 2.6 km label on the local trail map may describe that segment, but its scope is unclear. Treat the published mileage as approximate and check the route map before setting out.
Climb and footingThe walk climbs steeply through dry forest to Sheoak Track, then descends steeply over rough…
The walk climbs steeply through dry forest to Sheoak Track, then descends steeply over rough ground and many steps to Castle Rock. The route returns the same way, so the climb repeats on the way back. It is rated moderate, with the grade and uneven steps doing most of the work.
The lookoutCastle Rock opens onto a panoramic view over the Cumberland River and coastline.
Castle Rock opens onto a panoramic view over the Cumberland River and coastline. From the lookout, the river mouth, beach, coastal road and Southern Ocean make the defining photo view.
Start and park rulesStart and finish at Sheoak Picnic Area on Garvey Track.
Start and finish at Sheoak Picnic Area on Garvey Track. The picnic area has toilets, an information board, tables and gas barbecues; no drinking-water point was documented, so bring what you need. Dogs are generally prohibited in Great Otway National Park except on a short list of leash-permitted walks; Castle Rock is not on that list.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Ocean Road
900 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
358 sightingsKangarooMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
49 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
155 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
33 sightingsFur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsRed-necked WallabyMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Ocean Road. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
