Parking
Use the signed Mutton Bird Island car park on the western side of the precinct. Three separate lots serve Loch Ard Gorge; caravans and other long vehicles should use the main Loch Ard Gorge car park.
Overview
About Loch Ard Gorge Shipwreck Walk
Why go
- A brief, easy walk pairs a dramatic wreck-site view with the historic cemetery.
- Interpretive signs bring the 1878 survival story into the landscape.
Heads up
- No toilets on site, and the path narrows near the cemetery.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Ocean Road map
Full mapElevation8–21 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Ocean Road alerts
- ClosureLoch Ard Gorge beach access steps closedMentions Loch Ard Gorge, referenced in this guideLoch Ard Gorge beach access steps are closed due to geological instability; do not use the steps. The closure remains in place until remediation works remove the hazards and ensure visitor safety.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Ocean Road Tour Guide
Your drive to Loch Ard Gorge Shipwreck 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
Loch Ard Gorge0:00 / 0:36
“You're approaching Loch Ard Gorge, where two limestone walls enclose a sandy inlet with a narrow opening to the sea. Give this precinct about an hour if you want more than a quick look.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Ocean Road Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Heavy Grains in Beach Sand
- The Missing Years in the Cliffs
- A Barnacle’s Feeding Feet
- The Twelve Apostles
- 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 Loch Ard Gorge Shipwreck Walk
The essentialsThis is an easy 1.4 km return walk (about 0.87 miles) that takes roughly 50 minutes.
This is an easy 1.4 km return walk (about 0.87 miles) that takes roughly 50 minutes. Start at Mutton Bird Island car park and follow the cliff-top path to the wreck-view lookout and Loch Ard cemetery, then retrace the same corridor. Expect gentle rises on bitumen and compacted gravel, with a narrower stretch near the cemetery.
Lookout and cemeteryThe short spur toward Mutton Bird Island opens onto a striking view of the offshore limestone…
The short spur toward Mutton Bird Island opens onto a striking view of the offshore limestone and sea arch. Return to the junction to continue along the signed path toward the cemetery, where the route's story comes into focus. The beach stairs are a separate access.
The shipwreck storyThe iron-hulled Loch Ard was wrecked here in 1878.
The iron-hulled Loch Ard was wrecked here in 1878. Of the 54 passengers and crew, only Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce survived. The walk's interpretive story follows the wreck site toward the cemetery.
Before you goThere are no toilets at the precinct, and dogs are not allowed in the national park.
There are no toilets at the precinct, and dogs are not allowed in the national park. Keep to the clifftop track and behind barriers around unstable edges. The three car parks are separate; long vehicles and caravans should use the main Loch Ard Gorge car park.
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.
