Lilly Pilly Gully Circuit Walk

Lilly Pilly Gully Circuit Walk is a 5.8 km loop from Lilly Pilly Gully Carpark. It crosses Mount Bishop’s southern face through stringybark forest, drops into the gully, then returns by the Lilly Pilly Nature Walk. Allow about two hours. The draw is the change of scenery: open forest on the slope gives way to lush, warm-temperate rainforest. Pick this when you want a varied half-day walk without taking on a summit climb.

The circuit climbs across Mount Bishop’s lower southern face before turning back toward the gully. Parks Victoria grades it Grade 3; expect uneven footing, and the track can be slippery. It’s more work than a flat wander to the boardwalk, though it does not climb to Mount Bishop’s rocky summit. The 5.8 km figure is for the full circuit from the carpark, not a walk from Tidal River or an out-and-back to the gully.

The return drops into Lilly Pilly Gully and follows the Nature Walk back to the carpark. The enclosed rainforest and its timber boardwalk make a clear change from the stringybark slope. If the gully is your main interest, the separately signed Nature Walk is the shorter route; it includes the boardwalk without the circuit’s Mount Bishop slope. The summit side-track is a separate extension, not part of the 5.8 km loop. It reaches a rocky top with views toward the west coast and offshore islands, but Parks Victoria warns of unprotected cliffs there.

Start at Lilly Pilly Gully Carpark, where toilets are available. There is no water on the walk, so plan around that. Dogs are not allowed anywhere on this route. Keep to the carpark start when using the distance and time above; adding the Tidal River access track makes for a longer day.