Just when we thought we’d seen the best that You Yangs Regional Park has to offer, we decided to check out the Branding Yard Trail. We were not disappointed.
Heading east from Turntable Carpark (right next to the trailhead for the Flinders Peak and East-West Walk), this 5-kilometre gently undulating circuit takes in a different part of the You Yangs that’s well worth checking out.
The You Yangs trails (along with everywhere else within a day-trip of Melbourne) seem to have become wildly popular in recent years but we found Branding Yard Trail to be under visited, which is always a nice surprise.
In Spring and early summer, huge blooms of wildflowers dot the rocky landscape, bringing a welcome dose of colour. The views across the park from the higher parts of the trail are stunning. With every step, lizards of various sizes dart across the track into the undergrowth.
If you’ve already taken on the trail to Flinders Peak and seen the Bunjil geoglyph from above, you’ll want to take a short detour off the track and check out its construction up close.
The most common feedback I get from readers of The Bushwalking Blog is that they “just want more hikes to do”. I get it – hiking is my passion too. I do more hikes than I’d ever have the time to write about, so that’s why I’ve decided Bare Bones Bushwalking is now a thing. Not every hike has a story I can attach to it and some I just don’t get around to writing up, so in an effort to share ALL of (or at least more of) the hikes with you I’m doing this. A more simplified blog post that gives you everything you need to go and do the hike yourself. Make your own stories.
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Need to Know
Last Visited: 2017
Length: 5 km
Time: 2 hrs
Grade: Easy / Grade 3 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style Partial Circuit.
Region: Western Victoria
Park: You Yangs Regional Park
Closest Town: Little River (11 km)
Path Taken: Turntable Carpark – Branding Yard Trail – Turntable Carpark.
Car Access: From Melbourne, take the Princess Freeway and turn-off at the Little River exit (towards Little River). In Little River, follow the signs to You Yangs Road and then to the You Yangs. Once inside the park gates, follow the signs to Turntable Carpark. Branding Yard Trail begins just to the right of the Flinders Peak trailhead.
Map: All tracks are covered in the Parks Victoria You Yangs Regional Park Visitor’s Guide. Vicmap also have a You Yangs South 1:25,000 map. If you’re happy to use your phone as your map you can download the free Avenza Maps app (on Android, iPhone, or Windows) and purchase this one for AUD$2.99.
Have you visited You Yangs Regional Park? Got it on your bucket list? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below.
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Is this a dog friendly walk?
Hi Hailey,
Dogs are allowed in the You Yangs as long as they are kept on-lead.
Enjoy!
Neil
This was the last bushwalk I ever went on with my Dad, who was over eighty at the time.
Hi Helen,
I’m sorry for your loss. That must be a happy memory for you, though. You picked a very nice hike! I actually haven’t been on a hike with my dad since I was a kid. I should drag him out with me one of these days. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting.
Cheers
Neil
I love this trail. A nice one to take people who claim to not like hiking on for their first (of many) walks lol 😉
I’d imagine it would be a good one to get people started, especially with all those wildflowers at the moment! As usual, thanks heaps for commenting Kylie!
Cheers
Neil