Dandenong Ranges National Park accessibility information

Before visiting Dandenong Ranges National Park, check the park page on the website for the latest changes of conditions.

Grants Picnic Ground

Grants Picnic Ground is an accessible destination in the Sherbrooke section of Dandenong Ranges National Park.

Parking

There are three areas where designated disabled parking is provided. All disabled parking bays have an asphalt surface.

In the lower carpark, next to the café, there are two disabled parking bays. Each has a width of 3.6 metres. Next to the carpark, an asphalt pathway leads directly to the toilet facilities and cafe. 

There are two disabled carparking bays, each 3 metres wide, in the middle carpark. This carpark is located just uphill from the picnic shelter at the start of the Margaret Lester Forest Walk.

In the upper carpark, at the top end of the Margaret Lester Forest Walk, there are three further disabled carparking bays, each 2.8 metres wide. There is also a designated area for large buses on the lower side of the cafe.

Disabled carparking bays outside the cafe.

Coach carparking bays

Margaret Lester Forest Walk

The Margaret Lester Forest Walk is a purpose-built walking track for people with limited mobility. The walk was designed with assistance by Margaret Lester, who was a architecture graduate and paraplegic. The path contains 200 metres of asphalt path on a gentle gradient. It stretches through the forest and fern glades from the middle to upper carparks. Along the path there are information boards about the forest and its ecosystem.

Picnic facilities

An accessible picnic table and barbecue are located directly in front of the disabled parking bays in the middle carpark. The picnic tables are a square design, with one open side to allow wheelchair users to roll-under the table. Adjacent to this area is a large picnic shelter. The shelter has a level concrete floor and four picnic tables, none of which have roll-under ends. 

Opposite the carpark on the road side is a picnic area with steel tables that have overhanging tops at both ends. There are also gas barbecues with a working height of 900 millimetres.

At the upper carpark there is another set of accessible wooden tables with the square design. 

Barbecue and picnic table

Picnic area shelter adjacent to main toilet block

Cafe and Gift Shop

Both the café and gift shop are fully accessible, with wide self-opening doors and level access. A mobile park information office is located near the café. The office is usually staffed during popular visiting times. 

Cafe and Gift Shop

Mobile Park Information office

Toilet facilities

There is one older toilet block located on the upper side of the cafe. This toilet block is currently closed until further notice. Both the male and female toilet blocks have an accessible cubicle. These cubicles have side and rear grab bars and an accessible hand basin. The cubicles are large enough for a wheelchair and space is provided beside the toilet.

Older toilet block at Grants Picnic Ground

Opposite the coach parking area is a newer toilet block containing an accessible unisex toilet. There is ample room to manoeuvre inside and space for a wheelchair beside the toilet. There are two vertical grab bars, one level with the front of the toilet on the side wall and one level with the outer edge of the toilet on the rear wall. An accessible hand basin and mirror are also provided.

Unisex accessible toilet at the newer toilet block near the coach parking area

Interior of the unisex accessible toilet

O'Donohue Picnic Ground

O’Donohue Picnic Ground is a small area used as a starting point to the Sherbrooke Falls walk. Although this is the easiest access to the falls, the path has gradients in excess of 1 in 10 and is not suitable to people with limited mobility. The viewing platform for the falls requires the descent of a narrow staircase.

Parking

There is no designated accessible parking at O'Donohue Picnic Ground.

Picnic facilities

O’Donohue Picnic Ground contains picnic tables of the square design with one open side to allow wheelchair users to roll-under the table.

Barbecues and picnic tables and additional carparking bays

Toilets

There is an accessible unisex toilet at O’Donohue Picnic Ground. The cubicle is large with wheelchair space beside the toilet and grab bars on the side and rear. It also contains an accessible hand basin.

O’Donohue’s Picnic Ground toilet block and car parking bays

Unisex accessible toilet

Unisex accessible toilet vanity

Sherbrooke Picnic Ground

Sherbrooke Picnic Ground is situated in a bush setting, surrounded by Mountain Ash trees and ancient ferns.

Parking 

There are no designated disabled parking bays in the Sherbrooke carpark, however, all parking is a steep angle parking giving side access to all cars. The carpark is an asphalt surface.

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Carparking bays and information shelter

Picnic facilities

The picnic area contains accessible picnic tables and gas barbecues. Picnic tables are the square design with one open side to allow wheelchair users to roll-under the table.

One of the picnic tables and barbecue

Toilets

There is an accessible unisex toilet to the far left of the picnic ground. The cubicle has room to manoeuvre and space for a wheelchair beside the toilet. Grab bars are provided on both sides and rear of the toilet and an accessible hand basin is provided. The large door opens out and is fitted with a full width grab rail to aid in closing it. 

Sherbrooke Picnic Ground toilet block

Unisex accessible toilet

One Tree Hill Picnic Ground

One tree Hill is a small picnic ground at the top of the 1000 steps/Kokoda Track Memorial Walk.

Parking

There are two designated disabled parking spaces near the picnic area located adjacent to a small stone rotunda. Both car parking spaces are standard width but do not allow for side disembarking of visitors in wheelchairs. There is a grass verge beside each that may be used. 

Disabled parking bays

Picnic facilities

The picnic area has a crushed rock surface, with three accessible picnic tables. These are the square design with one open side to allow wheelchair users to roll-under the table. There is an electric barbecue which has a working height of 900 millimetres. 

There is a large picnic pavilion beyond the barbecue which does not contain any accessible picnic tables.

Picnic tables and barbecue at One Tree Hill

Toilets

Toilet block at One Tree Hill

Unisex ambulant and accessible toilet facilities

Wash basin outside of toilet at One Tree Hill

Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground

(1000 steps/Kokoda Track Memorial Walk)

The Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground is best known as the start of the 1000 steps/Kokoda Track Memorial Walk. This picnic ground is on the side of a hill and has limited accessibility. Once through the official entrance of the Kokoda Track Memorial walk, the main trail has a gradient of 1 in 10.

Parking

There is a designated disabled parking bay approximately 50 metres from the middle toilet block. Access is via a sealed path with a gradient of approximately 1:14. There is also a long disabled parking bay suitable for buses located close to the café, the picnic facilities and middle toilets.

At the top of the carpark, next to the track entrance, are two more designated disabled parking spaces. These spaces are 6 metres wide. 

Disabled parking bay for long vehicles located near the café

Disabled parking bay located lower down in the carpark

Disabled parking bays at top of the carpark adjacent to Kokoda Track Memorial Walk entrance

Toilets

In the middle of the picnic ground is a toilet block that has two unisex accessible toilets. One has a right-hand grab rail and the other a left-hand grab rail.  The toilet block also has four unisex ambulant toilets. 

There are also toilet facilities at this end of the top carpark, including a unisex accessible toilet. The path leading to the toilets is very steep and not recommended for visitors in manual wheelchairs.

Toilet block in the middle of the picnic area

Unisex ambulant and accessible toilet

Wash basins outside of toilet

Toilet facilities at the top of the carpark

Picnic facilities and playground

There is a playground, but entry requires negotiating a single 150-millimetre step. The playground has no inclusive play features. There is one accessible picnic table, but it also requires the negotiation of a single 150-millimetre step.

Picnic table located near the top of the carpark

Accessible gas barbecue and  picnic area located near the middle of the carpark