Sherbrooke Falls Walk and picnic areas

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    Sherbrooke Falls walk and picnic area

    Dandenong Ranges National Park

    Deep in the Sherbrooke Forest, you'll find Sherbrooke Falls, where little creek cascades into a delightful gully. It's a short walk from either of two well-equipped picnic areas - and it's close to the beautiful hilltop villages of the Dandenong Ranges, making this a great option for families visiting from Melbourne for the day. 

    Sherbrooke Picnic Ground and O'Donohue Picnic Ground are located in Sherbrooke Forest, the largest section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It's an area that can feel very far removed from civilisation - especially when compared to the extremely popular 1000 Steps just down the road.

    A number of walking trails start from the well-equipped picnic grounds, entering a fantastic rainforest of spectacular Mountain Ash, stringybark, lush tree ferns and, of course, waterfalls.

    Take the Sherbrooke Track or O'Donohue Track to get to Sherbrooke Falls. They are well signposted. The falls are small and obscured by tree ferns, but the real star of this walk is the rainforest as a whole.

    This is the kind of hike best enjoyed after rain, when you can smell the aromas of the forest and the waterfall is flowing. Lyrebirds and other wildlife also like to come out after the rain, so you will be in good company!

    As waterfalls are within a natural environment, you may encounter hazards. Follow our water safety advice to make sure your day out at Sherbrooke Falls is a safe and enjoyable one.

    Things to do

     
    Two women walk up the 1000 steps track.

    1000 Steps

    Created in the early 1900s, the 1000 Steps was originally made from the trunks of tree ferns laid along the wetter areas of the track to make the climb a little easier. These were replaced by wooden palings before the more permanent concrete steps were installed in 1950.
    A couple in their sixties walk their two flat coated retriever dogs through the Alfred Nicholas Gardens among the changing autumn colours .

    Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden

    The gardens will delight all year round. In Spring, it is blooming with rhododendrons, azaleas, camelias, kalmias and flowering cherries on the lake. Summer is the time to see hydrangeas, fuchsias, native ferns, rhododendrons and native terrestrial orchids. In Autumn the foliage of maples, beech and the famous golden ginkgos on the lake is stunning. In Winter you will see camelias and the early rhododendrons.
    A mother and her two sons play on a log while her partner sits at a picnic table looking on.

    Grants Picnic Ground

    Grants Picnic Ground sits within the Sherbrooke Forest, the largest section of Dandenong Ranges National Park. A number of walking tracks, starting from the picnic grounds, enable you to discover some of the plants and animals of Sherbrooke.
    A path in Pirianda Garden in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

    Pirianda Garden

    Designed to take advantage of the steep slopes, the terraced garden of Pirianda is distinctive for its combination of botanically important trees, shrubs and perennials with an over storey of large blackwoods and mountain ash towering over the natural fern gullies.
    Kokoda Track Memorial Walk - Dandenong Ranges National Park

    Dandenong Ranges National Park accessibility information

    Grants, O’Donohue, Sherbrooke, One Tree Hill and Ferntree Gully picnic grounds were assessed for accessibility in June 2020, providing information about the accessibility of these areas and photos.

    How to get there

    Sherbrooke Falls walk and picnic area

    Sherbrooke Picnic Ground and O'Donohue Picnic Ground are very close to each other. To drive there, take Sherbrooke Road off Mount Dandenong Tourist Road. Sherbrooke Picnic Ground is a 2km drive from the turn off. O'Donohue Picnic Ground is a little further, off Sherbrooke Lodge Road. 
    Sherbrooke Falls walk and picnic area

    Facilities

    Carpark
    Picnic Area
    Toilets

    When you're there

    You can walk to Sherbrooke Falls from either Sherbrooke Picnic Ground or O'Donohue Picnic Ground. The area is close to Kallista, where you can buy refreshments. And if you want to get your most of your visit to the Dandenongs, check out the nearby Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, which are just over the road from Sherbrooke Picnic Ground. 

    Download the Dandenong Ranges National Park - South visitor guide before your visit. 

    Need to know

    Sherbrooke Falls walk and picnic area

    Accessibility

    Visiting a park can be more of a challenge for people with disabilities, however in Victoria there are a wide range of facilities to help people of all abilities enjoy our wonderful parks around the state. Grants, O’Donohue, Sherbrooke, One Tree Hill and Ferntree Gully picnic grounds were assessed for accessibility in June 2020, providing information about the accessibility of these areas and photos.

    Assistance dogs are welcome in Parks Victoria parks and reserves. Entry requirements apply for parks and reserves that are usually dog prohibited, such as national parks.

    Change of Conditions

    Nature being nature, sometimes conditions can change at short notice. It’s a good idea to check this page ahead of your visit for any updates.

    • Notices Affecting Multiple Sites

      Olinda/Silvan Storm Recovery Works

      Following the 2021 storm events, Parks Victoria is partnering with other government agencies to support recovery efforts on public land. In the Silvan and Olinda areas, VicForest will remove debris and treat hazardous trees to reduce the bushfire risk and enable safe and rapid response to emergencies. Works will also re-establish safe public access and allow the forest to regenerate. Environmental and cultural values are being identified and managed during this process. For your safety please observe signage, do not enter work sites and beware of machinery and trucks. 

      Inline with seasonal closure principles, works have paused for winter to avoid further damage to the environment and tracks. As such, there are some debris piles that remain in the Board Track and Mathias Road areas (areas 2 and 3 on map). However, these areas are open to the public. 

      Attachments: SilvanOlinda Recovery Overview Map (288KB)

      Closures due to storm damage

      •      Valley Picnic Ground is closed to picnicking; visitors can use Boundary Road to access the park however         no vehicle access is permitted.
      •      Sections of Sassafras Creek/Menzies Creek walking track
      •      Wattle Track in Sherbrooke 
      •      William Ricketts Sanctuary
      •      Areas of Silvan/Olinda forest 

      Attachments: DR Storm Damage Works - Autumn 2022 Flyer (1,671KB)

    • Sherbrooke Picnic ground (Dandenong Ranges National Park)

      Sherbrooke Picnic Ground Toilet Closed

      The toilet block is closed temporarily awaiting connection to the sewer, the nearby O'Donohues Picnic Ground toilet is open.

    Two hikers reach the summit of Mount Nelse at Bogong High Plains
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