Ballarat Locals Discover Winter Hiking and Biking on Nearby Trails

Ballarat residents have increased visits to local outdoor sites by 18 percent compared with the same period last year, according to City of Ballarat visitor counters at Lake Wendouree.

The cooler July weather has drawn families and fitness groups away from indoor venues toward marked paths that remain accessible without summer heat.

Routes around Lake Wendouree

The 6-kilometre shared path circling Lake Wendouree starts at the rowing club boat shed on Wendouree Parade and passes the Ballarat Botanical Gardens entrance on Wendouree Parade. Groups from the Ballarat Walkers Club meet there every Saturday at 9am for a flat 5-kilometre loop that finishes near the playground on the north shore.

Further out, the Ballarat to Skipton Rail Trail begins at the old station site on Lydiard Street North and runs 15 kilometres toward the village of Newington before reaching open farmland. The trail surface is compacted gravel suitable for hybrid bikes and walking shoes.

Day trips to Mount Buninyong

Mount Buninyong, 15 minutes south of the CBD via the Midland Highway, offers two graded tracks managed by Parks Victoria. The 2.4-kilometre summit loop leaves from the car park on Learmonth Street and climbs through stringybark forest to a lookout platform installed in 2023.

Entry to both the Mount Buninyong reserve and the Lake Wendouree paths remains free. The City of Ballarat recorded 4,200 trail users at the two sites combined during the first week of July 2025. Guided night walks led by the Ballarat Field Naturalists Club cost $12 for adults and run on the second Friday of each month, with the next session scheduled for 10 July.

Check the City of Ballarat website for updated track conditions before setting out on the weekend of 12-13 July, and carry water even on short routes near the lake.