Sugarloaf Reservoir Circuit Walk - August 2019

I was almost back at the ute by the time I managed some decent photos this morning.

I’ve had a few issues at work this week which meant that a walk on Friday was unfortunately off the agenda. Saturday was looking OK though, so I started looking around for somewhere to stretch my legs. I considered the Dandenong Ranges and even a suburban walk but eventually settled on Sugarloaf Reservoir. I did this walk years ago with Sam and remember a fairly long walk with plenty in the way of water views which sounded right up my alley today. According to my notes the park is locked up until 8:30am each morning so I timed my arrival around the gates opening, although arriving a little early I found the park gates wide open, so I’m not sure that they actually do lock them up?

Things were pretty quiet up at Ridge Picnic Ground this morning.

The weather forecast for today had actually looked fairly promising when I went to bed last night. However between going to bed last night and arriving up at the Ridge Picnic Area at Sugarloaf this morning things had obviously changed when it came to the weather outlook, I was greeted by a light misty rain. Thankfully I’d thrown in my rain jacket so I wasn’t going to get too wet, although it looked like my photos would suffer a bit with the waterproof camera. Leaving the ute I set off on the hardest bit of the walk…finding the start of the track! For what it’s worth the go here was to follow the carpark access road around until it reaches a dirt carpark at the northern end of the carpark and pick up the track, which heads north east along a fence line from there.

I picked up the track at the gate in the fence.

Once on the track these posts were rarely out of sight.

Once I’d located the track things were pretty easy, navigation wise, all the way around the reservoir. There are a lot of track markers and marker poles on this walk, so many that a marker was rarely out of sight. After dropping through a short section of native scrub my route started a long and rolling walk over quite a few small grassy ridges that were running down towards the water. Even though I was walking against the grain, as it were, the walking was pretty easy as I made my way east. With the reservoir being fairly low the main interest as far as photography goes was the huge numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos grazing on the green grass. Shuffling along the gloom lifted enough as I past around the perimeter of the Sugarloaf Sailing Club that I was able to break out the DSLR for awhile.

Theses marker posts (and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo's) are a constant on the walk.

I'm guessing those buildings in the distance maybe in Doncaster...although that's another Feral Fact.

This isn't a benched track for most of the distance.

Sugarloaf Reservoir was fairly low on this visit.

The track skirts around the Sugarloaf Sailing Club.

After passing the sailing club my walk entered native bush again and would stay in the bush for the next couple of hours. This morning was one of those days where the showers were passing through fairly regularly, although not regularly enough that I could get by without stopping frequently to put my rain jacket on. After passing around Ashmores Inlet the track headed up the only real climb of the walk. I’m guessing that the climb up his little hill would be less than 100 metres so it’s hardly onerous and conveniently every time I started to blow a bit there was something to photograph…funny that! Finding a convenient dead tree to sit on at the summit I took a bit of a break, this spot being roughly halfway around my walk. The view from the grassy slopes through the trees featured the hills around Kinglake National Park to the north, the Yarra Valley to the east and of course the reservoir below to the west.

I now started a long section through native bush.

Sugarloaf Reservoir Walking Track.

Looks like the rains coming again, it was that sort of morning.

The inclement weather didn't seem to worry the local roos.

Yes, I was struggling a little with the photos.

After crossing one last gully I started to climb up to the walks highest point.

After a bit of a break and suitably fortified after a swig of water and a Cliff Bar I shouldered my pack and set off again. The next section of the walk is arguably the best bit of the whole circuit I think. The track now dropped back down towards the shoreline, the forest being a little thicker and the topography a little more rugged along here, there were also a few Wallabies about, although they were a lot shyer that the roos. After passing around a couple of inlets I reached the spot where the water enters Sugarloaf after its journey from Maroondah Reservoir, although apart from the large concrete structure there is little to see here, although the opening in the forest above the water inlet did allow for some nice views…of more rain heading my way!

There was even a convenient log to sit on up at the summit.

Looking down towards the Yarra Valley.

Kinglake in the distance.

And the view down towards Sugarloaf Reservoir.

Dropping off the summit was the best section of the walk I thought.

Crossing another dry inlet.

The Maroondah Reservoir inlet into Sugarloaf Reservoir provided a reasonably clear spot to take in the view, shame about the rain.

Leaving the water inlet the track started contouring around the side of Mt Graham. For the most part the Sugarloaf Track isn’t benched so contouring these steep slopes can be a little hard on ankles, oh yeah and a little slippery in the rain. Soon after rounding Mt Graham I arrived at Saddle Dam Picnic Area and for the next 2 or 3 kilometres I’d be walking beside the quiet access road. First up I headed up to check out the modern looking Southern Lookout although the main thing to see from the lookout was the industrial looking Winneke Water Treatment Plant so the view wasn’t great. Dropping down the stairs from Southern Lookout I was soon slowly shuffling my way across the Sugarloaf Reservoir Dam Wall, now while the photos from Southern Lookout were a little underwhelming the scene from the dam wall was pretty good. The grey overcast conditions and still water giving my plenty of excuses to once again stop to get my breath back.

I now started contouring around the base of Mt Graham.

Things were fairly green on this visit.

I passed by the beginnings of the Sugarloaf Reservoir Humpy.

The sign posting - as opposed to the track marking - isn't always great.

Safely across the dam wall I once again picked up the walking track heading across a grassy terrace above the reservoir. My walk was now coming to it’s conclusion as I climbed easily back up towards the Ridge Picnic Ground and the water views continued all the way. Arriving back at the large picnic ground there were a few more cars around with some people enjoying the picnic facilities, although the sound of duff duff was a little jarring after my peaceful walk, so I was pretty soon into the ute and heading home.

Reaching Saddle Dam Picnic Area I got some longer views...

...and it didn't look overly promising.

The Southern Lookout.

The view from Southern Lookout is mostly over the Winneke Treatment Plant.

The views from the dam wall were pretty sweet.

Sugarloaf Reservoir

The Dirt.
According to my GPS I walked 16 kilometres and climbed 396 metres (the metres climbed sounds a little optimistic but that’s what my GPS said?). Kangaroos and water views are the main features of this stroll I think. While the walk is fairly flat it is also fairly long, and with the track not benched it can be a little hard on ankles so I’d call it an easy-medium grade walk I think. Ms Ball and Mr Thomas have both written up this walk, I used Melanie Ball’s notes today out of her book Top Walks Victoria.

Relevant Posts.

Andrew Hill Circuit, Kinglake National Park, 2015.

Mt Everard Circuit, Kinglake National Park, 2016.

Masons Falls Circuit, Kinglake National Park, 2018.

Looking back, Mt Graham is the bigger hill, the little on the left is the walks highest point.

The water from Sugarloaf heads to Melbourne's northern suburbs.

After one final grassy climb...

... I arrived back at Ridge Picnic Area.