Big Rock, Rockwell Road and Branding Yard Circuit Hike
Distance: 11km
Time: 3 hours (including a 30 min lunch break)
Grade: Easy – moderate. This is a very well sign-posted walk.
Elevation gain: 266m
Elevation loss: 266m
About the You Yangs
For more information on the You Yangs and maps, see the previous post on the You Yangs Regional Park.
Facilities
There are toilets at the start at the Park Office if you need them. There are also toilets at the Turntable Picnic area. There are picnic tables at both Turntable and Big Rock picnic areas.
Elevation Profile
Elevation profile for the Big Rock Branding Yard Circuit walk at the You Yangs Regional Park
Map
Big Rock and Branding Yard Circuit hike – starts and finishes at the Park Office
See the Parks Victoria map for further detail.
Directions
Start at the Park Office near the entrance to the park. Take Big Rock Track, following the signs to Big Rock which is about 1km from the Park Office.
At Big Rock, walk to the opposite side of the picnic area, taking Contour Track for about 500m until it hits Rockwell Road. Follow the signs to Flinders Peak.
At the Rockwell Road junction, turn left and continue following Rockwell Road, a wide, gravel track, until you reach The Saddle, then continue straight ahead on the narrow trail and descend this steep section until you hit Saddleback Track where you’ll turn right and continue until you see the signs for Branding Yard Circuit and the Bunjil geoglyph.
Follow Branding Yard Track around a small billabong and the geoglyph. You’ll cross Saddleback Track again and start to climb to Turntable Carpark.
Turntable Carpark has picnic tables and other facilies, so it’s a great place to take a short rest break. If you feel energised and inclined, add a walk to the summit of Flinders Peak. It reopened the weekend after we did this walk.
From Turntable Carpark, follow Rockwell Road (entrance is near the toilets – it’s the orange gravel track suitable for 2WD and 4WD cars) to Contour Track and turn left, returning to Big Rock and the Park Office the way you came.
Last modified: March 28, 2015
