If there is one thing I love about the Dandenong Ranges, it’s its many amazing hikes available to us.
The Sassafras Circuit is a hike that can be done in many ways, including walking a bit of road through the town of Sassafras itself.
My version of it was a 4km hike lasting just over an hour that began at a car park on the corner of Mountain Highway and Old Coach Road.
Heading south-west on Old Coach Road, the paved road eventually comes to a gate and this is where the track and the forest begin.
Similar to almost all of the hiking tracks in the Dandenongs, this trail was complete with tall Mountain Ash trees and ferns scattered everywhere.
Follow the track down until you come to a dog leg turning right into School Track.
Fairly quickly you come to a fork in the track where School Track continues on to the right, and Bradley Track is on your left.
Bradley Track descends into the forest further and the track flattens out fairly quickly for a short time.
It is at this point that there is a steep hill, however, it isn’t very hard and anyone with a reasonable level of fitness should have no issues with it.
Once at the top, keep walking and you will come to the intersection of Bradley Track and Range Road.
Range Road is a management vehicle track and therefore makes it a little easier to spread out.
This track ascends gradually and at about the halfway mark, you can turn right and get back on to School Track.
This track is entirely downhill until you come back to the junction at Bradley Track.
To extend the Sassafras Circuit hike, and do some road walking through Sassafras, there is a track located to the left at about the halfway mark of School Road Track.
It will take you up to a road called Mason Grove where you can turn right and walk on the side of the road through Sassafras and back to the car park.
We continued on the track to the junction and then made our way back up Old Coach Road and back to the car park.
Regardless if you extend the hike or not, the Sassafras Circuit is quite an easy hike and one I would highly recommend for beginners.
Furthermore, it would be a good one for those who are looking for a quick hike to do on a weekend.
The best part of all is that it is located near some nice cafes, so be sure to stop in at one for a coffee and something to eat.
If you wish to follow the same track, download it here from WikiLoc.
The Stats – Sassafras Circuit
Length (km): 3.98km (according to WikiLoc)
Time: 1hr 16 mins
Moving Time: 1hr 5 mins
Average Speed: 3.59 km/h
Difficulty: Easy
Maximum Elevation: 502m
Accum. elev. uphill: 221m
Accum. elev. downhill: 221m
Return/Circuit/One Way: Circuit
