On a day when the weather looked like it wasn’t going to be so good, I hiked a track from Silvan Reservoir Picnic Ground to the Valley Picnic Ground and back again.
Located on the outskirts of Silvan, and in the popular hiking destination of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, the reservoir picnic ground is a great place for people to visit for a picnic.
There is plenty of room for parking and even more, room to set up a picnic rug for a few hours. Furthermore, it’s a great spot for the kids as there is a playground there too.
I was able to complete the 9.7km hike in two hours and twenty minutes in what can only be described as ideal conditions for a hike.
After leaving the picnic ground, I headed south along Stonyford Road and then headed west along Olinda Creek Road until we came to Georges Track.
Following this track for some time, and experiencing a small hill as well, I came to a t-intersection at Hermons Track.
You will only hike this section for a short time, as you come out onto Georges Road, turn left and then follow it to another t-intersection where the Boundary Track begins.
This track is a gradual incline to the Valley Picnic Ground, an area located in the heart of Olinda’s popular RJ Hamer Arboretum.
Similar to the Silvan Reservoir Picnic Ground, this is quite a big area so there is no shortage of places to sit and relax over some food and good company.
There is an entrance for cars to come in from Silvan Road, however, given how small it is, I wouldn’t recommend several cars parking there at any one time.
Retracing my steps, I easily made my way back to the reservoir picnic ground to complete what I felt was a really easy and enjoyable hike.
Despite one or two hills, I would recommend the Silvan Reservoir Picnic Ground Return hike for anyone who is just getting into hiking or is looking for a nice and easy trail on a weekend.
As always, if you would like to follow this exact trail, you can download it via my WikiLoc account.
The Stats – Silvan Reservoir Picnic Ground, Dandenong Ranges National Park
Length (km): 9.73km (according to WikiLoc)
Time: 2hr 20 mins
Average Speed: 4.13 km/h
Difficulty: Easy
Maximum Elevation: 319m
Accum. elev. uphill: 112m
Accum. elev. downhill: 112m
Return/Circuit/One Way: Return
