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The Great Ocean Road Regional Trails Strategy 2025 - 2035

The Great Ocean Road Region is home to a network of trails, nestled amongst breathtaking natural landscapes. The rich and diverse trail system in the region traverses the lands of both the Eastern Maar and the Wadawurrung people.

We’ve released a shared vision to make the Great Ocean Road region one of Australia’s outstanding trail destinations.

Whether it’s walking, hiking, running, or mountain biking, trails allow users to actively enjoy the great outdoors.

Trails also support a range of economic activities and tourism ventures, contributing to the region’s reputation for outstanding nature-based activities.

The Great Ocean Road Regional Trails Strategy (the Strategy) provides a framework to guide state and local government agencies in the development of trails in the Great Ocean Road region. It presents a shared vision along with the principles, goals and actions required to achieve this vision over the next 10 years.

It aims to build on previous investments to establish the Great Ocean Road Region as one of Australia’s outstanding trail destinations. It sets the strategic direction for planning, developing, maintaining, marketing, and utilising an integrated network of trails in the region over the next decade.

The Strategy applies to trails in the area from Torquay in the east to Port Fairy in the west, bound by the coast to the south and Colac and Camperdown to the north.

Trails included in the Strategy are:

  • Anglesea Mountain Bike Trail Network*
  • Surf Coast Walk
  • Forrest Mountain Bike Trails
  • Great Ocean Walk
  • Otway Walks and Waterfalls
  • Old Beechy Rail Trail
  • Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
  • Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail
  • The Twelve Apostles Trail (Timboon-Port Campbell and Port Campbell-Princetown*)
  • Warrnambool Foreshore Promenade
  • Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail*
  • Otway Hinterland Horse Trail*

* Proposed

Copyright: This map and its content are owned by, or licensed to, the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (the Authority). You must not use, reproduce, copy or transmit by any means the map or any of its content without the Authority’s prior written consent.

Disclaimer: This map has been created using a third party Geographic Information System and is provided for information purposes only. Whilst care has been taken to ensure the map is accurate, the Authority makes no representations, either expressly or implied, as to the reliability, accuracy or suitability of the map for a particular purpose. The Authority does not accept any liability for loss or damages incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the content of the map. Once PRINTED, this is an UNCONTROLLED DOCUMENT.

The development of the Strategy has been led by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (the Authority) in collaboration and coordination with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, State Government Departments and agencies including the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Parks Victoria, Department of Transport and Planning and Department of Jobs, Skills, Industries and Regions, the local government areas of Colac Otway Shire, Corangamite Shire, Moyne Shire, Surf Coast Shire and Warrnambool City, and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism.

As the lead agency, the Authority will work in consultation and collaboration with all involved agencies to realise the Strategy's vision and goals.

Development of the Strategy has been funded by the Victorian Government as part of the Great Ocean Road Visitor Experience Uplift funding and is being prepared by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.

Proposed actions within the Strategy are subject to grant funding over the lifetime of the Strategy.

The Strategy

We've now finalised the Strategy! Read about the Strategy below, including how community engagement on the draft helped refine the final version.

The Vision

The Guiding Principles

The guiding principles are intrinsic to achieving the Strategy's vision. They will guide decision-making for trail planning, development, and management, and help organisations take a collective and consistent approach to future investment in trails across the region.

Strategy principles

The Goals

This Strategy is based on six goals. Each goal has several actions to ensure the growth and success of the trail network.

Strategy goals

Community engagement on the Strategy

We sought community input on the draft Strategy to ensure it met community expectations for an outstanding trails network for the region and to guide it's implementation.

We asked about the trails people use and love, both in Australia and internationally, to help inspire the future of the trail network in the Great Ocean Road region, opportunities and issues for the network and your vision for the future of the Great Ocean Road as a trails region.

Community, visitor, stakeholder and industry feedback received strongly supported the overall direction and content of the Strategy. Many people highlighted the importance of having a clear, coordinated approach to guide the future of trails across the Great Ocean Road region.

Feedback on the Strategy was grouped into eight key themes: Management and Funding, Trail Quality and Maintenance, Marketing and Trail Information, Trail Diversity, Environment and Natural Landscape, Connectivity Linkages and Expansion, Trail Accessibility and Support Services, Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Tourism.

How engagement influenced the final Strategy

In response to this feedback, we made a number of refinements to the final Strategy. These changes reflect the ideas and priorities shared throughout the engagement process.

Here’s a snapshot of how the Strategy has been improved through the feedback we received:
  • Greater emphasis on local communities and volunteers – including a revised Vision statement that recognises the region as a living landscape for locals, and not just a visitor destination:
    To be an outstanding trails region renowned for its diverse, high-quality trail experiences that celebrate and protect our unique natural and cultural landscapes, strengthen the economy and enhance community health and well-being.
  • Clear assessment criteria – added to explain how trails were selected for inclusion in the Strategy, increasing transparency and understanding of what makes an outstanding trails region.
  • Stronger commitment to accessible and inclusive trails – reflected in Goal 6 of the Strategy.
  • Expanded actions – including strengthened focus on public transport connections, trail connectivity, education and interpretation, visitor safety information, and supportive infrastructure.

We’re excited to bring the Strategy to life as we move into an implementation phase. Our first priority will be establishing the Great Ocean Road Regional Trails Forum, who will oversee coordinated delivery of the Strategy across the region.