Toolangi State Forest Guide
Just under 90 minutes north-east of Melbourne via the Yarra Valley — Wirrawilla, Kalatha, Tanglefoot, a dog under control.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not DEECA, not Parks Victoria · Content reviewed 21 Sep 2026
Can you camp, can the dog come, which named site, what to check before you leave. DEECA / Explore Outdoors owns live conditions. Always confirm on the official Toolangi guide and VicEmergency. This site doesn’t show live road status. Roads and fire rules change — check the morning you go.
- Wirrawilla boardwalk
- Kalatha Giant
- Tanglefoot picnic / loop
- Walindjerri · 5 sites
- Dogs under control
- Not Murrindindi Scenic Reserve
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
Not the national park
This is a State forest, not the national park
Toolangi State Forest is a Victorian working forest managed by DEECA (Explore Outdoors) — not Parks Victoria, and not Forestry Corporation of NSW. Official: just under 90 minutes north-east of Melbourne via the Yarra Valley, around 60 km from the city. Mountain ash, cool temperate rainforest, and the township of Toolangi. Named places here: Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk, Kalatha Giant Tree Walk, Tanglefoot picnic and loop, Walindjerri (Redwoods) camp. Murrindindi Scenic Reserve sits on the northern edge with its own rules: fees, no dogs, different camping. This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Check Explore Outdoors and VicEmergency before you drive.
What kind of forest day?
Picnic at Wirrawilla
Day-use · ~700 m boardwalk
Picnic, shelter and toilet at the Sylvia Creek Road carpark. All-abilities rainforest circuit. Dogs allowed. No fees. Not a camp.
Camp at Walindjerri
Five sites · no booking · no fees
Mountain ash meets California redwoods. Toilet, firepits, no reliable water. You cannot reserve a pad. Town Plan B required.
Tanglefoot Loop / Kalatha
10 km loop · 0.5 km giant
Tanglefoot picnic is day-use — no camping. Kalatha Giant is the short named tree. Distances from Explore Outdoors. Not independently walked.
I typed Murrindindi
Different tenure
Fees. No dogs. Riverside camps and Wilhelmina Falls are the reserve, not Walindjerri. Same drive from Melbourne. Different map.
Best for
Short rainforest boardwalk; named giant tree; Tanglefoot picnic plus the 10 km loop; a free Walindjerri camp with a dog under control, and a town bed ready if the five sites are taken.
Skip if
You need a reserved pad tonight; you wanted Murrindindi Scenic Reserve riverside camps, Wilhelmina Falls, or a paid camp where dogs are banned; you refuse unsealed roads after rain; you need a cabin or powered site inside the forest; you planned the Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre as an open visitor centre — it is closed.
Featured
Wirrawilla
Day-use rainforest picnic area on Sylvia Creek Road: picnic, shelter, toilet, and the all-abilities boardwalk. Official: around 700 metres return. Dogs allowed. No fees. Not a camp.
- Wheelchair boardwalk — wide, non-slip, handrails
- Picnic, shelter and toilet at the carpark
- Myrtle Gully and Tanglefoot Loop also start from this cluster
- Overnight named camp is Walindjerri — five sites, no booking
How long
Distances from Explore Outdoors. Hours below are ours.
Half day
Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk (~700 m return) + Kalatha Giant Tree Walk (0.5 km return).
Full day
Add Tanglefoot Loop (official 10 km) and the Tanglefoot picnic. BYO water — no drinking water at the picnic (official).
Overnight
Walindjerri: five sites, no booking, no fees. Town-bed Plan B in Healesville, Yea or Marysville.
Named walks
Official tracks only
Wirrawilla
Named trackEasy all-abilities circuit through cool temperate rainforest. Official: around 700 metres return, wide non-slip boardwalk and handrails, wheelchair access. Myrtle beech and southern sassafras.
- Starts
- Wirrawilla carpark, Sylvia Creek Road
- Distance / grade
- Official: around 700 m return · wheelchair access · dogs allowed · no fees.
View guide →
Kalatha Giant
Named trackShort family walk to a named mountain ash. Official: 0.5 km return, Grade 2.2. Tree: over 350 years, 73 m tall, 16 m circumference.
- Starts
- Kalatha Giant carpark (Kalatha Road near Granton Road)
- Distance / grade
- Official: 0.5 km return · Grade 2.2 · 73 m / 350 years / 16 m girth on the Explore Outdoors page.
View guide →
Toolangi State Forest Guide
Toolangi State Forest Guide downloads
Printable planner and itineraries with the site name on them. Packing, Walindjerri Plan B, half/full/overnight shapes. Official Explore Outdoors / CFA / VicEmergency links on every file.
- Planner — packing, last towns, dogs, fires, Walindjerri Plan B
- Itineraries — half day Wirrawilla + Kalatha, full day Tanglefoot, overnight Walindjerri
- Forest mark + www.toolangistateforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Toolangi State Forest guide is in that network. Not government. Not Parks Victoria. Not a national-park directory.
Browse state forests → stateforestguide.com.au
Sister state forests
FAQ
Is Toolangi State Forest a national park?
No. It is a Victorian working forest managed by DEECA (Explore Outdoors). Parks Victoria does not manage this forest. Yarra Ranges National Park (including Road 10 / Mt St Leonard) is a different manager on the edge. Murrindindi Scenic Reserve is a different map again — fees, no dogs.
Is camping free? Can I reserve a site at Walindjerri?
Victorian state-forest camps are free except Murrindindi Scenic Reserve. Walindjerri: no fees, no booking required — you cannot reserve a pad. Five sites. Town bed if they are taken. We do not sell any permit.
Can I bring a dog?
Yes in Toolangi State Forest, on a leash or under immediate control. Not in any part of Murrindindi Scenic Reserve. Not in adjoining Yarra Ranges National Park.
How long do I need?
Explore Outdoors publishes distances. The hours below are ours. Half day: Wirrawilla (~700 m return) plus Kalatha Giant (0.5 km return). Full day: add Tanglefoot Loop (10 km). Overnight: Walindjerri (five sites, no booking) with a town Plan B.
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not DEECA. Not Parks Victoria.
Rules and site names come from DEECA’s Explore Outdoors Toolangi guide and the Wirrawilla, Kalatha Giant, Tanglefoot and Walindjerri pages, plus the statewide dogs, camping and campfire pages. Closures and fire: VicEmergency and CFA. Murrindindi Scenic Reserve has its own fees and no-dog rule — not this forest’s.
Not independently walked. Conditions, roads and fire rules change. Verify with Explore Outdoors and VicEmergency. This page is not live road status.