Toolangi, Victoria, Australia
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 7.2km
Dog Friendliness: 8/10
Scenery and Enjoyment: 9/10
Accessibility: 7/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Welcome back to another adventure! Today, Megan, Yuki, Bianca, and I headed out to the Tanglefoot Short Loop in Toolangi. This hike was so much fun and easily one of our favourites. It had just the right mix of challenge, great scenery, and plenty of wild ferns to keep us entertained.
Starting the Adventure
We kicked off the day with a scenic drive through Toolangi and Kinglake. Toolangi is the cutest little town. Some of the properties we passed on the way looked amazing. And it was soo quiet there! I’m pretty sure we didn’t pass a single car for the last 15min of the drive. Once at the trailhead, we opted for the short loop, which is 7.2km long. If you’d prefer the full 10km loop, you can keep going straight instead of turning left onto Quarry Road—the shortcut is well-marked and hard to miss.
Into the Trail
The first stretch of the trail was covered in dense ferns. Some parts were so overgrown we had to literally duck and weave through them but honestly this was more fun than annoying—it really felt like a real adventure deep into the forest.
The scenery was fantastic: lush ferns on the ground, massive eucalyptus trees overhead, and just the right amount of shade to keep it cool. Sylvia Creek crossed the track in a few spots, which added a bit of variety. Yuki loved it and took full advantage, stopping for drinks and splashing around whenever she could.
There were also heaps of blackberry brambles lining the path on the second half of the loop. Sadly, it wasn’t quite the right season for picking—come February or March, this would be a great spot to grab some fresh berries mid-hike.
“Leeches falling from the sky”
We’d read some reviews warning about “leeches falling from the sky,” so we came prepared with long pants. While Megan did get one small bite on her ankle, we didn’t see any of the horror show described online. Still, the long pants turned out to be a good idea since parts of the trail are lined with prickly plants that would’ve been a pain to deal with in shorts. Overall, the trail is generally well-maintained, other than a few fallen trees you’ll need to climb over or step around. Nothing difficult, though—it’s all part of the experience.
Yuki managed to find trouble as usual. She discovered a patch of those ‘pollen bombs’ to roll in, covering herself in sticky fluff. It took ages to clean her up… I’m pretty sure she does this stuff just to mess with us. As always, we had her on her Roam Wilder 10m long line, which gave her enough freedom to explore without us worrying about her getting into any more trouble.
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed the Tanglefoot Short Loop. It’s a great mix of scenic views and just enough adventure to keep things interesting. The dense rainforest, creek crossings, and towering trees make it a hike we’d definitely recommend.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention! We didn’t see a single other person on the walk!
If you’re planning a visit, wear long pants, watch out for pollen bombs if you’re bringing a dog, and keep an eye out for blackberries if you’re visiting in late Summer. We’ll definitely be back to tackle the full 10km loop next time.
Happy hiking! 🐾
