Dandenong Ranges
Mountain Ash Forests on Melbourne's Doorstep
On the lands of the Wurundjeri people.
schedule 3 min read / Updated Jun 2026
A low mountain range 35 kilometres east of Melbourne, covered in mountain ash forest and small heritage villages. The Dandenongs are Melbourne's closest escape to old-growth forest, famous for Puffing Billy steam train, the Olinda rhododendron gardens, and the tallest flowering plants in the world.
The Dandenong Ranges rise to around 630 metres on the eastern edge of Melbourne, on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation. The ranges are only 35 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD but feel a world away, with damp mountain ash forest, fern gullies, small villages of craft shops and tea rooms, and extensive public gardens planted by European settlers in the late 19th century.
The Dandenong Ranges National Park covers about 3,540 hectares of protected forest and includes some of the tallest flowering plants on earth. The mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) is the tallest flowering tree species in the world and the tallest specimens in the Dandenongs reach over 90 metres. The park also contains one of the largest stands of old-growth mountain ash forest still accessible by short walking track anywhere near a major Australian city.
Puffing Billy is the most famous attraction. The narrow-gauge heritage steam railway has been running continuously (with a few gaps) since 1900 and covers 24 kilometres between Belgrave and Gembrook through the heart of the Dandenongs. The train is famous for the wooden trestle bridges it crosses, and until recently, passengers were allowed to sit on the open-sided carriages with their legs dangling over the side. A typical return trip takes 3 to 5 hours depending on the destination and is a rite of passage for Melbourne families.
The villages of Olinda, Sassafras, Monbulk, Sherbrooke and Belgrave all have their own character. Sassafras is the classic tea-room village with historic buildings and a string of 1930s-style cafes. Olinda has the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden with extensive rhododendron plantings that flower in October and November. Sherbrooke has the 1880s-built Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, one of the most photographed gardens in Victoria.
Mount Dandenong summit (633 metres) is the highest point in the ranges and has a lookout with views over Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs. On clear days the Port Phillip Bay shoreline and the city skyline are clearly visible. SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, the lookout precinct at the summit, has a restaurant, a children's maze, and a wishing tree garden.
The region has one of the highest concentrations of historic gardens in Victoria. Alongside the Botanic Garden and Alfred Nicholas, the National Rhododendron Gardens, the Cloudehill Gardens, and the George Tindale Memorial Gardens are all open to the public. All are at their peak between September and November for rhododendron and azalea flowering.
Beyond the gardens and trains, the Dandenongs are known for cockatoos and lyrebirds. The superb lyrebird, famous for mimicking other bird calls and even man-made sounds like car alarms and chainsaws, lives in the Sherbrooke Forest and is often heard on early morning walks. Crimson rosellas and sulphur-crested cockatoos are common on all walking tracks.
The Dandenongs are a year-round destination. Autumn (April to May) has the best tree colour from imported deciduous species. Winter is cool and often foggy, which suits the forest mood. Spring brings the rhododendrons. Summer is warm but can be smoky during bushfire season. Melbourne Airport (MEL) is the nearest airport, 60 minutes west.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Dandenong Ranges.
6 locations to explore
Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens
A lakeside garden masterpiece
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardCloudehill Gardens
Cool-climate garden artistry
$15 adult; free for under 16s
Full guide arrow_forwardPirianda Garden
Hidden woodland of rare trees
Free (donations welcome)
Full guide arrow_forwardPuffing Billy Railway
A century of steam adventure
From $36 adult (Belgrave to Menzies Creek return); from $61 adult (Belgrave to Lakeside return)
Full guide arrow_forwardR.J. Hamer Arboretum
Forests from across the globe
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardSkyHigh Mount Dandenong
Melbourne's rooftop panorama
Parking fee only: $5 per car weekdays, $10 per car weekends and school holidays
Full guide arrow_forwardWhere to stay
Holiday parks near Dandenong Ranges.
1 option via our booking partner
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Gallery
Dandenong Ranges in pictures.
10 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Dandenong Ranges.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (10)
- A Misty Dawn, Dandenong Ranges.jpg · Uzman Naleer · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dandenong Ranges Banner.jpg · Adrian Mohedano · CC BY 2.0
- Autumn in the Dandenong Ranges.jpg · Adrian Mohedano · CC BY 2.0
- BOOTH(1873) 1.195 THE DANDENONG RANGES, VICTORIA.jpg · Public domain
- Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden.jpg · Sandeepparekh9 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dandenong Ranges Panorama.JPG · Nick carson at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
- Dandenong Ranges Panorama Annotated.PNG · Nick carson at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
- Eugene VON GUÉRard - Dandenong Ranges from ?Beleura? - Googl... · Eugene von Guerard · Public domain
- Kalorama House - Norah Gurdon.png · Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
- Kookaburra resting, Dandenong ranges, VIC.jpg · Gaiezza · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.