Arthurs Seat – Granite Hills, Gardens and Summit Views

Arthurs Seat combines a distinctive granite hill with sweeping views, trails in the State Park and gardens at the summit. There are also mountain bike trails and adventure activities in the wider hinterland. If you’re looking for holiday accommodation, you could start by asking which side of the area you want to shape your stay: hiking and views, time in the gardens or active experiences.

Granite, the Summit and Views Across the Bay

Arthurs Seat is a 304-metre-high granite hill. Seawinds Gardens sits at the summit: the garden covers 34 hectares and is 305 metres above sea level. Its lookouts offer views across Port Phillip and the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas. The garden paths thus connect with sweeping views across the bay and the surrounding peninsulas.

A hike up Arthurs Seat also offers impressive views: of golden beaches, the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas, and Melbourne across the bay. The views from the hike and the lookouts in Seawinds Gardens are two specific reasons to explore the summit on foot. The Arthurs Seat State Park also has numerous walking trails.

Walking Trails, Mountain Bike Trails and Gardens

For a more active day, Arthurs Seat State Park offers more than 25 kilometres of mountain bike trails. They connect to the wider network of management tracks. The trail length and this connection to the network give cyclists practical guidance when planning their rides; information about the trail network may change. So check current park conditions before setting out.

Seawinds’ ornamental gardens offer another way to spend time at the summit. Visitors can barbecue there among sculptures by William Ricketts. This means different activities sit side by side in the same area: a hike to the lookouts, exploring the park trails or spending time in the gardens. Views of Port Phillip and the two peninsulas are among the garden’s special features.

Adventure in the Wider Hinterland

Enchanted Adventure is located in the wider hinterland around Arthurs Seat. Its activities include tube slides, giant puzzles, a canopy walk, a sky scramble, themed gardens, hedge art, giant sculptures and mazes. The mix ranges from puzzles and slides to landscaped gardens and paths through mazes.

Tree Surfing is a high-ropes adventure among the native trees of the bush park. It includes ziplines, swinging rope bridges, suspended tunnels and a giant Tarzan swing. If you’re weighing up the lookouts against more active options while planning your trip, this offers a different kind of activity from hiking in the State Park. Activities may change; check with the operator for the latest information before visiting.

Planning Your Stay in Arthurs Seat

The Arthurs Seat Loop Scenic Drive also leads to the summit, following the winding Arthurs Seat Road. As road conditions may change, it’s a good idea to check them before you drive. When choosing holiday accommodation, use your planned activities as a starting point: do you mainly want to hike and visit the lookouts, include the mountain bike trails in your plans, or make time for the gardens and Enchanted Adventure? This helps you focus your accommodation search on the experiences that interest you most in Arthurs Seat.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Condah, Kialla, Rawson, Terang, Portsea, Mildura, Musk, Dartmoor.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.