This new Aussie trail is tipped to be one of 2025’s top attractions

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
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Calling all adventurers – the Murray River is about to get even better.

The Murray River is one of Australia’s most iconic destinations thanks to its historic paddlesteamers, esteemed wineries, hyperlocal foodie scene and laid-back river lifestyle. But this Victorian gem is about to get even more enticing, with a new trail opening in 2025.

The Murray River Adventure Trail is an epic outdoor experience developed by Parks Victoria, perfect for nature lovers and explorers alike. Picturesque hiking tracks and cycling paths meet kayaking and camping along this scenic stretch from Lake Hume to Mildura, with so much more to be discovered along the way.

Murray River in Victoria
The Murray River is a natural playground for adventurers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

What is the Murray River Adventure Trail?

While the project is still in the early stages of development, a detailed plan for the Murray River Adventure Trail is already gaining global attention with National Geographic including the region on its list of 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2025, and Timeout London predicting the trail itself will be one of the world’s top 25 things to do this year.

Kayaking along the Murray River in Victoria
The Murray River Adventure Trail will include a range of outdoor activities. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The monumental project will open in stages, much like Australia’s iconic rail trails that offer a similar experience for nature lovers. However, what sets the Murray River Adventure Trail apart is its wide range of activities.

Upon completion, an expansive variety of connected walking, cycling and paddling trails are slated to cross over 500 kilometres of country Victoria, from Lake Hume, near Wodonga, all the way to Mildura. Suitable for both single- and multi-day use, the trail will also include campgrounds, picnic areas, toilet facilities, watercraft launches and parking. New signage will assist and educate visitors on the region’s natural and cultural significance, too.

Lake Hume near Wodonga in Victoria
The trail will incorporate places like Lake Hume near Wodonga. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the development and eventual launch of the trail, Parks Victoria aims to maximise public access while ensuring ongoing environmental protection and respect for the land’s Traditional Owners.

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What will Stage One offer and when will it open?

Stage One of the Murray River Adventure Trail is currently under construction, thanks to a whopping $10.3 million in funding received from Victoria’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.

Hikers walking along the Murray River in Victoria
Stage One will feature 16 new or improved trailheads. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Passing through Echuca, Murray River Reserve, Gunbower National Park and Lower Goulburn National Park, the first stage will offer visitors a taste of what’s to come. There will be 16 formal trailheads along the river in Stage One, some with pit stops at cute riverside towns.

Eight existing campgrounds and campsites in this area will also be upgraded, as well as new launch points for canoes and kayaks. Given the project’s immense scale, stages of the Murray River Adventure Trail will continue to open incrementally into 2026 and beyond.

A campsite along the Murray River in Victoria
Campsites and campgrounds will be upgraded for overnight use. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Parks Victoria has also been working in close consultation with Traditional Owners, local government bodies and Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. While a date is yet to be confirmed, Stage One is reportedly opening later this year.

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How do I find the Murray River Adventure Trail?

The closest major airport to the Murray River Adventure Trail is in Bendigo, where you can hire a car and make the one-hour drive north to Echuca. If you’re coming from Melbourne, it’ll take you roughly three hours by car.

The PS Emmylou paddlesteamer on the Murray River in Victoria
Stay onboard the PS Emmylou while in Echuca. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Once you’ve arrived, there’s plenty to see and do before or after your epic outdoor adventure. This bucolic part of country Victoria is brimming with history and charm, from a luxurious farm stay in Barham to a multi-day cruise aboard PS Emmylou with Murray River Paddlesteamers.

You can stay up to date with the rollout of Stage One, as well as other Murray River Adventure Trail updates via the Parks Victoria website.

The Murray River in Victoria
Parks Victoria will continue to roll out the trail’s stages into 2026. (Image: Visit Swan Hill)

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Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
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This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
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    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves. Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.