The hiking trail from the Allenvale Mill Campground to Teddy’s Lookout is a pretty easy walk out the back of Lorne that starts in the Otways rainforest and ends with one of the most stunning views of the Bass Straight on the entire Great Ocean Road.
Only five minutes from the centre of Lorne, the trail begins at the Allenvale Campground car park and follows the St George river to the coast. There are a few mild hills in the first 2.5 kms of walk, which is below the canopy of large Eucalyptus trees where you’ll be surrounded by an abundance of Bracken Ferns and ancient Soft Tree Ferns. Not long after starting the trail, there’s a dry river crossing that can often be submerged after heavy rain, so you’ll have to keep that in mind as it’s a bit too dangerous to cross if the path isn’t completely out of the water.
About 2.5 kms into the walk, the trail then leads up a sharp and steep hill for a short distance where you’ll then be greeted with an incredible view from Teddy’s Lookout.
Once you’ve made it to Teddy’s, then follow the wide path around the ocean side of the Gazebo and picnic tables, where you’ll head down to a caravan park. Walk through the caravan park towards the ocean, then follow the Tram Rail Track to your right, around the base of the hill that Teddy’s Lookout sits on top of, this will bring you right back around to where you began your climb.
On your way back along the St George River, just after crossing over the foot bridge, you can then chose to follow the track back the way you came from (which will be to the left) or head to the right, which takes you over a couple of hills and connects you with Allenvale Road. You’ll then follow the road for a short distance back to the car park where you started.
Trail details
Difficulty
As the trails highlight is Teddy’s Lookout, which is an amazing vantage point, the trail seems as though it could be quite difficult, although it’s not. There’s one steep section where you’ll climb up to the lookout, but it’s over before you know it. The rest of the track is quite flat with a few easy uphill sections and there’s lots of shade along the way.
Overall, this trail isn’t very challenging and more a nice stroll from the forest to the ocean.
Length
The entire walk is about 8 kms, if you get to Teddy’s Lookout and then loop around via the Queens Park Caravan Park and down near Shelly Beach. If you just go to Teddy’s and then loop back to Allenvale, the trail is around 6.5 kms.
Elevation
Although Teddy’s Lookout is right on top of the hill overlooking the Lorne Scenic Beach, the elevation still isn’t that great. Most of the walk is quite flat, other than a few small hills, then of course the climb up to the lookout from the St George River. In total, you’ll climb about 400 metres.
Facilities
There aren’t any facilities at the Allenvale Campground car park or Teddy’s Lookout, although if you were to walk about 250 from the car park to the campground, there are some toilets and a rainwater tank, although the water isn’t filtered for drinking.
Closest place to buy food & drinks
This trail is just on the edge of Lorne, so you’ll find loads of places to grab food and drinks in town. Once you’re at Teddy’s Lookout, you could even walk right into the middle of town with-in about 20 minutes, it’s less than 2 kms.
Dog Friendly
Most hiking trails in the Great Otway National Park don’t allow dogs, although this isn’t one of them and you can bring yours along this hiking trail if it’s on a lead. Here are some other Dog friendly walks in the Otways.
Getting there
The trail begins at the Allenvale Mill Campground, which is just out the back of Lorne. Although you could start at Teddy’s Lookout (there’s a carpark up there) or even from at the Lorne Pier and work your way up to the lookout.
In any case, you’ll need to start by getting yourself to Lorne. To get to the Allenvale Mill Campground, you’ve got to take Otway Street up the hill, which is directly opposite the Lorne Visitor Information Centre, otherwise, it’s the round about just after you pass Foodworks and cross the small bridge when you’re coming into Lorne from the east (from the Torquay, Anglesea direction).
Follow the road up the hill until you reach a round about where you’ll go straight through it (second exit). You’ll then be on Allenvale Road, just keep driving for a few minutes until you see the campground car park on your left.
The hiking trail begins from the Allenvale Campground carpark. Walk down the stairs at the back of the car park, behind the information board, then turn left to start the trail.
Accommodation & Camping
You can camp right at the start of the trail at the Allenvale Mill Campground. It’s about a 250 metre walk from the car park to the campground, meaning you won’t be able to drive-in and park next to your site. From the campground, there’s a path that leads straight onto the hiking trail to Teddy’s Lookout.
This campground is managed and maintained well by Parks Victoria. It has clean drop toilets and a water tank for cleaning up, but it’s not filtered, so be sure to bring along your own drinking water. You can check the availability and book a campsite on the Parks Vic website.
If you’re instead looking for a caravan park or accommodation, you’re in luck. Lorne’s main industry is tourism and this hiking trail is just on the edge of town, so you have an enormous amount of accommodation options, from luxury stays to budget backpacker accommodation and everything in between. For a campground right in the middle of town, try the Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park, otherwise an amazing place to set up the tent or caravan just a bit further along the Great Ocean Road is the Cumberland River Camping Park and it’s a beauty!
If you’re heading further along the Great Ocean Road, consider Aire Crossing Campground which is a great free campsite, otherwise Blanket Bay, Parker Hill or Johanna Beach campgrounds are all on the ocean. Going into the Otways, Lake Elizabeth Campground is one of the best in the national park, it’s surrounded by the rainforest, huge Eucalyptus Trees, just a short walk from Lake Elizabeth and it’s dog friendly.
