Arthurs Seat Trail Run
Blog
Arthurs Seat State Park is located on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia.
As a State Park it and this trail run do not meet the criteria for our RUN THE PARKS Challenge. But we have chosen to include them as an additional ‘bonus’ park and run as they are located in our back garden and we just love the trails.
"Keep running through the storm, you rainbow is waiting on the other side."
Red Hill on an early morning in May is rather cool, in fact it is bloody cold. Also, with predictions for rain, rain and EVEN MORE rain it was expected to be a wet and cold trail run. With some seriously wet and slippery trails in Arthurs Seat. Never put off by bad weather I headed out trail run anyway. Thankfully the rains didn’t hit as hard as anticipated and it was beautiful out there. It was 9 degrees, but the wind-chill from the strong winds off the bay made it feel a lot colder. I also had some other runners joining me, members from my trail running club the Peninsula Trail Runners (PTR).
Fitness level
Relatively easy, and has some steep sections but nothing outrageous
Equipment
During the colder weather I always wear a skin top as a base layer. In anticipation of the winds and rain I ditched my usual short sleeves for the added protection of a long sleeve top and shoved my Salomon rain jacket into my Salomon hydration pack as additional back up. However shorts remained the order of the day because once I get going I generally warm up. My newest set of trailer runners, Altra Superior, were my footwear option for the day. These are actually my race-day shoes but as they have a gnarly tread they were ideal for the predicted slippery trails.
Starting point
The run was a circuit starting and finishing at the Red Hill Consolidated School. At weekends the school carpark is open and used by trail runners and mountain bikers alike. This leaves the roadside parking free for locals and tourists to access the neighbouring cafes. Nobody wants to upset the local traders as they provide the excellent coffee and cake after hitting the trails.
Getting to the start
Arthurs Seat State Park and Red Hill are situated about 90 kms south of Melbourne, approximately a 1 hr drive.
By Public Transport
Due to the nature and vast openness of most parks their accessibility by public transport is limited.
Accessing Red Hill from Melbourne via public transport is a nightmare and consists of a train and two bus journeys. I definitely would not recommend this option and suggest if you have access to a vehicle that you drive.
By Car
The M1 Monash Freeway is pretty boring as you head out of Melbourne and through the ‘inner burbs’ but it does what it’s designed to do and gets you out of the city quickly. It’s when you reach the Eastlink and Peninsula Link that the journey livens up. As you drive these stretches you are rewarded with large scale roadside artwork. An open air sculpture park viewable from the comfort of your car. Look out for the giant bird with a worm. A huge metal object lying by the roadside as if a discarded piece of agricultural machinery. A towering hotel and a ginormous Lego space station. The transmission tower collapsing under the weight of a meteor. And the ‘Colossus of Rhodes’ in the form of a giant chrome gnome guarding the entrance to the Peninsula.
The views of the peninsula as you travel along the Mornington Peninsula Freeway are stunning. To the west (your right) is Port Phillip Bay and you get the odd glimpse of the crystal clear waters of the protected Bay. Off to the east are rolling fields and paddocks with cattle, race horses and deer, yes deer with full on antlers! Soon the fields give way to the bush covered slopes of Arthurs Seat which dominates the vista in front of you, giving you the first view of where you are about to run.
Cyclist `heaven`
Once off the freeway the road quickly starts to climb until you reach Red Hill and you are now in cyclist paradise. Road cyclists use this climb for training and mountain bikers load up their cars to be ferried up to the top of the hill so they can hurtle back down again. Only to repeat the process over and over again. Being an ex-mountain biker I loved the discipline of a great climb I just don’t get downhill mountain biking. But equally they probably don’t understand the perverse pleasure of a killer climb, each to their own. As you travel on to Red Hill you will see roadside trails with cross country mountain bikers fanging it along them. Flicking the backend of the bikes around as they launch of the many jumps. The same trails we run along.
Tolls
Be aware the mentioned route contains toll roads and you would need to ensure you have an appropriate account or pass for the trip.
Linkt provides an online toll calculator and an opportunity to pre purchase a pass that covers both toll roads for this journey. At the time of writing the journey from Kings Way & Power Street in the City to the end of Eastlink at the Peninsula Link costs $12.82 each way on a weekend
If you don’t wish to take this route there are non-toll alternatives that take a little longer so check out a Map App for the best route to take on the day.
Getting Started
You hit the trails within 30 seconds of leaving the car park, and you are on these trails for 90% of the run. Fantastic trails at that.
Here we go...
The trail run started as we left the car park, crossed over Arthurs Seat Road and headed west toward Arthurs Seat on a roadside trail for 5kms. That might sound boring, 5km alongside a road! Trust me it’s wasn’t. You don`t even notice the road as it`s often protected by trees. As the trail was often protected by trees you didn’t even notice the road which was quiet and didn’t get that much traffic anyway. Because it twisted left and right through scrub and bush it occasionally opened up to wide vistas of Port Phillip Bay. And at times runs parallel with multi-million dollar homes and vineyards.
The trail is shared with walkers, mountain bikers, horses and trail runners so was well worn and easy to follow. It was also fast, slippery, technical and great fun. At about the 2km mark we passed one of the entrances to Arthurs Seat State Park, located next to a large CFA water tank. This is in the process of being painted with a nature themed mural. And based on the little that was completed at the time I am thinking it will look pretty spectacular.
We bypassed this entrance and continued to where the trail ends at Arthurs Seat Road. We crossed onto an unmade gravel road named Pindara Road which took us around the back of Arthurs Seat. Passed some amazing properties hidden in the trees far away from the world. Pindara ‘undulates’, that’s the word I would use. Others might call it ‘hilly’. It definitely had little kickers to get the heart going but they were not sole destroying. On reaching the end of Pindara we were rewarded with our first view of the Seawinds Gardens.
Seawinds Gardens and Arthurs Seat Lookout
We crossed over Purves Road and headed into Seawinds Gardens, known as Seawinds to the locals. At 305 meters above sea level the 34 hectare park is perfectly placed providing spectacular views of Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula and on a clear day right across the bay to the Bellarine Peninsula and Melbourne CBD. Our run took us over well maintained gravel paths around the gardens with a number of stops. First, the traditional and well frequented Arthurs Seat Lookout.
EVERYONE was there and for good reason. It is the highest point of Arthurs Seat that tourists can drive to and take in the panoramic views from the large car park or Arthurs restaurant which is perched on the edge of the cliff. It is also where the summit station for the Arthurs Seat Eagle is located. A cable car that travels up and down the hill. It also has a cafe that I know trail runners frequent, but I`ve not been there yet. I’ve also never travelled on the Gondola as I prefer to run up and down the very steep slope but I would bet it has some fantastic scenic views.
Matthew Flinders Cairn
From here we headed back into Seawinds and followed the well marked circuit paths. Starting to lose some elevation down steps and slopes and across the hill to stop number two, the Matthew Flinders Cairn. As there is no nearby car park, this spot gets less pedestrian traffic. This means you don’t have to fight for a space to get a really great photo. And I mean a REALLY great photo. The views from here are ENORMOUS! The BEST place to get a panoramic photograph of the bay and Mornington Peninsula. The plaque on the Cairn references this as the spot where Matthew Flinders observed the bay for the first time on 27 April 1802. We have the luxury of trails to get around this hill, heaven only knows how he and his crew clambered up the slopes.
Being in Seawinds the trails continued to be well maintained, however, not quite like the gravel pathways at the top of the park. These would return as we headed back to the upper areas for stop number three. Another great lookout of the bay, but not to the standards as those from the Cairn. Within Seawinds Gardens is a small sculpture park dedicated to William Ricketts. His sculptures are nestled within a retaining wall and are well signposted so you can’t miss them. He was clearly dedicated to the Aboriginal way of life.
Friends Track
The 3km circuit of Seawinds completed. We retraced our steps back to the top and out along Pindara to the roadside trail. And at around 9.5km we headed onto proper rough trails. We were immediately faced with a roller coaster decent. Dropping 60 meters over a distance of 400 meters. It was a steep, technical, fast and out of control fun descent, known by the locals as “What The Hill”. But with every pleasure in life there is payback and in this case it was an immediate climb. Don’t be disheartened, it wasn`t a grueller. Just a steady climb along a management 4WD track which took us to probably THE BEST trail in the area. One of the best on the Mornington Peninsula; ‘Friends Track’.
This gem of a trail was narrow, with no straight lines of sight and ducked and dived everywhere. It was muddy and slippery. There were fallen trees to leap over and low branches to duck under. There were boardwalks with chicken wire to stop you slipping. Followed by boardwalks with no chicken wire which make you slip! There were steps up and down.
And towards the end a ridiculously steep ‘drop off’ to challenge those already burnt quads and calves. This was trail running heaven as far as I’m concerned, and it was all condensed into a 1km trail !!!!! Brilliant.
OT Dam
Deep into Arthurs Seat State Park with huge trees surrounding us. Heaps of beautiful single tracks criss crossing the park. We were on some of the best but we were barely scratching the surface. We could also hear the sounds of mountain bikers thrashing along their own gazetted trails. Interestingly they are also allowed to share many of the trails we were running on, but we aren’t permitted to use their trails.
Why?
We progressed on to OT Dam via another fast descent along a wide and technical track strewn with rain water ruts and tree roots. This was a track that would catch you out if you did not respect and pay it attention. I know firsthand the damage it can do. Not so long ago I have had to carry out a runner who came a cropper. Hitting the ground hard and badly twisting their ankle - you have been warned!
It`s surreal!
If you dare to take your eye’s of the trail and look through the tall ancient trees you would catch glimpses of the sun bouncing off the water in the small dam below. It looks surreal. At first glance you might wonder what your were looking at. It’s only when you get close and slow down that you realise you’ve come across a dam located in the middle of nowhere. On a hot summer’s day you may be tempted to jump in and cool off. I actually know of people who have been in, but not today, no way, it was far too cold.
This trail loops around the dam so you can choose to go either clockwise or anticlockwise, the choice is yours. Now, being completely away from the tourist areas the trails were rough and perfect for trail runners. Nothing manicured here, trails as they should be, technical, forever changing and challenging. However, around the opposite side of the dam there was a small section of boardwalk with steps. These provided a perfect opportunity to stop and take more stunning photos of OT Dam.
Returning to the start
As we completed the loop of the OT dam we could take any of four trails out from the Dam and climb back up to Friends Track. We choose to retrace our steps and returned up the wide technical track we not long since descended. In the short time we were at OT Dam a huge tree had fallen and blocked the top end of the trail. This shows how trails can change by the hour and the dangers you need to be aware of. After clambering over, under or around the fallen tree we had a short and steady climb up to Arthurs Seat Road. This is where the water tank with the mural is situated, and we returned along the roadside trail back to the car park.
Post trail coffee awesomeness
Serving hot and cold food, cakes and coffee, Nordie is a great cafe at Red Hill. Drop in and say Hi! And don`t be put off by the Audi’s, BMW’s and Merc’s parked outside. They have never turned me away and I’ve been in some pretty disgusting states after long runs around the Peninsula.
Seagull top tip
Respect and pay attention to the trails, not doing so can end in busted ankles and tears.
Fireside chat: our review of Arthurs Seat Trail Run
Done and dusted, or should that be done and mudded. Another great trail run, an awesome cruise around Arthurs Seat State Park completed. It`s my home state park and I never get bored. It’s a gem of a place to run. This run was not too technical as it stayed at the top end of the Park and didn’t include any long steep climbs. The trails were in reasonably good condition but you still need to have your wits about you.
It`s not too remote so help could quickly get to you should something untoward happen, and I hope it won’t.
The run covered approximately 15kms with 500m of elevation in 2.30 hours, not a bad day out.
Seagull Scoring System
Scenery ✦✦✦✧✧
Variety ✦✦✦✧✧
Reward ✦✦✦✧✧
Solitude ✦✧✧✧✧
Challenge ✦✦✧✧✧
Coffee ✦✦✦✧✧
Overall ✦✦✦✧✧
Seagulls on the Run acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, live and play. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging
