Discover Eildon: Pondage, water and trails

Eildon offers a mix of waterside paths, activities in town and experiences nearby: the flat Pondage Walk sits alongside technical mountain bike trails, while Lake Eildon offers swimming and water sports. Eildon is on Taungurung Country and serves as a base for recreational activities around the lake. You can plan your trip around a circuit in town and nature and lakeside experiences in the surrounding area.

Walking around the Lower Pondage

The Eildon Pondage Walk is a 6 km circuit around the Lower Pondage. It is flat and easy to complete. The walk starts at the car park at the Eildon Lions Day Visitor Area; you can also join it at almost any visitor area along the Pondage shore. This gives you several possible starting points for the circuit.

On the north side of the Lower Pondage are the Lions BBQ Picnic Area, toilets, sheltered and open seating, tables and a children’s playground. For visitor information and advice, the Eildon Information Centre also offers maps, souvenirs and gifts. If you plan to get maps or advice there, check before your visit that the service is available.

Water activities in town

Eildon Swimming Pool is in Walter Moore Reserve. The Eildon Outdoor Swimming Pool has an adjoining toddlers’ pool with artificial rock walls and water-play features. Walter Moore Reserve also has a skate park, a flying fox, a swing and a play area for older people. These different facilities give you practical options when planning activities for different age groups.

Baanh ba Djila Splash Park is another water-play area in Eildon. Together with the swimming pool and the Pondage, it shows how many of the activities described are right in town, while Lake Eildon extends the options in the surrounding area.

Mountain bike trails and different kinds of paths

Eildon Mountain Bike Park is open year-round and offers narrow, technical trails for cross-country riding. Trail conditions can vary. Featured trails include Tea Tree Twisty, Sticks & Stones, Darlingford Loop and Karalika Express; trail offerings may change. Most trails in the park are accessible by bike, and you can ride Karalika Express using your own shuttle.

Comparing it with the Pondage Walk highlights two different types of routes in Eildon: a flat circuit around the Lower Pondage, and narrow, technical trails for cross-country riding. You can plan your day around whether you want to focus on a walk or mountain biking.

Lake Eildon and the surrounding area

Lake Eildon is near the destination and has 500 kilometres of shoreline, sheltered bays and safe swimming spots. Swimming, canoeing, water skiing, sailing and fishing are possible on the lake. Fishing methods available year-round include trolling, bait fishing and casting. Check the applicable rules and conditions before going fishing.

Lake Eildon National Park also offers more options, including bushwalking, camping and picnics. Kangaroos, wombats and a wide variety of birds can be found around the national park. Eildon Dam is also nearby. It was built in the 1950s to supply irrigation water to a large area of northern Victoria. The surrounding area combines lakeside recreation with scenery, wildlife and a history that is also tied to the region’s water supply.

Eildon as a base for your accommodation search

If you’re looking for a hotel in Eildon, your planned activities can guide your choice of destination: do you mainly want to experience the Pondage Walk, the swimming pool and the trails in town, or use Eildon as a base for activities around Lake Eildon? The differences between the circuit walk, technical trails and lakeside activities can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Cocamba, Lysterfield South, Tallarook, Tarneit, Fitzroy, Merrijig, Rochester, Timboon

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.