What are the Grampians?

The Grampians (officially Gariwerd) are a series of rugged sandstone mountain ranges in western Victoria, about 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. They cover about 1,672 square kilometres and form part of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, declared in 1984.

The ranges rise sharply from the Wimmera plains to about 1,167 metres at Mount William (Duwul), the highest peak. Four main ranges run roughly north-south: the Mount William Range, the Serra Range, the Mount Difficult Range, and the Victoria Range. The landscape is dominated by sandstone cliffs, deep gorges, eucalypt forests, and seasonal waterfalls including MacKenzie Falls, the largest waterfall in Victoria by volume.

The Grampians are the traditional country of the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung peoples, who refer to the ranges as Gariwerd. About 200 rock-art sites are recorded in the park, the largest concentration of rock art in south-eastern Australia, including key sites at Bunjil's Shelter, Ngamadjidj Shelter, Manja Shelter, and Billimina Shelter. The Brambuk cultural centre near Halls Gap, run by the Aboriginal Traditional Owners, interprets this heritage for visitors. The official dual name Grampians (Gariwerd) was adopted in 1991, the first dual-named landmark in Victoria.

The Grampians are a major tourism destination, drawing about 1.2 million visitors a year for hiking, rock climbing, wildflower viewing, and scenic drives. Major bushfires in 2006 and 2014 burnt large areas of the park, and visitor infrastructure has been progressively rebuilt. The Grampians Peaks Trail, a 160-kilometre walking track completed in stages between 2015 and 2021, is one of Australia's premier multi-day walks. Halls Gap is the main visitor centre and home to most of the park's accommodation.